Charles Grodin

  • Beethoven’s 2nd (1993)

    Beethoven’s 2nd (1993)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (In French, On TV, April 2020) What do you put in a sequel to a movie about a big dog? Puppies, obviously! And a date rape sequence! Wait, what? Yes, that’s right—Beethoven’s 2nd is just about as misguided as the first film in blending both the expected and the what-the-hell in the same movie. Most of the highlights persist—including Charles Grodin as the overwhelmed voice of reason, who becomes the butt of most big-dog jokes. It would be completely innocuous family entertainment if it was for a few nails-on-blackboard dissonant moments. Having a teenage boy threaten his girlfriend with date rape is strikingly inappropriate for a film aimed at primary school students, and while we’re at it, the portrayal of a divorced woman as a shrill harridan (Debi Mazar in what’s not one of her best roles, although maybe not the best wardrobe) is not exactly winning anyone over either. The puppies are cute, at least (“for now!” warns Grodin) and some hijinks are funny, but otherwise Beethoven’s 2nd is largely forgettable—well, other than the truly weird stuff thrown into it.

  • Beethoven (1992)

    Beethoven (1992)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (In French, On TV, April 2020) At least the logline of this film writes itself: “Family adopts a very big dog, mayhem ensues.” Written by John Hughes under pseudonym, Beethoven is so clearly and directly aimed at family audiences that its single-minded determination to crack that market is almost admirable. A multiplicity of subplots further widen the appeal, ensuring that at least someone will get something out of at least one plot strand. (Fittingly enough, I most identified with the harried father—a suitably comic performance from Charles Grodin.) Given this, it seems almost churlish to point out that the film ekes a mediocre result. The same forces packaging the film for maximum audience sympathy also prevent it from going anywhere interesting. There is one exception, and it’s a bad one—one scene is surprisingly bloody for a family film, and that’s not even getting into the wisdom of putting animal experimentation in a family film in the first place. On a happier note, this film is amazing for a few young up-and-coming actors getting supporting roles, whether it’s David Duchovny as an arrogant venture capitalist, or both Stanley Tucci and Oliver Platt as hoodlums. None of this makes Beethoven that much better, but at least it’s something to watch while the youngsters are happily cheering the dog along.