101 Dalmatians
Encyclopedia
101 Dalmatians is a 1996 American family
comedy film
produced by Walt Disney Pictures
, and a remake
of the Disney animated film One Hundred and One Dalmatians
(1961), which in turn was based on Dodie Smith
's 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians
. It stars Glenn Close
as the villain
ous Cruella de Vil
, and Jeff Daniels
as Roger, the owner of the 101 dalmatian
s. Unlike the 1961 animated version
, Pongo, Perdita, and the 99 Puppies are all played by real-life dalmatian
actors and none of the animals talk. Its theatrical sequel, 102 Dalmatians
, was released in 2000.
) is an American video game designer who shares his home in London
with his pet dalmatian
, Pongo. One day Roger takes Pongo for a walk, and the dog sets his eyes on a beautiful female Dalmatian named Perdy. After a frantic chase through the streets of London, Roger and Pongo discover that Perdy likes Pongo; and Perdy's owner, fashion designer Anita Campbell-Green (Joely Richardson
), is taken with Roger when they meet in St. James Park
. Romance blossoms between both human and canine couples and Roger and Anita walk down the aisle.
Anita works as a fashion designer at the House of de Vil. Her boss, Cruella de Vil
(Glenn Close
), has two passions in life: cigarettes and fur. Anita, inspired by her dog, designs a coat made with spotted fur. Cruella is intrigued by the idea of making garments out of actual Dalmatians. When Cruella learns that Perdy has given birth to 15 Dalmatian puppies, she offers the couple a decent price for the newborn puppies, but the couple refuses. Flying into a maniacal rage, Cruella relieves Anita of duty and vows to get even. She has her henchmen, Jasper and Horace (Hugh Laurie
and Mark Williams
respectively), steal the puppies and deliver them to her ancient estate, De Vil Mansion.
With the help of the other dogs and animals scattered throughout London, the puppies manage to outwit Jasper and Horace, and escape to a farm, where their parents have been called to wait. But shortly after, Cruella shows up and tries to retrieve them; she ends up having a pig
sit on her, after which she falls into a vat of molasses
(caused by raccoon
s) and is kicked into a pig pen by a horse
. All of the Dalmatians get home by the Metropolitan Police Service
, who then arrest Cruella and her henchmen. The family adopts the other Dalmatians Cruella stole, bringing the total to 101. Roger designs a successful video game featuring dalmatian puppies as the protagonist
s and Cruella as the villain, and they move to the English countryside with their millions.
giving the film a "rotten" rating of 41%, with an average rating of 5.4 out of 10 from 42 reviews.
Platinum Edition
DVD, Disney re-released this film on September 16, 2008 in the U.S., along with its sequel, 102 Dalmatians
, and the sequel to the original 1961 animated version, 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure
.
Family film
A family film is a film genre that is designed to appeal to a variety of age groups and, thus, families.In December 2005, Steven Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came first in a poll of the 100 Greatest Family Films. The genre today generates billions of dollars per annum.Family...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
produced by Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
, and a remake
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
of the Disney animated film One Hundred and One Dalmatians
One Hundred and One Dalmatians
One Hundred and One Dalmatians, often abbreviated as 101 Dalmatians, is a 1961 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith...
(1961), which in turn was based on Dodie Smith
Dodie Smith
Dorothy Gladys "Dodie" Smith was an English novelist and playwright. Smith is best known for her novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians. Her other works include I Capture the Castle and The Starlight Barking....
's 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians
The Hundred and One Dalmatians
The Hundred and One Dalmatians, or the Great Dog Robbery is a 1956 children's novel by Dodie Smith. A sequel entitled The Starlight Barking continues from the end of the first novel....
. It stars Glenn Close
Glenn Close
Glenn Close is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and...
as the villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
ous Cruella de Vil
Cruella de Vil
Cruella de Vil is a fictional character and the iconic villain in Dodie Smith's 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians, Disney's 1961 animated film adaptation One Hundred and One Dalmatians, and Disney's live-action film adaptations 101 Dalmatians and 102 Dalmatians. In all her incarnations,...
