101 Dalmatians -1996- ((top)) Jun 2026

Crucially, Close understood the assignment. She leaned into the theatricality of the role, delivering lines like "I live for furs. I worship furs!" with a Shakespearean intensity that bordered on camp but never tipped into farce. It is a performance that anchors the entire film, providing a gravitational pull that keeps the audience engaged even when the plot mechanics creak. It is difficult to imagine the film working without her; she elevated a straightforward remake into a cultural event.

101 Dalmatians (1996) is very much a product of its era. It has the broad, physical comedy of Mrs. Doubtfire , the glossy production design of a 90s department store catalog, and a saccharine score by Michael Kamen that over-punctuates every emotional beat. Jeff Daniels and Joely Richardson are pleasant but forgettable, given little to do but look concerned and say things like, “We’ll find them, Anita.” 101 Dalmatians -1996-

So, this weekend, if you see the title pop up on your streaming queue, do yourself a favor. Watch it for the mudslide. Watch it for the terrified look on Hugh Laurie’s face as 101 dogs stampede past him. But mostly, watch it for the woman in the polka-dot fur coat who taught us that being bad can be absolutely fabulous. Crucially, Close understood the assignment

The film’s biggest narrative flaw is sidelining the dogs. The animated classic spent long, wordless stretches showing Pongo and Perdita’s journey. Here, the screen time is hogged by Cruella’s schemes and the bumbling henchmen. Hugh Laurie and Mark Williams are perfectly cast as Jasper and Horace—Laurie’s weary intelligence clashing with Williams’ cheerful idiocy—but their extended slapstick (including a literal explosion at a morgue) belongs in a Home Alone sequel, not a Dalmatian adventure. It is a performance that anchors the entire

The film also softens some edges. The original’s “Cruella wants to kill puppies” is handled with euphemisms (“get rid of,” “prepare”), though one genuinely dark scene remains: Cruella, in silhouette, rehearsing the skinning of a fur coat with a tailor’s dummy. It’s a brief, shivery moment that reminds you of the macabre heart beneath the designer gloves.