Beethoven is a 1992 American family comedy film, directed by Brian Levant and starring Charles Grodin, Bonnie Hunt, Dean Jones, Oliver Platt and Stanley Tucci. It is the first installment of the Beethoven film series.
The film was written by John Hughes (under the pseudonym Edmond Dantès) and Amy Holden Jones. Its story centers on a St. Bernard dog named after the German composer of the same name and owned by the Newton family.
Plot
A group of puppies are stolen from a pet store by two thieves. A St. Bernard puppy escapes and sneaks into the Newton family's home. The workaholic father, George, does not want the responsibility of owning a dog, but his wife, Alice, and their children, Ryce, Ted, and Emily, encourage him. They give him the name "Beethoven" when Emily plays a portion of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony on the piano and he barks along to it.
Beethoven grows into a fully grown young adult and helps Ryce, Ted, and Emily overcome their problems: he helps Ryce talk to a boy she has a crush on, scares off bullies for harming Ted, and saves Emily's life when she falls into an irresponsible babysitter's swimming pool. George, jealous of the affection Beethoven receives, feels neglected as his family fawns over him. His antics ruin a barbecue he is hosting for Brad and Brie Wilson, unpleasant venture capitalists looking to invest and swindle him out of his car air freshener firm.
The Newtons take Beethoven to a veterinarian named Dr. Herman Varnick for a routine medical examination and immunizations, unaware that he is actually involved in unethical and deadly animal experiments. Dr. Varnick tells George of a supposed mental instability among St. Bernards making them potentially dangerous and violent to humans and advises him to watch Beethoven closely for any sign of viciousness. However, Dr. Varnick actually requires large-skulled dogs such as St. Bernards for an ammunition test.
Dr. Varnick later visits the Newton home under the guise of doing a follow-up exam on Beethoven. To trick the Newtons into thinking Beethoven had attacked him, he puts fake blood on his arm and some of it on Beethoven's face, cuts and tears his shirt sleeve then abusively hits the dog, enraging Beethoven which prompts him to leap on Dr. Varnick and pin him to the ground, causing the Newtons to mistakenly believe that Beethoven is attacking Dr. Varnick when they witness this. Dr. Varnick pretends to be in pain, warning George that Beethoven may be turning aggressive and must be put to sleep or he will have no choice but to press charges. Emily, who had observed Dr. Varnick hit Beethoven, attempted to prove the dog's innocence by protesting that the attack was fake, but George, fearing for his family's safety, reluctantly takes him to Dr. Varnick's office. It is on the way there that George discovers his own affections for him: he remembers his father had to take their dog to the vet to be put down and he never forgave him for it. George fears that his family will hate him now for taking Beethoven to be put to sleep. When George returns home with the empty leash and collar, his heartbroken family leaves the dinner table rather than remain with him, proving his fears true.
After being devastated, the Newtons go to Dr. Varnick's office to confront him, but he lies to them that Beethoven has already been put down. However, George remembers that the receptionist told him that Beethoven will not be put to sleep until the next day. George then notices that Dr. Varnick has no bite marks on his arm and, realizing he lied to the Newtons that Beethoven attacked him, assaults him. The Newtons then follow him to his warehouse. Beethoven breaks free but is recaptured by Dr. Varnick's two associates, Harvey and Vernon, the same crooks who robbed the pet store in the beginning, while Alice calls the police. George crashes through the skylight just as Dr. Varnick prepares to shoot Beethoven. Before he can, however, Sparky, a captive Jack Russell Terrier that Beethoven befriended earlier, bites Dr. Varnick in the crotch, causing him to fire a shot in the air. After hearing it, Ted drives the car through the door and runs it into a cart, launching numerous syringes into Dr. Varnick and sedating him. As the Newtons reunite with Beethoven and free all the captive dogs, they notice Harvey and Vernon trying to escape, but Ted sends the dogs after them. They escape into a junkyard, only to be confronted and attacked by a pack of ferocious Dobermans guarding it.