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.
Content that may disturb children
Under 8
In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children under the age of eight, including the following:
- The scenes involving dogfighting may upset children of this age. The dogs are kept in cages and are expected to fight the vicious Diablo who has never been beaten. They look worried and scared.
- Papi comes to the rescue of Chloe but is put in a cage and threatened by Diablo.
- During Chloe’s journey home, she and Delgado are threatened by menacing mountain lions. They are rescued by a large group of chihuahuas and the scene becomes funny when we see the lions’ reaction to the small barking dogs.
From 8-13
Some children in this age group may also be disturbed by the scenes of animals in danger.
Over 13
Children in this age group are unlikely to be disturbed by anything in this film.
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.