Dr. Dolittle

Dr. Dolittle is a 1998 American family comedy film starring Eddie Murphy as a doctor who discovers that he has the ability to talk to (and understand) animals. The film was inspired by the series of children's stories of the same name, but used no material from any of the novels; the main connection is the name and a doctor who can speak to animals, although the pushmi-pullyu, a much-loved feature of the books, notably makes a very brief appearance in a couple of scenes. The first novel had originally been filmed in 1967 as a musical under the same title, a closer adaptation of the book. The earlier film was a box office bomb, but still remains a cult classic and a two-time Academy Award-winner. Although the 1998 film was rated PG-13 by the MPAA, it was marketed as a family film.

Plot
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.

Trivia
Very few elements from the original Doctor Dolittle 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 cameo of the Pushmipullyu in the background at the circus. Howard Stern was offered the chance to voice a hamster but turned it down.

Box office
In its opening weekend, the film grossed $29,014,324 million in 2,777 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking #1 at the box office, was the best debut for an Fox film that week. By the end of its run, Dr. Dolittle grossed $144,156,605 in the United States and $150,300,000 internationally, totaling $294,456,605 worldwide.

Henry's copy
Henry has the 2001 VHS of this movie from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. It has previews of Our Friend Martin, The Sports Illustrated Kids Show, a promo reminding you to exercise, and the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack.