Beethoven

The Newton family lives comfortably in a California home, but something feels missing until a stray Saint Bernard puppy slips into the house. The children and their mother quickly take to the dog, named Beethoven, while father George remains reluctant as the puppy grows into a very large dog. Meanwhile, a local veterinarian, Dr. Varnick, secretly needs dogs for cruel experiments, and Beethoven ends up on his list.

Brian Levant directed the film, his second feature after Problem Child 2, and it was written by John Hughes and Amy Holden Jones. Charles Grodin plays George, Bonnie Hunt plays Alice, and Dean Jones plays Dr. Varnick, with the dog Chris in the title role. The film was released in April 1992 and became a major commercial success, grossing about 147 million dollars worldwide on a modest budget, a strong return for a family comedy.

Audience response has been moderate since: on IMDb it holds 5.8 out of 10 from roughly 81,000 votes, and on TMDB it sits at 5.8 from over 2,300 votes. A critics' rating of 4 out of 10 from 29 reviews places it below those audience scores, though the film's box office and its continuing place in family viewing are clear.