Monkey Trouble 1994

In Los Angeles, nine-year-old Eva Gregory Eva Gregory longs for a pet dog, but her mother Amy Amy believes she isn’t responsible enough, and her stepfather Tom Tom is allergic to fur. The problem is compounded by Eva’s inability to keep a pet at her biological father Peter’s house, because his job as a pilot keeps him away for long stretches. Tom’s biological daughter, Tessa Tessa, occasionally babysits Eva and her toddler brother Jack Jack.

In Venice Beach, a Romani kleptomaniac named Azro Azro lives with his Capuchin monkey Fingers, using the animal to lure tourists and help steal from them. They are approached by Italian American mob members Drake and Charlie, who propose joining their crime syndicate. Fingers’s nimble skills help burglarize wealthy homes, and in a test run they lift valuable items from Eva’s house, prompting Azro’s formal entry into the group. The monkey endures harsh treatment from Azro, a resentment fueled by Azro’s strained family situation, which ultimately leads Fingers to flee. He hides out in a park near Eva’s home.

The next day, while Eva is walking home from school, Fingers drops from a tree and clings to her. She immediately feels a connection and names him “Dodger,” drawn to Eva’s Dodgers cap. Eva hides the monkey in her room, but when school calls, she leaves Dodger in the care of Annie Annie, a pet-store owner who becomes part of the unfolding chaos. Tom begins sneezing frequently, raising fears of a cold or a rat problem in their apartment. Azro, meanwhile, continues to miss the monkey and the mafia factions grow increasingly frustrated by the lack of progress.

On a weekend when Eva plans to visit her father, she discovers that Peter will actually be away. She decides to keep Dodger with her for the weekend without telling her parents, and they rent a little space on the Venice Beach Boardwalk to perform. With no money for food, Eva and Dodger begin busking, and the pursuit of Dodger by Azro sparks a tense chase as the monkey and the mob confront each other along the beach. Dodger and Eva start their act together, with Dodger secretly lifting items from passersby just as he did with Azro. Eva soon realizes the stolen goods are in her own backpack and faces a difficult choice: continue performing or stop the theft that accompanies their act.

Azro learns where Eva lives and confronts them at the house, frightening both Eva and Dodger. Eva attempts to call the police, but Azro tells a deputy that she dialed 9-1-1 as a prank. When Tom and Amy return home, they find evidence of additional stolen jewelry in Eva’s room, and the truth behind Dodger’s escapades begins to come to light. Azro manages to reclaim Dodger, heightening Eva’s fear, but Tom and the police intervene and arrest Azro. Tom’s allergy to monkey fur also unexpectedly subsides in the process, a small but notable relief for the family.

As the investigation unfolds, Eva meets Azro’s son, Mark, who comes to retrieve Dodger. Dodger initially leaves with him but, after a moment, chooses to return to Eva. In the end, Eva brings Dodger and her brother Jack to her classmates at school, sharing a moment of acceptance and companionship that caps a year of enormous change for her family and for a girl who learned to read love and responsibility in the eyes of a small, clever monkey.