Cujo (1983)

The name Cujo has been ingrained into our culture as a synonym for any mean or aggressive dog. In reality, the dog at the center of the movie Cujo isn’t evil. He’s sick. Bitten by a rabid bat after playfully chasing a rabbit into a hole. Owned by Joe Camber (Ed Lauter,) a rural auto mechanic, the dog receives no medical attention and quickly turns into a foaming-at-the-mouth killer.

Vic Trenton (Daniel Hugh Kelly) takes his sports car to Camber’s garage when his first choice of mechanic is too busy. Tagging along are Vic’s wife, Donna (Dee Wallace,) and their young son, Tad (Danny Pintauro.) At the time of their visit, Cujo is still friendly and non-threatening. So, when Donna later returns to the Camber residence with a car problem of her own, she doesn’t fear the dog. Big mistake.

In between those two visits to the mechanic, the Trentons experience some marital issues. Donna has been having an affair with Vic’s friend, Steve (Christopher Stone.) Realizing she’s ruining a good marriage, Donna breaks it off. But not before Vic finds out about her cheating. Vic — who works in advertising — finds himself losing an important client at the same time. To say he’s stressed out is an understatement. As a result, he forgets to take Donna’s car to the shop, leaving her to do it herself when he goes away on business.

Almost more melodrama then horror film, at least initially, Cujo detours from the typical conventions by spending a generous amount of time with character development. All of it is necessary, though, as the final act uses those details to construct a suspenseful and believably frightening climax.

Dee Wallace elevates that final half hour of the movie with an outstanding performance. As Donna, she fights to protect her son, herself, and her sanity as she’s trapped in her broken-down Ford Pinto. Young Danny Pintauro, who wasn’t old enough to read at the time of shooting, does a marvelous job avoiding the overly cute, annoying child actor stereotype. He actually proves to be exceptionally good at acting frightened. I sincerely hope the on-set experience didn’t traumatize him into the performance.

As someone who dislikes when movies include an animal that ends up getting hurt, Cujo was a challenge to sit through. Not because it’s bad. Not at all. I sympathized with the dog as much as I did the people he goes after. (Although, to be honest, some of them deserved their fate at the paws of Cujo.)

While not a classic horror film, Cujo provides some tense moments and genuine scares. Based on a novel by Stephen King, it’s one of the better films derived from his work.  And, if nothing else, Cujo serves as an excellent reminder to make sure your dog gets all of its annual vaccinations.