Monkey Trouble

Monkey Trouble is a 1994 American comedy drama film directed by Franco Amurri and starring Thora Birch and Harvey Keitel. Amurri dedicated the film to his daughter Eva and named the film's protagonist after her. Plot In Los Angeles, nine-year-old Eva Gregory longs for a pet dog but can't get one because her mother Amy believes she isn't responsible enough and her stepfather Tom, a police lieutenant, is allergic to fur. This is further complicated when she cannot keep a pet at her biological father Peter's house, because of his job as a pilot and his frequent travels. Tom's biological daughter, Tessa, occasionally babysits Eva and her toddler brother Jack. A gypsy kleptomaniac vagabond Azro, whose wife and son Mark recently left him due to her dislike for Fingers, lives off the grid with his intelligent Capuchin monkey Fingers. Working as a hurdy gurdy-playing busker at Venice Beach, Azro uses Fingers to lure in tourists and pickpocket them. A pair of Italian American mafia members named Drake and Charlie proposition Azro with joining their crime syndicate, with Fingers using his pickpocket skills to burglarize the homes of wealthy residents. In a test run to see Fingers' skills, the three men drive to a random residence, which just happens to be Eva's home. Fingers successfully steals various expensive items and Azro is admitted to the crime group. Fingers, who suffers from poor treatment from Azro (which is now greatly exacerbated by Azro's family's running off, causing the enraged Azro to acridly blame Fingers), later manages to run away and hides in a park near Eva's house. The next day as Eva is walking home from school, Fingers drops from a tree and latches onto Eva. She instantly connects with him and names him "Dodger", as he likes Eva's Dodgers baseball hat. Eva hides the monkey in her bedroom, but when she has to attend school, she leaves him in the care of a pet store businesswoman named Annie. She becomes more responsible with her chores and helps take care of her brother Jack, to whom she reveals Dodger. Meanwhile, Tom finds himself sneezing frequently, and suspects he must have a cold or their apartment has a rat problem. Azro unsuccessfully tries to find the monkey, to the frustration of the mafia members.