Doctor Dolittle

"He doesn't just talk to the animals!"

1998 1h 25m EN

😐

5.7

MID

★5.7TMDB · 3,399

ComedyFamilyFantasy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A successful physician and devoted family man, John Dolittle seems to have the world by the tail, until a long suppressed talent he possessed as a child, the ability to communicate with animals is suddenly reawakened with a vengeance! Now every creature within squawking distance wants the good doctor's advice, unleashing an outrageous chain of events that turns his world upside down!

“He doesn't just talk to the animals!”

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Cast

Eddie Murphy
Dr. John Dolittle
Ossie Davis
Archer Dolittle
Oliver Platt
Dr. Mark Weller
Peter Boyle
Calloway
Richard Schiff
Dr. Gene Reiss
Kristen Wilson
Lisa
Jeffrey Tambor
Dr. Fish
Kyla Pratt
Maya

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Betty Thomas
Writers: Nat Mauldin, Larry Levin, Hugh Lofting
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $71M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 4.1× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

28 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Dr. Dolittle Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Betty Thomas, shot by Russell Boyd. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Richard Gibbs. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Peter Teschner shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Betty Thomas directs. Russell Boyd behind the camera. Richard Gibbs scores. Peter Teschner cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Mid-budget at $71M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
3Made its money back 4.1× over at the box office.
428 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
5Part of the "Dr. Dolittle Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
6Directed by Betty Thomas, shot by Russell Boyd. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Richard Gibbs. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Peter Teschner shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Eddie Murphy and Ossie Davis and Oliver Platt carry the top of the cast.
10Marketing tagline: "He doesn't just talk to the animals!".
11IMDB entry: tt0118998 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
12Classified under 10 themes, including "based on novel or book", "tiger", "san francisco, california", "veterinarian".