, and Jeff Daniels
Jeff Daniels
Jeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
as Roger, the owner of the 101 dalmatian
Dalmatian (dog)
The Dalmatian is a breed of dog whose roots are often said to trace back to Dalmatia, a region of Croatia where the first illustrations of the dog have been found. The Dalmatian is noted for its unique black- or brown-spotted coat and was mainly used as a carriage dog in its early days...
s. Unlike the 1961 animated version
One Hundred and One Dalmatians
One Hundred and One Dalmatians, often abbreviated as 101 Dalmatians, is a 1961 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith...
, Pongo, Perdita, and the 99 Puppies are all played by real-life dalmatian
Dalmatian (dog)
The Dalmatian is a breed of dog whose roots are often said to trace back to Dalmatia, a region of Croatia where the first illustrations of the dog have been found. The Dalmatian is noted for its unique black- or brown-spotted coat and was mainly used as a carriage dog in its early days...
actors and none of the animals talk. Its theatrical sequel, 102 Dalmatians
102 Dalmatians
102 Dalmatians is a 2000 live-action film, produced by Walt Disney Pictures and starring Glenn Close as Cruella de Vil. It is the sequel to 101 Dalmatians, a live-action remake of the 1961 Disney animated feature of the same name. In the film, Cruella de Vil attempts to steal puppies for her...
, was released in 2000.
Plot
Roger Dearly (Jeff DanielsJeff Daniels
Jeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
) is an American video game designer who shares his home in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with his pet dalmatian
Dalmatian (dog)
The Dalmatian is a breed of dog whose roots are often said to trace back to Dalmatia, a region of Croatia where the first illustrations of the dog have been found. The Dalmatian is noted for its unique black- or brown-spotted coat and was mainly used as a carriage dog in its early days...
, Pongo. One day Roger takes Pongo for a walk, and the dog sets his eyes on a beautiful female Dalmatian named Perdy. After a frantic chase through the streets of London, Roger and Pongo discover that Perdy likes Pongo; and Perdy's owner, fashion designer Anita Campbell-Green (Joely Richardson
Joely Richardson
Joely Kim Richardson is an English actress, most known recently for her role as Queen Catherine Parr in the Showtime television show The Tudors and Julia McNamara in the television drama Nip/Tuck...
), is taken with Roger when they meet in St. James Park
St. James's Park
St. James's Park is a 23 hectare park in the City of Westminster, central London - the oldest of the Royal Parks of London. The park lies at the southernmost tip of the St. James's area, which was named after a leper hospital dedicated to St. James the Less.- Geographical location :St. James's...
. Romance blossoms between both human and canine couples and Roger and Anita walk down the aisle.
Anita works as a fashion designer at the House of de Vil. Her boss, Cruella de Vil
Cruella de Vil
Cruella de Vil is a fictional character and the iconic villain in Dodie Smith's 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians, Disney's 1961 animated film adaptation One Hundred and One Dalmatians, and Disney's live-action film adaptations 101 Dalmatians and 102 Dalmatians. In all her incarnations,...
(Glenn Close
Glenn Close
Glenn Close is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and...
), has two passions in life: cigarettes and fur. Anita, inspired by her dog, designs a coat made with spotted fur. Cruella is intrigued by the idea of making garments out of actual Dalmatians. When Cruella learns that Perdy has given birth to 15 Dalmatian puppies, she offers the couple a decent price for the newborn puppies, but the couple refuses. Flying into a maniacal rage, Cruella relieves Anita of duty and vows to get even. She has her henchmen, Jasper and Horace (Hugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie
James Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE , better known as Hugh Laurie , is an English actor, voice artist, comedian, writer, musician, recording artist, and director...
and Mark Williams
Mark Williams (actor)
Mark Williams is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter and presenter. He is best known as one of the stars of the popular BBC sketch show The Fast Show, as well as for his role as Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter films....
respectively), steal the puppies and deliver them to her ancient estate, De Vil Mansion.
