Doctor Dolittle (1998)

Director:

Betty Thomas

Writers (WGA):

Hugh Lofting (stories)
Nat Mauldin (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

26 June 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Tagline:

He doesn't just talk to the animals!

Plot:

A Doctor finds out that he can understand what animals are saying. And the animals find out that he understands.

Plot Keywords:

Animal | Dog | Tiger | Doctor | Owl

Awards:

4 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Eddie Murphy	...	Dr. John Dolittle
Ossie Davis	...	Archer Dolittle
Oliver Platt	...	Dr. Mark Weller
Peter Boyle	...	Calloway
Richard Schiff	...	Dr. Gene 'Geno' Reiss
Kristen Wilson	...	Lisa Dolittle
Jeffrey Tambor	...	Dr. Fish
Kyla Pratt	...	Maya Dolittle
Raven-Symoné	...	Charisse Dolittle
Steven Gilborn	...	Dr. Sam Litvack
Erik Dellums	...	Jeremy (as Erik Todd Dellums)
June Christopher	...	Diane
Cherie Franklin	...	Mrs. Parkus
Mark Adair-Rios	...	Intern
Don Calfa	...	Patient at Hammersmith

Also Known As:

Dr. Dolittle (USA) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for crude humor and language.

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #35966) | Iceland:L | Brazil:Livre | Netherlands:6 | Netherlands:AL (video rating) | Norway:7 (TV rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Belgium:KT | Canada:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:K-8/5 | France:U | Germany:o.Al. | Portugal:M/6 | South Korea:12 | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Aquatic Park, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Very few elements from the original film or books were used in this film. A few notable exceptions are Dolittle's committal to a mental hospital, the scene in which John gives the horse glasses (made of magnifying glasses) and the appearance (however briefly) of the Pushmipullyu in the background at the circus.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Gene and Mark are walking downstairs to check out Mark's nose after it has been broken, Mark is wearing a wedding ring. However, in the next shot when they find John in the room, the wedding ring is no longer on Mark's finger.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Lucky: [narrating] You know, they say the great thing about being a kid is, it's so easy to pretend. You can have a conversation with your dog or a baseball or a banana. Well, what if wasn't pretend? What if you could have a conversation. I mean, not with a baseball or a banana - that's ridiculous, but - but with your dog?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "HBO First Look: The Making of 'Dr. Dolittle 2' (#8.7)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Talk to the Animals

Amusing lines but weak plot

John Dolittle was a worrying child – his father always caught him pretending to talk to animals and eventually had to get him to stop it. As an adult, his gift is long forgotten until he hits a dog with his car and hears it talk to him. When he realises that he is not going crazy and he can talk to them he is suddenly inundated with animals to treat, his family is falling apart and his business partners think their whole business is at risk.

Eddie Murphy basically rebuild his career around a couple of big comedy remakes which relied on humour and effects. Here the humour consists of good lines and the effects the animatronic animals. The plot is the weakest point of the film and, although it has a basic story, it never really involves or becomes important. Supporting the film then is some funny lines (rather than consistent jokes) from the animal support cast – whether it be main characters (Rodney the hamster) or quick one-liners (`I am Kyser Soze').

The effects are surprisingly ropey – they look good but they don't move naturally and the cuts between the real animals and the puppets are very clear. The support cast basically carry the movie and save it from being pretty dire stuff. Rock, Brooks, MacDonald, Leguizamo, Shandling etc all do good work and their dialogue basically consists of one-liners rather than anything else. Beside this the adult cast look like straight men. Murphy is quite dull and even the likes of Platt and Boyle (who usually do OK in small roles) have little to do.

Overall this is fun to watch simply because of the support cast and the regular sharp lines of dialogue from the animals. However, look for any more than that and you'll be disappointed.