Turner & Hooch (1989)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Roger Spottiswoode

Writers (WGA):

Dennis Shryack (story) &
Michael Blodgett (story) ...

Release Date:

28 July 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

The Oddest Couple Ever Unleashed!

Plot:

A detective must adopt the dog of a dead man to help him find the murderer.

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Police | Opposites Attract | Affection | Investigator

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Sun. July 5	12:45 AM	TBS
Sun. July 5	9:00 AM	TBS

Cast

Tom Hanks	...	Det. Scott Turner
Mare Winningham	...	Dr. Emily Carson
Craig T. Nelson	...	Chief Howard Hyde
Reginald VelJohnson	...	Det. David Sutton (as Reginald Veljohnson)
Scott Paulin	...	Zack Gregory
J.C. Quinn	...	Walter Boyett
John McIntire	...	Amos Reed
David Knell	...	Ernie
Ebbe Roe Smith	...	Harley McCabe
Kevin Scannell	...	Jeff Foster
Joel Bailey	...	Ferraday
Mary McCusker	...	Katie
Ernie Lively	...	Motel Clerk
Clyde Kusatsu	...	Kevin Williams
Elaine Renee Bush	...	Store Clerk

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Finland:K-12 | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG (certificate #29890) | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Silver Screen Partners IV

Trivia:

Jack Nicholson, Bill Murray and Chevy Chase were all considered for the role of Turner.

Goofs:

Continuity: The first night that Hooch is with Turner, the dog is outside barking and Turner gets up. According to his clock, he wakes up at 10:02, and then when he gets back into bed after yelling at the dog, it is 11:04. He didn't stay up past five minutes yelling at Hooch.

Quotes:

Scott Turner: [Hooch won't stop barking] Alright, what am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to stand out on the porch all night long?
Neighbor: Give him a Valium, Turner! Take one yourself!
Scott Turner: [Yells] Hey, shut up! I'm a policeman! Gu - Want your car towed?
[Hooch goes inside the house, knocking the door shut. It's locked]
Scott Turner: OH NO! AAH! Ah, you stupid dog! AH, YA STUPID DOG!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Be Kind Rewind (2008)

Soundtrack:

ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA

The odd couple from different species...

Hollywood sometimes does things in pairs or more, pushing out similarly themed projects within a short time period to see if they can manufacture a trend. In the late 80's the subject du jour seemed to be 'cop teamed with a dog'. This and K-9 were entries into that niche segment of the market. A heck of a lot of people find dogs personable, of course, so the crucial component that guarantees a good pairing is a likable star to go alongside the furry performer. Few can do likable as easily and naturally as Tom Hanks, and his flair for the zany helps see to it that all ensuing proceedings are kept nice and lively. Even the romance is bearably sweet without becoming schmaltzy or dominating the whole show.

The sequence of events that lead to him becoming an animal guardian for the first time are perhaps intentionally kept murky for the sake of family-orientated viewing, so the only thing about it that has any 'bite' at all is Hooch (don't worry, his bark is worse!) but if you're a sucker for cute pets plus Hanks' breezy charm, then you'll be entranced in no time.