We had so much fun watching “Beethoven” with our kids on Saturday afternoon. Take one huge dog, a ballistic father, and criminals getting their just desserts, and it doesn’t get a whole lot better than that for family entertainment.
Beethoven used to be a tiny little puppy. When some dognappers get it into their heads to loot a pet store, Beethoven is taken along with the other dogs, but thanks to the quick thinking of a Jack Russell terrier, several of them manage to escape. Beethoven wanders into a nice neighborhood and manages to get inside one of the homes, surprising the youngest daughter of the Newton family as she wakes up to discover a puppy on her bed, and she thinks all her dreams have come true.
George Newton (Charles Grodin) is an obsessive compulsive control freak. He likes things to be neat and tidy. He wants everything to be in order at all times. A dog just isn’t in his life plan, but his children beg and plead with him to keep the dog. He finally gives in, saying that it’s just temporary until they can find the dog’s true owners, but those owners never show up, and meanwhile, the dog grows and grows and grows. Big puddles of slobber are everywhere. Giant pawprints decorate the carpet. The landscaping is a mess, and nothing in George’s life is need and orderly any more.
All George can see is the hassle of owning a dog, but Beethoven turns out to be a huge blessing. He saves the youngest daughter from drowning in the babysitter’s pool, he keeps bullies from terrorizing the son, and he brings the family together in a way they badly needed. Oh, and in the end, he helps catch the dognappers, too.
There was one suggestive scene where Beethoven climbs in bed with George and he thinks it’s his wife, but nothing really transpires beyond flirty talking.
We all laughed our heads off during this film, and we think your family would enjoy it too. This movie is rated PG.
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