I was delighted when I opened up Disney+ recently and discovered Turner & Hoochjust sitting there, waiting to be watched.
It's OK if you don't recognize that title. The movie came out more than 30 years ago, in 1989. It was reasonably successful at the box office, but it's also exactly the kind of formulaic, schmaltzy buddy comedy that flies right past awards season.
So what gives? Why shine a light on this totally-fine-but-seemingly-forgettable movie now, in 2019?
Two reasons: Tom Hanks, and his dog friend. The "buddy" piece of this buddy comedy is Beasley the dog. Beasley, a hulking, brown French mastiff, played Hooch in the movie's odd couple pairing. This is a movie where Hanks' character, a fastidious neat freak, learns to let go and love that dog life.
You're not here for subtlety. You're here for Tom Hanks doing his comedy thing opposite a big and jowly horse-dog.
It goes like this: Scott Turner (Hanks) is a detective who's grown bored with the light workload in his sleepy southern California home. He's just days away from packing up and moving to a more exciting job when tragedy strikes: The kindly, old man who regularly hosts visits from Good Guy Turner is murdered after seeing crimes he shouldn't have.
The only witness to that murder is the dead man's junkyard dog. The grimy and slobber-soaked Hooch is too big, loud, and unmanageable to have many friends. So when animal control can't even get a handle on him, Turner steps in. He's not a dog person and doesn't know what to do with Hooch, but he's a detective who understands that he needs his murder witness.
So Hooch comes home with Turner and hilarity ensues. Remember, this is 1989. In terms of Hanks' filmography, Turner & Hoochfalls right between The 'Burbsand Joe vs. the Volcano. This is the veteran actor during the peak of his comedy years. It's vintage Hanks.
Cue scenes of Turner leading a wild and uncontrollable Hooch home by slow-driving the whole way while the dog, tethered to a lead on a six-foot pole, trots along beside the car. Then many more scenes of Turner making that classic new dog owner mistake of talking to Hooch like a person and laying out house rules as if the pooch will understand.
Tom Hanks and Beasley the dog in 'Turner & Hooch'Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock
Tom Hanks and Beasley the dog in 'Turner & Hooch'Credit: Touchstone / Kobal / ShutterstockThere's lots of comedic shouting and slobber-filled destruction. Hooch is a lovable menace. He eats a car seat's headrest enthusiastically and head-butts his way out of a locked room. His arrival in Turner's apartment is portrayed as complete and total disruption. The immaculate cleanliness that Turner works so hard to maintain is sullied almost immediately by gallons of drool as a happy Hooch gives himself a good shake.
It's gross! The noises that emanate from Hooch, the oily grime coating his body, and the unnerving splats of his flung spittle landing on Turner's furniture are meant to make you squeamish. Caring for a dog isn't all furry cuddles and loving licks, and bringing Hooch home forces Turner into a swift crash course.
He also just as quickly comes to understand what a gift dogs really are. Hooch brings an intensely chaotic energy into Turner's life, yes. But while the Turner we meet at the start of the movie is a fundamentally good person, he's also clearly not living his best life. His obsession with cleanliness and order has impacted his personal relationships. Turner is a deeply uptight person and it's kept him from forming solid friendships and romantic relationships.
Hooch changes all of that. The chaos his arrival invites into Turner's life is secretly a blessing. The detective comes to understand that love sometimes has to get a little chaotic. The plot is a maybe a bit too on the nose in the way it drives this point home – Turner's inevitable love interest is Katie (Mary McCusker), a local veterinarian who operates out of her home – but is that really a problem?
You're not here for subtlety. You're here for Tom Hanks doing his comedy thing opposite a big and jowly horse-dog. During that phase of his career especially, Hanks was the unforgettable highlight in any movie that would have him. He owned the proverbial stage. But starring opposite Beasley, it's clear he met his match.
They form a perfect pair. Turner & Hoochstands to this day as a heartfelt man-and-his-dog movie that takes an honest look at the impact a pet can have on our lives. For all the schmaltz and all the predictable twists and turns of the plot, you get a thoroughly entertaining two hours in which a large, untamed dog teaches Tom Hanks how to love.
NOTE: I kept this write-up spoiler-free, but as a dog owner myself I know how important it is for some people to know ahead of time about whether or not a movie dog dies. If you're one of those people, here's a link to the Turner & Hooch page on the Does The Dog Die? website.
Turner & Hooch is available to stream now on Disney+.
TopicsDisney+
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