Pets We Love

Bedknobs and Broomsticks was produced several years after Walt Disney's death and released in the fall of 1971. As it turned out, Bedknobs was frequently compared to Mary Poppins -- probably thanks to several striking similarities between the two productions, notably the presence in the cast of David Tomlinson, the use of Cockney children as central characters, and the inclusion of sequences that combine animation and live-action. Set in wartime England, Bedknobs stars Angela Lansbury as Eglantine Price, a would-be witch who hopes to use her newly acquired conjuring powers to forestall a Nazi invasion. Saddled with three surly kids who've been evacuated from London, Lansbury wins over her charges by performing various and sundry feats of magic. And, yes, she manages to foil a few Germans along the way. The film's most famous episode is an elaborate undersea fantasy, which combines animation with live-action on a gargantuan scale, dwarfing all previous Disney sequences along these lines. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Clint Eastwood's first comedy feature proved to be one of his most profitable vehicles. Eastwood plays Philo Beddoe, a bare-knuckle boxer who travels from fight to fight in a beat-up truck, accompanied by his "pal" Clyde, a orangutan with a mean right hook, and his human buddy Orville (Geoffrey Lewis). During a stopover, Philo meets and falls in love with would-be country & western singer Lynn Halsey-Taylor (Sondra Locke). After a while, she wants to break off the relationship, but he doesn't -- a shaky plot peg upon which to hang several reels' worth of zany car chases and confrontations with such opponents as a gang of bikers and a battalion of hostile lawmen. Adding to the fun is Ruth Gordon as Eastwood's don't-mess-with-me octogenarian mother, and Beverly D'Angelo as an ace sharpshooter. The enormous box-office success of Every Which Way But Loose yielded an equally wacky -- and equally lucrative -- sequel, Any Which Way You Can. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The fourth screen adaptation of Anna Sewell's classic novel is, in some ways, the most faithful and accomplished. Screenwriter and director Caroline Thompson recounts the life of Black Beauty, an aging, handsome stallion living in Victorian England. The film is narrated by Alan Cumming as the voice of Black Beauty, who spends a happy childhood on a rambling country estate before being ravaged by illness and surviving a horrible stable fire. However, the worst is yet to come as Black Beauty's new owners subject him to life as a horse for rent and, later, as a taxi puller in working-class London, before he can retire in peace. The original novel was written to draw attention to the cruel treatment of animals in 1877 England, and the issue's continued relevance today adds poignancy and gravity to this affecting tale. The film is episodic, as was the book, and the topic is handled with sensitivity and care. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi

Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston go to the dogs with Marley & Me, a tale of a couple embarking on the adventure of marriage, career, family, and the world's worst dog. At least that's how writer and newlywed John comes to describe his blonde lab, Marley, when he takes the puppy home and finds that the fluff-ball has an uncanny ability to eat and/or destroy just about anything. As years go by, John and his wife, Jennifer, contemplate having babies and moving across the country, while Marley grows into 100 lbs. of funny, wild, completely untrainable canine companionship -- as well as one of the most important people in the family. Marley & Me is based on the best-selling autobiographical book by columnist John Grogan. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

James Belushi stars in this cop actioner about a loner narcotics officer who has to break in a new partner. The twist here is that the new partner is barely housebroken, but he's still sharp and keeps his nose close to the ground. Dooley (Belushi), who works on the San Diego narc squad, is an eccentric guy who has pizzas delivered to his car and likes a good steak. He is working on a stakeout of a local drug dealer when he barely escapes with his life as a helicopter blows up his car. When he asks the department for a new car, they give him a new partner instead --a police dog called Jerry Lee (Jerry Lee the Dog). Jerry's good at sniffing out the criminals but Dooley doesn't really hit it off with his new partner until the pooch saves his life. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

The popular memoir by Pulitzer prize-winning author Willie Morris became this family comedy-drama about a boy and his dog. Young Willie Morris (Frankie Muniz) is a shy eight-year-old in 1942 Yazoo, MS, who is more comfortable reading than playing sports. A target for local bullies, Willie's only real pal is his older next-door neighbor Dink Jenkins (Luke Wilson), once the town's living sports legend and a big brother figure to Willie, an only child. When Dink is shipped overseas for service in World War II, Willie's mother Ellen (Diane Lane) finally forces his gruff father Jack (Kevin Bacon) to allow into the family a pet dog, a Jack Russell terrier named Skip. The smart and playful Skip gets his owner into a series of adventures on the baseball field and with a band of moonshiners, quickly turning Willie into a popular, accepted kid who even wins the affections of the school's prettiest girl, Rivers Applewhite (Caitlin Wachs). In the meantime, Dink returns from war branded a coward for an incident that occurred in combat but finds an unexpected ally in the normally taciturn Jack, a fellow veteran. Harry Connick Jr. narrated as the adult Willie; the role of Skip was played in later scenes by Moose, the pooch star of television's Frasier. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Based on a story by Hollywood old-timers Seton I. Miller and S. S. Field, Pete's Dragon divides its time between its flesh-and-blood characters and an animated green dragon. Pete (Sean Marshall), a lonely orphan boy in turn-of-the-century Maine, runs away from his abusive foster family. He stumbles upon a lovable dragon named Elliot, and the two become inseparable companions. Elliot is visible only to Pete, leading the townsfolk to assume that the boy is a trifle tetched. Pete finally finds happiness with his "new" family, lighthouse-keeper Lampie (Mickey Rooney) and his daughter Nora (Helen Reddy, who sings and sings). British comic actor Jim Dale co-stars as the wacky dentist Dr. Terminus. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Dean Cain and Kristen Eggers star in this family comedy about a dog willing to go to any lengths to return a very special teddy bear to his human friend Laney (Alyssa Shafer). ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

An instant family classic, Benji is shot mostly from the a dog's-eye view , adding even more characterization to a title character well-played by canine veteran Higgins. Benji is an intelligent homeless mutt adopted by a loving family; when the kids are kidnapped, it's the little dog to the rescue in the best tradition of bigger doggie heroes like Rin Tin Tin and Lassie. Believe it or not, Higgins really acts; his captivating performance and the simple, straightforward telling of the story makes for all-around family fun. A sequel didn't fare as well, but the original Benji is still a furry favorite. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi

Rex Harrison, although not at all like the portly man described in Hugh Lofting's charming series of children's stories, is sheer perfection as the kindly animal doctor in Leslie Bricusse's musical fantasy Doctor Dolittle. Sadly, Harrison is the only thing nearing perfection in this overstuffed and over-mounted fiasco that nearly brought down 20th Century Fox. Considered a lunatic because he can converse in 498 animal dialects, Dolittle gathers up his friends Matthew Mugg (Anthony Newley) and Emma Fairfax (Samantha Eggar) and heads off on a journey to the South Seas to find the elusive great pink snail and the giant lunar moth. Along the way, the group encounters a succession of bizarre human and animal characters -- most notably the legendary pushme-pullyou, an animal so freakish that it compels Albert Blossom (Richard Attenborough) to burst out into the exuberant song, "I've never Seen Anything Like It in My Life." Incredibly, the film was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar in 1967. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

A chimp helps bring together a boy and his father -- as well as putting America in the lead of the space race -- in this drama, which was inspired by the true story of the Mercury-Redstone 2 mission in 1961. Dr. Wilhelm von Huber (James Woods) is a German expatriate scientist living in the United States in the early '60s who has been hired by the fledging National Aeronautics and Space Administration to help America launch its newly formed space program. Von Huber is recently widowed, and his son, Wilhelm II (Alex D. Linz) -- known as Billy to most of his friends -- is still dealing with the loss of his mother. The often cold and exacting Dr. von Huber is having trouble reaching out to his son, and Billy is having a hard time making friends at his new school in Florida. One day, while dropping by NASA's labs to visit his father, Billy discovers a secret: NASA has previously been using unmanned missiles in their tests, but before taking the giant step of sending a man into space, they're going to try an experimental mission with a chimpanzee on board to get a better idea of how people might be affected by space travel. Dr. Donni McGuinness (Annabeth Gish), NASA's head veterinarian, makes a deal with Billy: If he promises not to tell anyone about NASA's secret project, she'll give him a part-time job helping to train Mac the Chimp for his big flight. Billy soon becomes quite attached to his new friend Mac, and discovers it's harder than he imagined to send him into space without knowing if he'll come back safely. Race to Space also features William Atherton and William Devane, while Tyler the chimp appears as Mac. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Based on the 1989 novel of the same name by Steven Farley, son of Walter Farley, writer of the original The Black Stallion, The Young Black Stallion is a prequel to the 1979 Academy Award-winning classic starring Mickey Rooney. Directed by Simon Wincer, the film is set during the second World War and follows the adventures of the titular equine as he meets and befriends Neera, a young girl, played by Biana Tamini, who has lost her family in a Middle Eastern desert. Also starring Patrick Elyas and Richard Romanus, The Young Black Stallion was created specifically to be shown in IMAX theaters. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi