''Mouse Hunt'' is a 1997 American

slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such ...

black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...

film written by

Adam Rifkin Adam Rifkin (born December 31, 1966), sometimes credited as Rif Coogan, is an American filmmaker, and actor. His career ranges from broad family comedies to dark and gritty urban dramas. He is best known for writing family-friendly comedies lik ...

and directed by

Gore Verbinski Gregor Justin "Gore" Verbinski (born March 16, 1964) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and musician. He is best known for directing '' The Ring'', the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' films, and '' Rango''. He won the Academy Awar ...

in his feature film directorial debut. It stars

Nathan Lane Nathan Lane (born Joseph Lane; February 3, 1956) is an American actor. In a career spanning over 40 years he has been seen on stage and screen in roles both comedic and dramatic. Lane has received numerous awards including three Tony Awards, ...

, Lee Evans,

Maury Chaykin Maury Alan Chaykin (July 27, 1949 – July 27, 2010) was an American–Canadian actor, best known for his portrayal of detective Nero Wolfe, as well as for his work as a character actor in many films and television programs. Personal lif ...

, and

Christopher Walken Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Prolific in film, television and on stage, Walken is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Awa ...

. The film follows two

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). Starting their career as a duo ...

-like brothers in their struggle against one small but crafty

house mouse The house mouse (''Mus musculus'') is a small mammal of the order Rodentia, characteristically having a pointed snout, large rounded ears, and a long and almost hairless tail. It is one of the most abundant species of the genus ''Mus''. Althoug ...

for possession of a mansion which was willed to them by their father. While the film is set in the late 20th century, styles range humorously from the 1940s to the 1990s. It was the first family film to be released by

DreamWorks Pictures DreamWorks Pictures (also known as DreamWorks SKG and formerly DreamWorks Studios, commonly referred to as DreamWorks) is an American film company and distribution label of Amblin Partners. It was originally founded on October 12, 1994 as a l ...

, who released it in the United States on December 19, 1997, to mixed reviews, but was a commercial success, earning $125.4 million on the box office against a budget of $38 million. It has also grown a

cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic ...

in recent years. ''Mouse Hunt'' features one of William Hickey's final roles. The film was dedicated to his memory.

Plot

When the once-wealthy string magnate Rudolf Smuntz dies, he leaves his factory and an abandoned

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

mansion to his two sons: the dutiful and optimistic Lars, and

venal Venality is a vice associated with being bribeable or willing to sell one's services or power, especially when people are intended to act in a decent way instead. In its most recognizable form, venality causes people to lie and steal for their own ...

cynic Ernie, who has ignored the family business to become a chef; he walks out of the reading of their father's will, taking a box of cigars. At Ernie's restaurant, a

cockroach Cockroaches (or roaches) are a Paraphyly, paraphyletic group of insects belonging to Blattodea, containing all members of the group except termites. About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are we ...

crawls out of the box of cigars and into a dish prepared for the mayor, causing him to have a fatal

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which m ...

when he accidentally bites into it. Ernie's restaurant is shut down and he becomes homeless. Meanwhile, a cord company called Zeppco International offers Lars a buyout for the string factory, but he remembers he promised his father to never sell it, and refuses. Lars'

gold digger Gold digger is a term for a person, typically a woman, who engages in a type of transactional relationship for money rather than love. If it turns into marriage, it is a type of marriage of convenience. Etymology and usage The term "gold ...

wife April furiously kicks him out. With nowhere else to go, the brothers spend the night in the mansion. The brothers cannot sleep due to noises caused by a mouse, and while investigating find blueprints of the property. The blueprints reveal the mansion was the final design of a famous architect, Charles Lyle LaRue, and it would be worth a fortune if restored. The brothers decide to renovate and

auction An auction is usually a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bids, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder or buying the item from the lowest bidder. Some exceptions to this definition e ...

the mansion to recover their lives. Ernie, fearing a repeat of the cockroach incident, convinces Lars they must also get rid of the mouse. Conventional methods fail when the mouse demonstrates itself to be exceptionally intelligent. The brothers resort to extreme measures to remove the mouse, including buying a

monstrous ''Monstrous'' is a 2022 American supernatural thriller film directed by Chris Sivertson, written by Carol Chrest, and starring Christina Ricci. The film premiered at the Glasgow Film Festival on March 12, 2022. It was released in the United Sta ...

Maine Coon cat The Maine Coon is a large domesticated cat breed. It is one of the oldest natural breeds in North America. The breed originated in the U.S. state of Maine, where it is the official state cat. The breed was popular in cat shows in the late 19th ...

named "Catzilla" and hiring an eccentric exterminator named Caesar; the mouse drops Catzilla in a dumbwaiter, and drags Caesar through the mansion using his truck's winch line. Ernie had borrowed against the mansion's mortgage to help pay for the renovations, and the bank informs them they will be evicted in two days unless they reimburse the money. With their limited funds the brothers cannot pay their workers, causing them to go on

strike Strike may refer to: People * Strike (surname) Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm *Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...

. Ernie finds Zeppco's business card and arranges a meeting to secretly accept their buyout offer. Lars goes to the factory to manufacture enough string to pay off the mortgage and is met by April, who has learned of the mansion's value and takes Lars back, giving him the funds they need. Ernie's meeting with Zeppco's representatives goes awry when he attempts to impress some women and is hit by a bus. The brothers return to the mansion and find it surrounded by emergency personnel, who received a mysterious 911 call of Caesar screaming from inside a trunk. The brothers chase the mouse with a shotgun and accidentally ignite a

bug bomb A fogger is any device that creates a fog, typically containing an insecticide for killing insects and other arthropods. Foggers are often used by consumers as a low cost alternative to professional pest control services. The number of foggers need ...

Caesar had dropped, blowing a massive hole in the floor. Lars overhears Zeppco on the answering machine, revealing Ernie's plans, and the two argue with the mouse watching. When Lars throws an

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower * Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum ...

at Ernie, he ducks and the mouse is struck and stunned, but is still alive. The brothers cannot bring themselves to kill it and mail it in a box addressed to

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 2 ...

. The brothers reconcile and finish their renovations. The night of the

, Lars discovers the postal box returned to the mansion and a hole chewed in it, while Ernie sees the mouse on his podium as he speaks to the auctioneers. As the auction begins, the brothers try flushing the mouse out with a garden hose, filling an inner wall of the mansion with water until it bursts, washing the auctioneers out and causing the mansion to collapse. April leaves with a wealthy bidder and the brothers are left with nothing, but take solace that the mouse was surely killed in the collapse. The brothers spend the night in the factory, unaware the mouse has survived and followed them. Seeing their sorry state, the mouse takes pity on them and activates the factory's machinery, dropping a block of cheese into the wax boiler to produce a ball of

string cheese String cheese is any of several different types of cheese where the manufacturing process aligns the proteins in the cheese, which makes it stringy. When mozzarella is heated to 60 °C (140 °F) and then stretched, the milk proteins ...

. Inspired, the brothers renovate the factory to produce string cheese and other

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During product ...

-based products. Lars runs the factory with Ernie as his chef, and the mouse as their taste-tester for new cheese combinations.

Cast

as Ernie Smuntz, a man who refused heirdom to his father's string factory to become a chef. * Lee Evans as Lars Smuntz, Ernie's brother and the heir to their father's string factory. *

as Alexander Falko, a wealthy LaRue collector. *

as Caesar, an odd and eccentric exterminator hired by the Smuntz brothers to rid them of the mouse. *

Vicki Lewis Vicki Lewis (born March 17, 1960) is an American singer and actress of film, stage, and television. She is best known for her role as Beth in the NBC sitcom '' NewsRadio''. Personal life Lewis was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, the daught ...

as April Smuntz, Lars' money-hungry former wife. * William Hickey as Rudolf Smuntz, a string magnate and the late father of Ernie and Lars. *

Eric Christmas Eric Cuthbert Christmas (19 March 1916 – 22 July 2000) was a British actor, with over 40 films and numerous television roles to his credit. He is probably best known for his role as Mr. Carter, the principal of Angel Beach High School, in th ...

as Ernie and Lars' lawyer. *

Michael Jeter Robert Michael Jeter (; August 26, 1952 – March 30, 2003) was an American actor. His television roles included Herman Stiles on the sitcom '' Evening Shade'' from 1990 until 1994 and Mr. Noodle's brother, Mister Noodle, on the '' Elmo's World' ...

as Quincy Thorpe, a LaRue historian. *

Cliff Emmich Clifford Joseph Emmich (December 13, 1936 – November 28, 2022) was an American film, stage and television actor. He appeared in over 90 films and television programs, and is perhaps best known for playing the character of Chicago in the 1973 fi ...

as Mayor McKrinkle. * Debra Christofferson as Ingrid, a

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct language ...

model. *

Camilla Søeberg Camilla Søeberg (born 9 June 1966) is a Danish actress. Selected filmography * ''Twist and Shout'' (1984) * ''Manifesto'' (1988) * ''The Empty Mirror'' (1996) * ''Sekten'' (1997) * ''Mouse Hunt ''Mouse Hunt'' is a 1997 American slapstick bla ...

as Hilde, a Belgian model. *

Susan Blommaert Susan J. Blommaert (born October 13, 1947) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Mr. Kaplan on the NBC drama series ''The Blacklist'', and for her recurring role as Judge Rebecca Steinman in ''Law & Order'', '' Law & Order: S ...

as Ms. Park Avenue *

Carmen Filpi Carmen Filpi (March 22, 1923–May 9, 2003) was an American character actor who starred in films and on television. Biography His first acting job was in the 1969 film ''Wild Gypsies''. He also starred in ''The Ice Pirates'' (1984), '' Pee-Wee's ...