With the help of the other dogs and animals scattered throughout London, the puppies manage to outwit Jasper and Horace, and escape to a farm, where their parents have been called to wait. But shortly after, Cruella shows up and tries to retrieve them; she ends up having a pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
sit on her, after which she falls into a vat of molasses
Molasses
Molasses is a viscous by-product of the processing of sugar cane, grapes or sugar beets into sugar. The word molasses comes from the Portuguese word melaço, which ultimately comes from mel, the Latin word for "honey". The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or sugar beet,...
(caused by raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
s) and is kicked into a pig pen by a horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
. All of the Dalmatians get home by the Metropolitan Police Service
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
, who then arrest Cruella and her henchmen. The family adopts the other Dalmatians Cruella stole, bringing the total to 101. Roger designs a successful video game featuring dalmatian puppies as the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
s and Cruella as the villain, and they move to the English countryside with their millions.
Cast
- Glenn CloseGlenn CloseGlenn Close is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and...
as Cruella de VilCruella de VilCruella de Vil is a fictional character and the iconic villain in Dodie Smith's 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians, Disney's 1961 animated film adaptation One Hundred and One Dalmatians, and Disney's live-action film adaptations 101 Dalmatians and 102 Dalmatians. In all her incarnations,... - Jeff DanielsJeff DanielsJeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
as Roger Dearly - Joely RichardsonJoely RichardsonJoely Kim Richardson is an English actress, most known recently for her role as Queen Catherine Parr in the Showtime television show The Tudors and Julia McNamara in the television drama Nip/Tuck...
as Anita Campbell-Green Dearly - Joan PlowrightJoan PlowrightJoan Ann Plowright, Baroness Olivier, DBE , better known as Dame Joan Plowright, is an English actress, whose career has spanned over sixty years. Throughout her career she has won two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award and has been nominated for an Academy Award, an Emmy, and two BAFTA Awards...
as Nanny - Hugh LaurieHugh LaurieJames Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE , better known as Hugh Laurie , is an English actor, voice artist, comedian, writer, musician, recording artist, and director...
as Jasper - Mark WilliamsMark Williams (actor)Mark Williams is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter and presenter. He is best known as one of the stars of the popular BBC sketch show The Fast Show, as well as for his role as Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter films....
as Horace - John ShrapnelJohn ShrapnelJohn Shrapnel is an English actor.Shrapnel was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, the son of Mary Lillian Myfanwy and journalist/author Norman Shrapnel....
as Skinner - Tim McInnernyTim McInnernyTim McInnerny is an English actor. He is known for his role as Percy in Blackadder and Blackadder II, and as Captain Darling in Blackadder Goes Forth...
as Alonzo
Reception
The film performed well at the box office, earning $136,189,294 in the United States and $320,689,294 worldwide. Reception was generally mixed, with critics at Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
giving the film a "rotten" rating of 41%, with an average rating of 5.4 out of 10 from 42 reviews.
Home media
101 Dalmatians was released on VHS on April 15, 1997 and on DVD on December 12, 2000. Due to the high sales of the One Hundred and One DalmatiansOne Hundred and One Dalmatians
One Hundred and One Dalmatians, often abbreviated as 101 Dalmatians, is a 1961 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith...
Platinum Edition
Walt Disney Platinum Editions
Walt Disney Platinum Editions are a line of 2-Disc DVD sets released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, a follow-up to the Walt Disney Gold Classic Collection. The Platinum line features newly restored digital versions of 13 of the most popular and successful Disney animated features of all...
DVD, Disney re-released this film on September 16, 2008 in the U.S., along with its sequel, 102 Dalmatians
102 Dalmatians
102 Dalmatians is a 2000 live-action film, produced by Walt Disney Pictures and starring Glenn Close as Cruella de Vil. It is the sequel to 101 Dalmatians, a live-action remake of the 1961 Disney animated feature of the same name. In the film, Cruella de Vil attempts to steal puppies for her...
, and the sequel to the original 1961 animated version, 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure
101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure
101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure is a 2003 American direct-to-video animated film released by Walt Disney Home Entertainment on January 21, 2003. The film is the sequel to the 1961 Disney animated film One Hundred and One Dalmatians...
.