Leave It to Beaver (1997)

19% of critics liked it
(27 reviews)
34% of users liked it
(9,521 ratings)

The Cleaver Family makes the jump from the small black and white screen to color and Panavision in this updated version of the classic TV sit-com. Eight-year-old Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver (Cameron Finley) is a good natured kid with a habit of getting in trouble; he's not bad, mind you, just a bit… More The Cleaver Family makes the jump from the small black and white screen to color and Panavision in this updated version of the classic TV sit-com. Eight-year-old Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver (Cameron Finley) is a good natured kid with a habit of getting in trouble; he's not bad, mind you, just a bit absent-minded. Beaver lives with his 12-year-old brother Wally (Erik Von Detten), his father Ward (Christopher McDonald), and his mother June (Janine Turner) in a small town in Ohio. Beaver wants a new bicycle more than anything, but his father wishes that he had more of an interest in team sports; someone suggests to Beaver that if he joined the school's football team, Ward might be impressed enough to buy him the bike. Beaver signs up, but his skills on the gridiron fall somewhere between slim and none, and the experience proves more than a bit embarrassing for both Beaver and Ward. Before long, Beaver has quit the team, but he tries to hide this fact from his father. Beaver does get his bike -- but he doesn't get to do much with it before it's stolen by a bigger kid in the neighborhood. Meanwhile, Wally's best friend, the mildly sleazy Eddie Haskell (Adam Zolotin), has fallen for a cute girl at school, Karen (Erika Christensen), and wants Wally to help him impress her; however, Karen seems to like Wally more than Eddie. This puts Wally in dutch with his best friend, and Wally feels even worse when he and Karen begin to quarrel. Ken Osmond, who played Eddie Haskell on the original TV series, plays Eddie's father here, and Barbara Billingsley, the original June Cleaver, appears as Aunt Martha. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 28 min.
Directed By: Andy Cadiff, Andy Cadif
Written By: Bob Mosher, Joe Connelly, Lon Diamond, Brian Levant
Genres: Television, Kids & Family, Comedy

In Theaters: Aug 22, 1997 Limited
On DVD: Jan 20, 1998
Studio: Universal Pictures

Critic Reviews

Lisa Alspector, Chicago Reader
[The] dead-on imitations of some of the characters from the television series created by Bob Mosher and Joe Connelly will seem pointlessly stylized to viewers unfamiliar with the old sitcom.
Joe Leydon, Variety
Fuzzily conceived and blandly executed.
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
The Cleavers have come to represent the stereotype of the white-bread family.This reverent '90s remake doesn't do much to challenge it.
Mike Clark, USA Today
The result is depressingly halfhearted.
Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle
Credit the makers of Leave It to Beaver for their kindliness.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The film is disarmingly charming.
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Unnecessary film take on the classic TV series. Leave it.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
All but the most easily pleased kids will be bored as can be, and anyone who has fond memories of TV's Leave It to Beaver would probably rather not besmirch them.
Clint Morris, Moviehole
Turner is delightful
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
This. Is. Just. Bad.
Margaret A. McGurk, Cincinnati Enquirer
Slight, bouncy and sweet-tempered.
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile
Schmalzy and trite, it relies heavily on the goodwill and nostalgia.
Steve Rhodes, Internet Reviews
Reasonably charming.
Russell Smith, Austin Chronicle
Some things never change -- and we think that's good.
Chris Hicks, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
It doesn't quite work, but some of Leave it to Beaver is a gentle little time-waster that will probably please young children and evoke some nostalgia in their parents . . . er, grandparents.

Read all 15 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Jeff "

Leave it to Beaver is a painful family oriented comedy that is dreadful from start to finish. I felt that the film was poorly constructed, and did not withstand multiple viewings. I find that there are better family films out there than this, and this one just doesn't cut it. The… More
Leave it to Beaver is a painful family oriented comedy that is dreadful from start to finish. I felt that the film was poorly constructed, and did not withstand multiple viewings. I find that there are better family films out there than this, and this one just doesn't cut it. The acting is horrible, the script is bad and this is one awful, forgettable film that you should avoid. This is a failed attempt at bringing the classic TV show to the screen. I found nothing entertaining about this film, and nothing worked. For me, this film was just an awful mess, one that should never have been made. This is a lame excuse for a family oriented comedy, and it simply plays out on all the usual clichés that you'd expect from the genre. Even with a script rewrite, I don't think this film would have been watchable. Leave it Beaver fails on all fronts, and everyone involved in this mess should be ashamed. I thought this was too simplistic to enjoy, while most family comedies have a bit more substance, this film lacked that big time. This film failed at delivering anything really entertaining and fun. A pointless film that never should have seen the light of day, Leave it to Beaver is a film that misses the mark due to a bad script, and a painful cast. I hated this film, and it's one of those films that really is forgettable. A film that never should have been made, this is one of the worst family oriented comedies that I have seen.
Michael E

its safe and a family friendly film, with good comedy and great kid friendly fun.
Lenny M

This movie was dogged but I always liked it. Watched it the other day (VHS) and was crackin' up muthatrucka haha, at least for the first half of the movie. Christopher "Shooter McGavin" McDonald is an underrated actor, he's great.
Dean M

The 1997 TV adaptation movie combines countless themes and storylines from various episodes of the original series, a technique that is enjoyable and funny. The actors are great, and it is wonderful to see some of TV series' cast making cameos in this film.
Bryce I

Though it might be appropiate for children, and kids would be intrigued, normal moviegoers, or even parents will find it as an unnessacary remake of a classic television show, that's mainly an embaressment.
Leo L

Cute