Beethoven is a 1992 American family comedy film, directed by Brian Levant and written by John Hughes (under the pseudonym "Edmond Dantès") and Amy Holden Jones. The film's plot centers on a St. Bernard dog named after the famous German composer who finds a home with a suburban family. It was released by Universal Pictures on April 3, 1992, and received mixed reviews from critics but was a box office success, earning $147.2 million worldwide.