Buddy (1997 film)

Buddy
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Caroline Thompson
Screenplay by	Caroline Thompson
Story by	William Joyce Caroline Thompson
Based on	Animals Are My Hobby by Gertrude Davies Lintz
Produced by	Fred Fuchs Steve Nicolaides
Starring	Rene Russo Robbie Coltrane Alan Cumming
Cinematography	Steve Mason
Edited by	Jonathan Shaw
Music by	Elmer Bernstein
Production companies	Columbia Pictures Jim Henson Pictures American Zoetrope
Distributed by	Sony Pictures Releasing
Release dates	June 6, 1997 (1997-06-06) (United States) September 25, 1997 (1997-09-25) (Australia)
Running time	84 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$19 million
Box office	$10.1 million

Buddy is a 1997 American biographical comedy-drama family film written and directed by Caroline Thompson, produced by Jim Henson Pictures and American Zoetrope, and released by Columbia Pictures on June 6, 1997. It starred Rene Russo as Mrs. Gertrude "Trudy" Lintz and Robbie Coltrane as her husband.

The film was based loosely on the life of a gorilla called Massa with elements of Gertrude Lintz's other gorilla Gargantua (who was called "Buddy" at the time). In real life, Massa was sold to the Philadelphia Zoo after he attacked Lintz,^[1] while Buddy/Gargantua died young as a circus attraction and his remains are now on display in a museum.

The gorilla suit used for Buddy was created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop.