Cujo (film)

Cujo is the 1983 adaptation of Cujo directed by Lewis Teague from a screenplay by Don Carlos Dunaway and Lauren Currier. It was released on August 12, 1983, and is praised for following the plot line so closely.

For the character of Cujo the film used five St. Bernards, a Rottweiller, one mechanical head, and a man in a dog costume.

The movie had an estimated budget of $5,000,000 and grossed about $21,200,000. It was filmed in Glen Ellen, Mendocino, Petaluma, and Santa Rosa. All in California.

The film was #58 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments.

Cast

• Donna Trenton - Dee Wallace-Stone
• Tad Trenton - Danny Pintauro
• Vic Trenton - Daniel Hugh Kelly
• Steve Kemp - Christopher Stone
• Joe Camber - Ed Lauter
• George Bannerman - Sandy Ward

Differences from the Book

• No mention is made to The Dead Zone or Frank Dodd. Bannerman is only called that once, very briefly.
  • The Dead Zone was being adapted at the same time by another studio. They were released roughly two months apart, Cujo being first.
• The film starts off with Cujo getting bitten. This is the only scene in which Cujo is not rabid.
• The film shows the Trenton's first visit to the Camber's during the course of the movie. Tad does play with Cujo but he is only in the early stages of rabies.
• The Sharp Cereal Incident happens during the movie.
• The film shows Donna sleeping with Steve twice before finally breaking up, where the book introduces Steve in the break-up scene.
• Kemp is shown to be a friend of the Trenton's. He plays tennis with Vic. And even comes in when they're eating.
• Vic never gets a letter from Kemp. Vic drives by and sees Donna and Steve and figures it out.
• Donna never tells Vic she has had an affair but the conversation is alluded to.
• Charity wins the lottery but tells Brett and Joe together. Joe agrees to let them go to her sisters without resistance. After that Charity and Brett are never in the movie again.
• Vic never calls the police asking them to check on Donna. He returns home of his own free will. It is only when he arrives that he finds out what Kemp did.
• Kemp never leaves town.
• Kemp isn't shown destroying the house. He never ejaculates on the bed. And does mess up the upstairs bedrooms.
• When Donna attempts to escape she does not throw rocks. Instead she gets on her hands and knees and looks under the car. And instead of Cujo sitting there waiting he moves around the back and sneaks up on her from behind.
• Although Cujo does bite Donna, no mention is shown that she has gotten rabies.
• The fight between Bannerman and Cujo is longer and includes the inside of the barn.
• Tad lives in this version.
  • According to one source, the producers though the death of a child would be too tramatic. Other sources claim that this decision was to keep even those who read the book in suspense.
• Although Donna stabs Cujo with the bat that's not what kills him. Cujo breaks into the house as Donna is helping Tad and she shoots Cujo with Bannerman's gun.
• The movie ends with Vic finding Donna and Tad. There is no mention of the rabies scare, Donna's treatment, or the outcome of the Sharp account.