Buddy (1997)

User Rating:

4.6/10   

Director:

Caroline Thompson

Writers (WGA):

Gertrude Davies Lintz (book)
William Joyce (screen story) ...

Release Date:

6 June 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family

Tagline:

Welcome to a family that will make yours seem tame.

Plot:

Rene Russo plays an eccentric socialite who raises a gorilla as her son.

Plot Keywords:

Gorilla | Socialite | Chimpanzee | Animal | Eccentric

Cast

Rene Russo	...	Mrs. Gertrude 'Trudy' Lintz
Robbie Coltrane	...	Dr. Bill Lintz
Alan Cumming	...	Dick Croner, Trudy's Assistant
Irma P. Hall	...	Emma, Lintz's Maid
Peter Elliott	...	Buddy
Mak Wilson	...	Buddy
Lynn Robertson Bruce	...	Buddy
Mark Sealey	...	Buddy
Robert Tygner	...	Buddy (as Rob Tygner)
Michelan Sisti	...	Buddy
Peter Hurst	...	Buddy
Leif Tilden	...	Buddy
Star Townsend	...	Buddy (as Star Townshend)
Paul Reubens	...	Professor Spatz
John Aylward	...	Mr. Joe Bowman

MPAA:

Rated PG for some threatening animal action.

Runtime:

84 min | Argentina:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:G (TV rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | France:U | Germany:6 | Portugal:M/6 (video premiere) | Sweden:7 | UK:U (video premiere) | USA:PG (certificate #34791)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles Zoo, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

American Zoetrope

Trivia:

Rene Russo came out a month before principal photography started to work to rehearse with each individual chimp.

Quotes:

Emma: It's enough to drive you to the nut house. Of course this place probably already is the nut house.

Soundtrack:

My Buddy

Animal lovers everywhere should go ape over "Buddy"!

Trudy Lintz (Rene Russo) was one very fortunate lady many years ago. She was the wife of a wealthy doctor and had lots of extracurricular money. Her passion was animals and she devoted herself to providing a sanctuary for the furry ones on her property grounds. Trudy also raised two chimps in her home to be more like children. They dressed in clothes and had many amenities. One day, she learns of an abandoned baby gorilla. Knowing nothing about the large apes, she relies on her husband's medical abilities and expert advice to save the gorilla's life. Once out of danger, Trudy decides she will raise the gorilla, also, as one of her children. This works well for years and Buddy, the gorilla, is truly a remarkably intelligent addition to her home. But, Buddy is also a gorilla and his strength and curiosity become quite enormous. Will Trudy be able to keep Buddy under control? For those who love animals, Buddy is a must-see movie. Based on a true story, Trudy and her ape develop a relationship that is unique in the annals of animal history and lore. Of course, Buddy is not a real gorilla but a mechanical one, in the film, but he is very close to seeming totally real. Russo gives a nice performance as a lady ahead of her time and the supporting players are also quite nice. The costumes are exemplary, as befitting the earlier era of the story, and the settings and production values outstanding. But, most importantly, animals are here in abundance, not only Buddy, but the adorable chimps, the ducks, the rabbits, and so forth. For those who want to watch a film and be transported to animal heaven, here on earth, this is a great movie choice. All animal lovers, and even those who just want to watch a great family film, will go "ape" over Buddy.