Sam (orangutan)

''Dunston Checks In'' is a 1996 comedy film directed by Ken Kwapis. The film stars Eric Lloyd, Graham Sack, Jason Alexander, Faye Dunaway, Rupert Everett, Paul Reubens, Glenn Shadix, and Sam the Orangutan as Dunston. The film received negative reviews and grossed $10 million against a budget of $20 million.

Plot

At the prestigious five-star Majestic Hotel, guest Lionel Spalding and his dog Neil fall victim to an overflowing fountain, the result of a prank by Kyle and Brian Grant, sons of the hotel's widowed manager Robert. Though disappointed in his sons' behavior, Robert promises them a vacation in Barbados - a trip that's already been postponed twice. However, the strict hotel owner Elena Dubrow forces another cancellation due to the upcoming Crystal Ball, where they expect a critic from the Le Monde Traveller Organization to potentially award the hotel a sixth star.

The hotel welcomes "Lord" Rutledge, a jewel thief mistaken by Mrs. Dubrow for the expected critic, who arrives with his orangutan Dunston. Having trained both Dunston and his deceased brother Samson as theft accomplices since birth, Rutledge maintains cruel control over Dunston, who yearns to escape his criminal life. During one of Rutledge's schemes, Kyle accidentally releases a pulley, sending Brian tumbling down a laundry chute. In the ensuing chaos, Dunston escapes Rutledge's supervision.

Kyle discovers and befriends the fugitive orangutan, promising him protection. However, Dunston's presence creates havoc throughout the hotel, disrupting Spalding's exercise routine and Mrs. Angela Dellacroce's massage session. Robert, upon discovering the orangutan, hires animal control specialist Buck LaFarge to remove him.

After LaFarge's initial capture attempt fails, the Grant brothers hide Dunston in the royal suite under the alias Dr. Lam Binh Ngoc. Rutledge tracks down Dunston through his substantial banana orders, ties up and gag Kyle, leaving him in a hotel bath tub, but both boy and orangutan escape to the Crystal Ball. Armed with photographic evidence of Rutledge's true identity featuring Dunston and Samson, the boys alert their father. While Robert confronts Rutledge in the kitchen, the brothers search for Dunston while evading LaFarge and Mrs. Dubrow. The situation culminates in Dunston pushing Mrs. Dubrow into the celebration cake.

When Robert finally stands up to Mrs. Dubrow, she fires him. However, the true critic is revealed to be none other than Spalding, who, having suffering numerous indignities throughout his stay, declares Mrs. Dubrow has reduced the hotel's rating from five stars to one. After Rutledge's arrest and LaFarge's apology to Dunston (who responds with a slap), Mrs. Dubrow's much kinder husband Victor arranges for the Grants to manage a Majestic Hotel in Bali, where they can keep Dunston. They extend a peace offering to Spalding with complimentary accommodations, though the gesture is somewhat undermined when Dunston drops a coconut on his head in the final scene.

Cast

Production

Writer John Hopkins had written a spec script revolving around two young brothers living in a large, prestigious New York hotel managed by their father. Hopkins' agent shopped the script around to various studios who were uninterested in the project until producers Todd Black and Joe Wizan seeing potential in the project optioned it and hired Hopkins to re-write the script and add in the plot point of an orangutan. The project was then retitled ''Prime Mates'' and became the subject of competing bids between Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox with Fox eventually acquiring the script in April of 1993. ''Dunston Checks in'' became one of three active monkey/ape films announced to be in development alongside '' Ed'' (then known as ''You Should See Them Play'') at Universal Pictures and '' Monkey Trouble'' (then known as ''Pet'') at New Line Cinema. Uncredited rewrites were provided by Eliot Wald and Andrew Kurtzman.

Reception

Desson Howe and Rita Kempley of ''The Washington Post'' referred to the film by saying "it ain't half bad", and a "plucky, prank-filled family farce" respectively. Kevin Thomas of the ''Los Angeles Times'' stated that ''Dunston Checks In'' "is a delightful and funny family film of exceptional high style", "as light as a soufflé and just as delicious", and "plays like a tribute to the resourceful, unpretentious studio productions of the past". According to an article published in the ''Chicago Tribune'', "The cast is talented, the hide-and-seek action is silly (not killing), and the bond between a sweet little boy and the adorable ape is touching."

Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A" on a scale of A+ to F.

Faye Dunaway's performance in the film and in ''The Chamber'' earned her a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Supporting Actress. The film was also nominated at the 18th Youth in Film Awards (Young Artist Awards) for Best Family Feature Film: Musical or Comedy, and Eric Lloyd for Best Performance in a Feature Film - Actor Age Ten or Under. The film was successful at the box office in India, where it was dubbed in Hindi and retitled ''Ek Bandar Hotel Ke Andar'' ().

Home media

''Dunston Checks In'' was much more successful in home video than in theaters. the studio had an estimated $41.6 million in video sales, receiving 75%, greatly exceeding box office gross. The film was released by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment on VHS on May 28, 1996. It was released on DVD on May 28, 2002, and re-released on March 18, 2014.

References

External links

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{{Ken Kwapis

1996 films
1996 children's films
1996 comedy films
1990s buddy comedy films
1990s children's comedy films
20th Century Fox films
American buddy comedy films
American children's comedy films
American slapstick comedy films
Canadian children's comedy films
English-language Canadian films
Films about apes
Films directed by Ken Kwapis
Films scored by Miles Goodman
Films set in 1995
Films set in hotels
Films set in New York City
1990s English-language films
1990s American films
1990s Canadian films
English-language buddy comedy films