Leave It to Beaver (film)

Leave It to Beaver
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Andy Cadiff
Produced by Robert Simonds
Written by Brian Levant
Lon Diamond
Based on Leave it to Beaver
by Bob Mosher
Joe Connelly
Starring
Music by Randy Edelman
Cinematography Thomas Del Ruth
Edited by Alan Heim
Production
company
Robert Simonds Productions
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date
  • August 22, 1997 (1997-08-22)
Running time
 84 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $15 million
Box office $10,925,060

Leave It to Beaver is a 1997 comedy film adapted from the television series of the same name. Many in-jokes related to the series pepper the film.[1] It features all the original regular characters, all played by new actors. Universal Pictures released the film on August 22, 1997.

Plot

Beaver has his heart set on a bicycle in a store window, but does not think his parents will buy it for him. Eddie Haskell tells him if he signs up for football, he will get it on his birthday. He joins the football team and endures the practices, despite his disadvantage of being smaller than his teammates. Ward is glad Beaver signed up for football, but the first game ends poorly when he passes the ball to a kid on the opposing team, whom he remembered as a friend from summer camp. On the first day of school five days later, Ward and June tell Wally to drop Beaver off and pick him up for a few days because he has never ridden his bike there before. He has a kind teacher named Miss Landers. After school, Eddie asks Wally to come to the soda shop to see him flirt with Karen. Eddie does not want the Beaver to follow them, so Wally leaves him alone at the bike rack, telling him he will be back for him.

Beaver is polishing his bike when a teenaged boy comes over and asks if he can show him some cool bike tricks. He agrees and the boy shows him some tricks before riding off with the bike. Inside the soda shop, Karen likes Wally and not Eddie. When Wally and Eddie come out of the shop and hear that the Beaver's bike was stolen, they look for it, but cannot find it. During dinner that night, the boys try to cover up the stolen bike. When Ward hears this, he is upset with the Beaver, but angrier at Wally because he was responsible for watching Beaver. In the boys' bedroom, they get into a fight, which sends Beaver's new computer flying out the window. Wally grabs the wire and tries to pull it in, but the wire breaks, and it crashes into pieces. This results in Ward completely losing all of his patience and grounding the boys.

Beaver skips football practice and studies, instead, and Wally spends time with Karen. She breaks up with him after reuniting with her ex-boyfriend, Kyle. Beaver catches up with the boy who stole his bike, who challenges him to climb into a gigantic coffee mug atop the local cafe, but when he does, the boy rides off again and he is stuck. The fire department and Ward help get him down, whereupon Ward realizes the Beaver may be under too much pressure. Ward found out about him skipping football practice, but says he can quit the team, but he goes back to it. During the last game, he catches the ball and scores a touchdown. At the Mayfield Festival, he encounters the boy who stole his bike and chases him. Kyle trips the Beaver to help his little brother escape, and Wally retaliates by pushing him into a tub of fudge; Karen is also put off by Kyle's bullying and leaves him for Wally. Beaver uses a concession stand to block the boy's way, he ends up flying into a table of pies, slides down it, and Beaver gets his bike back. At home, Ward sees him polishing it and he tells him that it would be safer if it stays in the house and he decides to read to the Beaver.

Cast

Cameos by actors and actresses from the television series

Reception

The film was poorly received by critics, as it currently holds a rating of 21% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 28 reviews.

Box office

The film grossed an estimated $10,925,062 in the United States and Canada. Compared to its $15 million budget, it was a flop.

Home video release history

References

  1. ↑ "SUMMER SNEAKS; Cut-Rate Comedy; 'Leave It to Beaver' producer Robert Simonds loves a good, cheap laugh. Then he snickers all the way to the bank". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-12-28.
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