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Story

Chloe (voice of Drew Barrymore) is the pampered lapdog of the very rich Aunt Viv (Jamie-Lee Curtis) who is a senior executive in a cosmetic company.  Each day Chloe is dressed in a diamond collar and a variety of clothes, sent to the dog salon, attends doggy play dates and is generally spoilt. Chloe is being courted by Papi (voice of George Lopez) who belongs to the Mexican gardener Sam Cortez (Manolo Cardona) but she doesn’t think a mere gardener’s dog is good enough for her. Sam is treated as a friend by Aunt Viv who is fond of both him and Papi.

Aunt Viv has no children of her own but does have a niece, Rachel (Piper Perabo), who doesn’t work but instead spends time shopping and partying with her friends. Rachel and Chloe detest each other. However, when Aunt Viv has to go overseas, her usual dog nanny is not available and she asks Rachel to babysit Chloe.

Rachel’s friends book a weekend in Mexico and she decides to go, taking Chloe with her. Chloe escapes and is subsequently ‘dognapped’ into the world of dogfighting. Rachel stays behind to find her, while her friends return to Beverley Hills. Sam finds out that Chloe has been dognapped and he and Papi go to Mexico City to rescue her. Sam and Rachel meet up unexpectedly at the police station and together they begin the hunt for Chloe.

In the meantime Chloe is having an adventure of her own. Assisted by a German Shepherd named Delgado (voice of Andy Garcia) she escapes from the vicious Diablo (Edward James Olmos), the fighting dog who is guarding her, and begins the dangerous journey home. Along the way she learns the value of good friends and also learns a lot about herself.

Themes

Cruelty to animals

Violence

There is some violence in this film, including:

  • The head of the illegal dogfighting gang hits and pushes one of his helpers
  • Chloe’s friend Delgado the police dog recalls how he was attacked by Diablo the fierce fighting dog. Delgado’s human handler was also attacked. There is an image of the man lying unmoving on the floor and the dog lying next to him.
  • At the end of the film there is a fight between Delgado and Diablo and also between the dog handler and the police but there is very little violence.

Sexual references

None of concern

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

There is some use of substances in this movie, including people drinking wine and cocktails.

Nudity and sexual activity

None of concern

Product placement

The following products are displayed or used in this movie: Diet Coke, BMW and Dodge.

Coarse language

None of concern

Ideas to discuss with your children

Beverly Hills Chihuahua is a comedy adventure film. The main messages from this movie are that:

  • We should not judge by appearance. It is important to look at what is underneath, as then you will find someone’s true value.
  • Even if you are little, you can still make a difference. It’s about believing in yourself.

Values in this movie that you might wish to reinforce with your children include:

  • the importance of friendship
  • belief in yourself
  • trust in others.

You might also wish to discuss the affluent lifestyle of Chloe and Auntie Viv. The film shows that material possessions are not everything and that it is her wealth that leads to problems for Chloe.

Supported By

  • Department of Social Services

Raising Children Network is supported by the Australian Government. Member organisations are the Parenting Research Centre and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute with The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Community Child Health.

Member Organisations

  • Parenting Research Centre
  • The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne
  • Murdoch Children's Research Institute

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