as Pallbearer #4 *

Ian Abercrombie Ian Abercrombie (11 September 1934 – 26 January 2012) was an English actor and comedian. He was best known for playing Justin Pitt (Elaine Benes' boss) during the sixth season of ''Seinfeld''. He also played Alfred Pennyworth on ''Birds of Pre ...

as the auctioneer. *

Annabelle Gurwitch Annabelle Gurwitch (born November 4, 1961) is an American author, comedic actress, television host most recognizable from her stint as hostess on ''Dinner and a Movie on TBS','' and activist associated with environmental issues and secular huma ...

as Roxanne Atkins, a photographer. * Eric Poppick as Theodore Plumb, the banker. *

Ernie Sabella Ernest Sabella (born September 19, 1949) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Pumbaa from ''The Lion King'' franchise, voicing the character in all media except the 2019 film. Sabella's TV roles include Mr. Donal ...

as Maury, a worker at the cat shelter. *

Jack Angeles The American television sitcom '' Saved by the Bell'', that aired on NBC from 1989 to 1993, follows a group of six high school students and their principal, Mr. Belding. Overview : = Main cast (credited) : = Recurring cast (4+) : = Guest ca ...

as Kennel Employee *

Thom Barry Thom Barry is an American former actor who was born in Cleveland, Ohio. In the 1980s, he was a disc jockey for WUBE-FM in Cincinnati. He appeared in television advertisements for The Home Depot, Sears, and United Parcel Service, and did voi ...

as a doctor (scenes deleted) * Sarah Dampf as a crying girl

Release

''Mouse Hunt'' was released in North America on December 19, 1997 and opened in the #4 spot. The film was released in the United Kingdom on April 3, 1998, and opened at #2, behind ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, Unite ...

''.

Home media

''Mouse Hunt'' was released on VHS on May 5, 1998, and

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

on December 8, 1998, by

DreamWorks Home Entertainment DreamWorks Pictures (also known as DreamWorks SKG and formerly DreamWorks Studios, commonly referred to as DreamWorks) is an American film company and distribution label of Amblin Partners. It was originally founded on October 12, 1994 as a li ...

. It was released on

Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of s ...

on February 2, 2021, by

Paramount Home Entertainment Paramount Home Entertainment (formerly Paramount Home Media Distribution, and originally Paramount Home Video) is the home video distribution arm of Paramount Pictures, a division of Paramount Global. The division oversees PPC's home entertainme ...

Reception

Box office

The film was a box office success, partially due to releasing during the Christmas and New Year's period. It grossed $6,062,922 in its opening weekend, averaging $2,817 from 2,152 theaters. In its second weekend, it stayed at #4 and increased by 60 percent, making $9,702,770, averaging $4,428 from 2,191 theaters, and bringing its 10-day gross to $21,505,569. In its third weekend, it once again stayed at #4 and dropped by only 13 percent, making $8,418,001, averaging $3,804 from 2,213 theaters, and bringing its 17-day gross to $40,021,527. It closed on July 1, 1998, with a final gross of $61,917,389 in the North American market and $60,500,000 in other territories for a worldwide total of $122,417,389.

Critical response

''Mouse Hunt'' received mixed reviews from film critics.

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

reports that 44% of 33 critics had given the film a positive review. The critics consensus reads: "''Mouse Hunt'' gets trapped under the weight of its excessive slapstick antics." On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

, the film has a score of 54 out of 100 based on reviews from 21 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by

CinemaScore CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data. Background Ed Mintz founded Ci ...

gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

gave the film two stars, calling it "not very funny, and maybe couldn't have been very funny no matter what, because the pieces for comedy are not in place... A comedy that hasn't assigned sympathy to some characters and made others hateful cannot expect to get many laughs, because the audience doesn't know who to laugh at, or with." His colleague

Gene Siskel Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the ''Chicago Tribune''. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted a series of movie review programs on television from 1975 until his d ...

disagreed and liked the film. Regarding the digital special effects, Ebert deemed the film "an excellent example of the way modern advances in special effects can sabotage a picture (''

'' is an example of effects being used wisely). Because it is possible to make a movie in which the mouse can do all sorts of clever things, the filmmakers have assumed incorrectly that it would be funny to see the mouse doing them."

References

External links

official website
at the

Wayback Machine The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web founded by the Internet Archive, a nonprofit based in San Francisco, California. Created in 1996 and launched to the public in 2001, it allows the user to go "back in time" and s ...

(archived December 2, 1998) * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mouse Hunt 1997 films 1997 directorial debut films 1997 black comedy films 1997 children's films American children's comedy films American black comedy films American screwball comedy films American slapstick comedy films Films about mice and rats Films about cats Films about death Films about brothers Films set in country houses American films about revenge Films directed by Gore Verbinski Films scored by Alan Silvestri DreamWorks Pictures films Animal Logic films 1990s English-language films Films produced by Bruce Cohen 1990s American films English-language black comedy films