|
Doctor Dolittle (1998) 5.3
Ratings:
5.3/10 from 68,679 users
Metascore: 46/100
Reviews: 99 user | 73 critic | 20 from Metacritic.com A Doctor finds out that he can understand what animals are saying. And the animals find out that he understands. Director:Betty Thomas |
| Watch Trailer 0Share... |
The 25 Most Immersive Worlds in Cinema
Highly immersive cinematic worlds can carry a movie, and we've rounded up the best of the best.
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Related Items
Search for "Doctor Dolittle" on Amazon.com
Share this Rating
Title: Doctor Dolittle (1998)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
4 wins & 8 nominations.
See more awards »
Learn more
People who liked this also liked...
Dr. Dolittle 2
(2001)
Comedy
|
Family
|
Fantasy
Director:
Steve Carr
Stars:
Eddie Murphy,
Cedric the Entertainer,
Kristen Wilson
101 Dalmatians
(1996)
Adventure
|
Comedy
|
Family
Director:
Stephen Herek
Stars:
Glenn Close,
Jeff Daniels,
Joely Richardson
Daddy Day Care
(2003)
Comedy
|
Family
Director:
Steve Carr
Stars:
Eddie Murphy,
Jeff Garlin,
Anjelica Huston
Stuart Little
(1999)
Adventure
|
Comedy
|
Family
Director:
Rob Minkoff
Stars:
Michael J. Fox,
Geena Davis,
Hugh Laurie
Beethoven
(1992)
Comedy
|
Drama
|
Family
Director:
Brian Levant
Stars:
Charles Grodin,
Bonnie Hunt,
Dean Jones
Dr. Dolittle 3
(Video 2006)
Comedy
|
Family
|
Fantasy
Director:
Rich Thorne
Stars:
Kristen Wilson,
Tara Wilson,
Kyla Pratt
Casper
(1995)
Comedy
|
Family
|
Fantasy
Director:
Brad Silberling
Stars:
Bill Pullman,
Christina Ricci,
Cathy Moriarty
Meet Dave
(2008)
Adventure
|
Comedy
|
Family
Director:
Brian Robbins
Stars:
Eddie Murphy,
Elizabeth Banks,
Gabrielle Union
Flubber
(1997)
Comedy
|
Family
|
Sci-Fi
Director:
Les Mayfield
Stars:
Robin Williams,
Marcia Gay Harden,
Christopher McDonald
Free Willy
(1993)
Adventure
|
Drama
|
Family
Director:
Simon Wincer
Stars:
Jason James Richter,
Lori Petty,
Michael Madsen
Stuart Little 2
(2002)
Animation
|
Adventure
|
Comedy
Director:
Rob Minkoff
Stars:
Michael J. Fox,
Geena Davis,
Hugh Laurie
Ri¢hie Ri¢h
(1994)
Comedy
|
Family
Director:
Donald Petrie
Stars:
Macaulay Culkin,
Edward Herrmann,
John Larroquette
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Eddie Murphy | ... | ||
| Ossie Davis | ... | ||
| Oliver Platt | ... | ||
| Peter Boyle | ... | ||
| Richard Schiff | ... | ||
| Kristen Wilson | ... | ||
| Jeffrey Tambor | ... | ||
| Kyla Pratt | ... | ||
| Raven-Symoné | ... | ||
| Steven Gilborn | ... | ||
| Erik Dellums | ... |
Jeremy
(as Erik Todd Dellums)
|
|
| June Christopher | ... | ||
 |
Cherie Franklin | ... | |
| Mark Adair-Rios | ... | ||
| Don Calfa | ... | ||
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
Dr. John Dolittle has the world in his hands: A beautiful wife at his side, two adorable daughters and a career that could not go better. One night, he nearly runs over a dog with his car. The dog yells "bonehead" and disappears. From then on, his childhood ability is back: To communicate with animals. Unfortunately, the word of Dolittle's ability is spreading quickly. Soon, many animals from rat to horse flock to his place to get medical advice. But his colleagues suspect he's going mad, and as the clinic Dolittle used to work for is about to being taken over for a huge amount of money, many decisions have to be made. Believe him? Put him into a mental institution? Sell the clinic? But also his family is close to breaking apart. Until a circus tiger falls seriously ill. Written by Julian Reischl <julianreischl@mac.com>
Taglines:
For thousands of year animals have been trying to tell us something, but their cries have fallen on deaf ears...until they found John Dolittle See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
See more »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
26 June 1998 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Dr. Dolittle See more »Box Office
Budget:
$71,500,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend:
$29,014,324 (USA) (26 June 1998)Gross:
$144,156,464 (USA) (8 January 1999)Company Credits
Production Co:
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Davis Entertainment, Joseph M. Singer Entertainment See more »
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
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?
See more »
Written by Rick Dutch Cousin (as R. Cousin), Montell Jordan (as M. Jordan), S. Montgomery, T. Bishop
Performed by Montell Jordan featuring Shaunta
Produced by Rick Dutch Cousin (as Dutch)
Montell Jordan appears courtesy of Def Jam Records, Inc.
See more »
Did You Know?
Goofs
Dr Dolittle's apartment is on the corner of Webster St. and Green St. When the horse shouts ,"Is there a doctor in the house?" the "Webster St." sign is on top of "Green St.". When Dr Dolittle looks down and we see the horse from his angle, the "Green St." sign is on top of "Webster St." See more »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?
See more »
Soundtracks
Let's Ride (The Dutch Factory Remix)Written by Rick Dutch Cousin (as R. Cousin), Montell Jordan (as M. Jordan), S. Montgomery, T. Bishop
Performed by Montell Jordan featuring Shaunta
Produced by Rick Dutch Cousin (as Dutch)
Montell Jordan appears courtesy of Def Jam Records, Inc.
See more »
Doctor Dolittle (1998)
I was surprised to see this movie got such a low rating—it's not so bad. Oh, for sure it's not so great, either. But Eddie Murphy alone makes it something worth watching (he's one of the few perfect-pitch comedians out there). And the story, a 1920 classic for children, is something of its own.
What falls apart is the slightly pushy sentimentalism and the generally mediocre secondary cast. That might be enough to push it into mediocrity, for sure, but it's not meant to be a deep classic, and it plays with the story nicely.
That story is not just about a doctor (of the human type) who can hear animals talking. It's more about how society condemns hims and tries to help him with psycho-care. His bland wife (with the gorgeous eyes that get overplayed) is typical of his "friends," all nice people with distractions and no time for the possibility that he might, in fact, hear animals talk.
The talking animals are of course great fun, from the rats to the tiger. This is the part of the movie that is meant to appeal across the board, and it does, including its good special effects. The feeling of family, not dysfunctional, is another bit of warmth, not to mention that the family is African American, a nice twist on the original story based on an English doctor.
And though the movie was not liked by critics, it has made a third of a billion dollars, which speaks for itself. Not a masterpiece, and not even a classic, it still has wonderful aspects including a very wonderful basic concept.