Buddy Review
by James Berardinelli (berardin AT bc DOT cybernex DOT net)June 13th, 1997
BUDDY
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 6.0
Alternative Scale: **1/2 out of ****
United States, 1997
U.S. Release Date: 6/6/97 (wide)
Running Length: 1:24
MPAA Classification: PG (Nothing offensive)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Cast: Rene Russo, Robbie Coltrane , Alan Cumming, Irma P. Hall Director: Caroline Thompson
Producers: Steve Nicolaides and Fred Fuchs
Screenplay: Caroline Thompson, based on the book ANIMALS ARE MY HOBBY by Gertrude Davies Lintz
Cinematography: John Alonzo and Steve Mason
Music: Elmer Bernstein
U.S. Distributor: Columbia Pictures
In a summer when dinosaurs are king, what chance does a gorilla not named King Kong have? Since many parents have decided that THE LOST WORLD is suitable fare for youngsters, it's easy to overlook a film like BUDDY, which director Caroline Thompson (BLACK BEAUTY) clearly crafted with children in mind. (Don't mothers or fathers care that THE LOST WORLD is rated PG-13 for a good reason?) Unfortunately, this movie is an unremarkable example of film making, and doesn't distinguish itself in the way that recent family features like BABE and SHILOH have.
BUDDY is loosely based on a true story (although it takes considerable liberties with the facts). In 1931, a wealthy Brooklyn eccentric named Gertrude Lintz (played by Rene Russo) took a sick baby gorilla into her care, and, with the help of her husband, Bill (Robbie Coltrane), and her assistant, Dick Kroener (Alan Cumming), nursed him back to health. She kept the animal, named Massa in real life but changed to Buddy for the movie, for the next four years. Eventually, when he became too large and dangerous for a domestic environment, Gertrude donated him to the Philadelphia zoo, where he lived until 1984, setting a record for captive gorilla longevity.
Part of the problem with the movie is that BUDDY relies too much on its animatronic inventions and its real animals, relegating both the story and the human actors to places of secondary importance. In addition to the title character, a product of Jim Henson's creature shop, there are four chimpanzees, a parrot, kittens, raccoons, and numerous other representatives of this planet's wild life population. Each of these four-legged scene-stealers has at least a moment or two, the most memorable of which belong to the chimps. None of the humans, except perhaps the delightful Irma B. Hall as the Lintz' maid, can hold their own in such furry and feathered company.
The animatronic work on Buddy is impressive enough to be almost believable (it's certainly a far cry better than Rick Baker's monkey suit performance in 1976's KING KONG), although I never for a moment thought I was watching a real gorilla. The chimpanzees are BUDDY's legitimate stars, though, primarily because they're the real thing, not marvels of modern motion picture technology. On the other hand, Rene Russo, who gets top billing, does little to distinguish herself or develop Gertrude into a multi-dimensional character.
One of BUDDY's themes might remind attentive viewers of an element of JURASSIC PARK -- that humankind, no matter how good its intentions, cannot bend nature to its will. In Spielberg's film, the dinosaurs got out of control and went on a rampage. In BUDDY, the ape becomes frightened and confused, and reacts with such violence that not even Gertrude can calm him down. Actually, had the movie concentrated more on this aspect of the story rather than expending so much time and effort being "cute," it might have been more gripping.
The most interesting sequence takes place during the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago, where Gertrude appears in a pavilion with her gorilla and chimps. Buddy escapes and wreaks havoc, but the movie passes quickly through this critical juncture, failing to exploit opportunities to fashion a narrative of greater scope and depth. Too often, BUDDY seems rushed like this, and its sketchy approach to compelling issues about human interaction with animals can lead to a certain amount of dissatisfaction. To a degree, BUDDY works as light entertainment, but it misses an opportunity to be much more.
- James Berardinelli
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