"Dolittle"... again?
Sunday, January 19, 2020 at 5:23PM ;)
Doctor Dolittle's many literary adventures represent Hugh Lofting's biggest claim to fame. From 1920 to 1952, the English author published around children's books focusing on that eccentric Victorian veterinarian whose studies allowed him to speak to animals. The character is something of an iconic IP, so it's no wonder Hollywood has repeatedly tried to capitalize on its popularity. However, considering all the horrible stories and behind the scenes nightmares associated with these productions, it's a wonder any studio executive even considers putting on another Dolittle extravaganza.
The first of these misbegotten adaptations is a 1967 movie musical that's a good candidate to claim the title of "worst Best Picture Oscar nominee ever"…
Richard Fleischer's Doctor Dolittle is a shitshow of the most monumental variety, both in terms of production and end product. In his book Pictures at a Revolution, Mark Harris explores this in-depth, detailing the hellish spectacle that was the conception and shooting of the thing, which involved a zoo of reluctant animal performers as well as the crumbling model of giant pink snail. There was everything from diarrhea prone wildlife to boozy mayhem and open racism spewing from Rex Harrison's mouth against his fellow actors. It was an insane endeavor, miserable from start to finish and a most spectacular chapter in the annals of cinema's most troublesome shoots.
While the story of its making has a certain entertainment value (schadenfreude is a hell of a drug), the movie itself is deadly dull. Overlong, performed by irritated actors and shot without a single drop of artistic inspiration, this Doctor Dolittle is a crime against cinema and an undue punishment to any viewer unlucky enough to be subjected to its horrors. Of course, if you're an Oscar completist, you'll have to see it in all its unholy glory for it was nominated for nine little golden men, including Best Picture. It won two statues, for its Special Effects and Best Original Song thanks to the tuneless collection of belabored rhymes - Talk to the Animals.
None of this reflects the movie's quality or any kind of box-office success. 1967's Doctor Dolittle was a financial disaster, threatening to bankrupt 20th Century Fox only a few years after The Sound of Music had saved it from the calamity of Cleopatra. It spelled the start of the end for the mega-musical mania of the 60s and left mountains of upon mountains of unwanted merchandise accumulating dust. Why anyone would want to remake this pit of cinematic incompetence is anyone's guess, but, in 1998, the same studio produced a modern retelling starring Eddie Murphy.
Considering the unrelenting misery of the 60s musical, this Betty Thomas directed comedy was a heavenly thing to shoot. Apart from its leading actor being terrified of his animal costars, that is. Some of the panic bleeds into a performance that's always a bit too much, but the actor's innate charisma makes up for it. This was also the first time the audience could understand the animal mutterings, thanks to a new visual effects possibilities and a bunch of voice actors like Albert Brooks as a tiger and Ellen DeGeneres as a dog.
It's no masterpiece, but it's a bearable attempt at mainstream comedy that spurred two sequels and a variety of direct-to-video spin-offs. Jump to 2020 and we have another Dolittle and, this time around, the thing seems more like the '67 disaster than the '98 star vehicle. For one, we're back in Victorian times and with astronomical budgets -- 175 million dollars this time ! Much of the money surely went to the menagerie of digital animals as well as a star-studded cast lead by Marvel veteran Robert Downey Jr. in his first role since leaving Tony Stark behind.
Plagued by endless reshoots, many delays, grim test audience reactions, and an even worse critical reception, Stephen Gaghan's Dolittle will have trouble making its money back despite a decent opening. Descriptions of marble-mouthed Welsh(?) accents and draconian proctology have kept many away from the theaters (including myself), but the sort of reception the movie's getting will probably inspire some kind of cult following. Only a month after Cats rocked our world with its digital fur technology, Universal is performing another strange public act of corporate masochism. What other reason could anyone have to revisit this cursed property?
Reader Comments (16)
RDJ needs a career shake up.
markgordonuk - Really? Less than 12 months ago, he was the top-billed star of the biggest movie EVER. I don't think even DOLITTLE has the power to be more than just a misstep at this early stage...(Or maybe the generation that needs a Terminator or Spider-Man or Batman re-boot every few years sees 9 months as an eternity in movie-land...)
I’d agree with markgordonuk’s assessment. Before Dolittle, the last non-Marvel film Downey appeared in was The Judge SIX years ago. And the last time he had a non-Marvel hit was 2009’s Sherlock Holmes(?) I was excited Downey, an actor I really like but who did nothing for me as Tony Stark (I realize I’m in the minority here), would take the opportunity to be creatively adventurous now that his Marvel tour of duty seems to be over. Dolittle is not a step in that direction.
There’s certainly enough good will out there for Downey to bounce back from this misstep, but I hope he’ll try for something a little more adult on the next project. (Although what’s next? Sherlock Holmes 3?)
I do wonder if the performance of Dolittle so far is indicative of a larger problem around the MCU cast. Time after time, Chris Hemsworth hasn’t been able to open a big studio film where he doesn’t play Thor. Chris Pratt joined another franchise, but his non-franchise work like Passengers was met with a shrug. Chris Evans and Mark Ruffalo pretty much stay away from studio work. Marvel’s audiences have grown to love the characters, but I wonder if they’ve actually become fans of the actors who play those beloved characters.
I agree this is the downside of the big Marvel money. You become typecast as one character and can rarely stray away successfully. Downey alsohas such an inflated ego that I doubt he will ever give a good performance again, unless he eats a big humble pie.
Downey is a hack.
How can anyone who has seen Chaplin call RDJ a hack?
Mark Harris’ book is a wonderful read.
I kinda liked the Eddie Murphy versions of the film. It's better than that bloated and dull 1967 film version that bored me to tears as a kid and it still bores me. I always enjoy watching Rex Harrison but man, what a piece of shit. The stuff he said about Anthony Newley during the production pissed me off.
Wasn't the worst Oscar nominated Best Pic movie "The Blindside" with the worst win for best actress? It is I n my book anyway...
adri -- It really is. I just reread it before writing this piece and it was as wonderful as the first time I read it.
thevoid99 -- The '98 movie is certainly better than that horrible musical. Miles better.
stjeans -- Another good candidate, along with Bohemian Rhapsody, The High and the Mighty and Cimarron (which won!). There are many horrible Best Picture nominees.
"How can anyone who has seen Chaplin call RDJ a hack?"
I think it was meant that he has BECOME a hack. I agree with that assessment. He's become tiresome in his high self-regard and in his increasingly same-y, unadventurous film choices.
Very surprised to see Dr. Dolittle be named one of the worst best Picture nominees ever. But then I read that it apparantly is considered "racist" and then it all made sense...
Today that is a way to discredit any old film if you want to.
It find it worse that this new film is made by the guy behind Traffic and Syriana. That's a fall from grace if any.
By the way - thank God that Downey Jr. made Tropic Thunder 10 yeras ago and not today...
He has talent but his choices since Iron Man have become lazy or maybe The Judge scared him off other projects.
He needs a Director who will push him out of current zone.
The nomination for the 1967 film is egregious not only for the film itself, but also because it is a blatant stain on what could have been the most incredible Best Picture lineup in motion picture history.
Bonnie and Clyde! The Graduate! Guess Who's Coming to Dinner! In the Heat of the Night! And......Doctor Doolittle
I mean, we could have had Cool Hand Luke, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Camelot, In Cold Blood, The Dirty Dozen in that last spot.
I am so happy Banderas is just supporting and got his first Oscar nom BEFORE this cataclism...
Did they bribe voters to get those 9 nominations? Baffling to the extreme.