Synopsis

In 1920s Brooklyn, eccentric animal lover Gertrude Lintz fills her mansion with an extraordinary menagerie, including Buddy, a young gorilla she treats as part of the family. Her unconventional household attracts public attention and creates tensions with her husband, society, and the animals' natural needs. Based loosely on real events, the film follows Gertrude's attempt to reconcile affection, ambition, and responsibility.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film was inspired by the real-life Gertrude Lintz, a Brooklyn socialite known for keeping dogs, apes, birds, fish, and other animals at her home.

• The movie's Buddy combines elements from two gorillas associated with Lintz. Her real Buddy was eventually sold to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, where he was exhibited under the name Gargantua the Great.

• Animal performers were rehearsed extensively before filming. The production included chimpanzees trained to walk on stilts, box, dance, perform on a high wire, and respond to verbal and hand signals from trainers.

• For safety during the high-wire sequence, the wire was kept approximately five feet above the ground and fitted with a narrow but stable walking surface. Non-skid material was also placed on the ends of the stilts used by the chimpanzees.

• Principal photography took place from August 26 through November 11, 1996. Locations included the Los Angeles Zoo, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the Orpheum Theatre, and Universal Studios.

• The production brought together Jim Henson Pictures, American Zoetrope, and Columbia Pictures, with animal action monitored through the American Humane Association's program.

• Animal-rights advocates criticized the film's affectionate depiction of chimpanzees as household pets, arguing that it could encourage unrealistic ideas about keeping apes in domestic environments.