BUDDY

BUDDY has an appealing heart. It tells the true story of Gertrude “Trudy” Davis-Lintz, an eccentric animal lover who cares for a host of animals on her Brooklyn estate and takes in a sickly infant gorilla. Rene Russo gives a vibrant, admirable performance, and the animals provide the film’s main charm.

But the movie never develops the people or the meaning behind the story as fully as it should. More attention goes to the chimps and Buddy than to Trudy, her husband, or the purpose of the whole show. The film also includes one profanity, one obscenity, and alcohol use, resulting in its PG rating.

For your family, this is better saved for home, where its gentle appeal and mild concerns can be weighed together.

During the roaring 20s, animal-loving eccentric Trudy Davis-Lintz fills her Brooklyn estate with animals, supported by her amiable husband, Dr. Lintz. When a sickly infant gorilla arrives after his mother’s mysterious death, Trudy names him Buddy and decides to care for him herself.

Against the advice of animal experts, Trudy nurses the young gorilla day and night. What follows is a stranger-than-fiction story about love, care, and an unusual household.

Two stars means BUDDY has a sweet premise and some appealing performances, but the finished film falls well short of its potential. Rene Russo’s performance is vibrant and admirable, especially given the lackluster script. The talented Jim Henson animation and the work of the numerous monkey trainers are also notable.

The main weakness is the writing. The film gives more character development to the chimps and Buddy than to the people, leaving the audience confused about whether the story is really about Buddy or Trudy. The supporting cast seems present mainly to differentiate scene changes, and the film raises more questions than it answers.

BUDDY presents care for animals as its central moral concern. Trudy is consumed with caring for the animals in her household, and her decision to rescue and raise a sickly infant gorilla gives the story its emotional center. The source review says this moral worldview is skewed by some environmentalism.

The film’s central weakness is not that it cares about animals, but that it gives little conviction or purpose to that care. The movie does not provide enough backstory for Trudy or explain clearly what the audience is meant to take from her devotion. It celebrates affection and caretaking without developing a deeper moral framework.

Scripture affirms responsible concern for animals: “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast” (Proverbs 12:10). BUDDY’s affection for animals aligns with that concern, even as the film’s environmental emphasis remains underdeveloped.

BUDDY offers younger viewers an endearing animal story and gives Rene Russo a vibrant role, but its lack of character development and purpose keeps it from becoming the family delight it might have been. Watch it at home, where you can decide whether its gentle appeal outweighs its mild content concerns. WAIT FOR HOME.