Based on the life of Gertrude Lintz, a Long Island socialite who kept an amazing menagerie of animals on her estate, this very able film by Caroline Thompson (Black Beauty) concentrates on Lintz's relationship with a gorilla named Buddy, whom she raised from infancy on. The film is geared toward kids, but in the very best sense as Thompson orchestrates some very entertaining sequences without cutting corners on logic, the way most forms of children's entertainment do today. Rene Russo is very good as the eccentric woman, and Robbie Coltrane is uncharacteristically warm and fuzzy as her patient husband. Nice support work from Alan Cumming and the rest of the cast. Thompson is aiming for something akin to the live-action glory days of Disney, and she comes close to achieving it. --Tom Keogh
2.
A gentle, family-oriented dramatization of the autobiography ("Animals Are My Hobby") of daffy Gertrude Lintz (Rene Russo,) a softhearted, softheaded 1920s New York socialite who transformed her upstate mansion into a personal menagerie containing cats, dogs, birds, chimps, and the titular baby gorilla, all of whom were trained to wear clothing and behave as humans. Produced by the Jim Henson Company.
3.
Rene Russo stars as eccentric socialite Gertrude "Trudy" Lintz, who adopts a baby gorilla into her already-bustling animal menagerie. Along with chimpanzees Maggie and Joe, Buddy gets into all kinds of hilarious monkey business and proceeds to drive everyone bananas. A delightful family adventure based on a remarkable true story featuring amazing effects courtesy of Jim Henson's Creature Shop.
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