With the amount of controversy in our world, I really wish there wasn’t a dilemma about a dog movie.
The movie “A Dog’s Purpose” finally debuted this past Friday after animal abuse allegations were brought forward and an alarming video was sent to TMZ news just a few weeks prior to the movie’s premiere. The video showed a dog trainer continually attempting to push an apparently frightened German Shepard into rushing water during the filming of one scene, and at one point the dog cling-ed on to its trainer.
The nearly two-minute video prompted outrage among a lot of viewers, as there was clearly some sort of struggle between the dog and this film crew member before the dog went sailing into the water. The video went viral, causing members of PETA to issue a statement and even caused Universal Pictures to raise eyebrows, and they canceled the premiere.
The main character of the movie, Dennis Quaid, said in an interview with the Today Show that the video sent to TMZ had been edited to look worse than it really was. Quaid said the dog had been jumping into the water after a toy just moments before. He also said the dog was frightened at first because he was jumping into the water at a different angle than before.
Quaid said there were rescue swimmers in the water and the dog was able to touch the bottom of the stunt pool. However, Quaid’s remarks and rebuttals seemed somewhat rehearsed, and he completely overlooked the terror the dog seemingly had shown.
He also put into question if the person who filmed the video was so alarmed by the alleged abuse, then why didn’t he or she bring the video forward right after it happened — not months later.
“They were waiting on a better price from TMZ,” Quaid said.
From the moment I saw the previews of this movie, it brought warmth to my heart, as I love any good ol’ dog story. I have watched “Marley and Me” a handful of times, and I still get choked up.
Though I hadn’t planned to see “A Dog’s Purpose” in theatres, I did plan to watch the movie at some point, maybe once it came out on DVD or Red-box. However, I had only heard bits and pieces of the alleged animal abuse during the filming, and I hadn’t really done any research of my own until just the other day.
I understand the film crew was probably under a lot of pressure to get the scene “just right,” and they probably were tired, overworked and crabby, but why not give the poor dog a break? I find my sweet and exuberant Labrador needs constant reassurance and affection. So, why didn’t one of those rescue swimmers go over to where the dog was and swim in the rushing water below him?
Dogs are smart. If they see a human can swim in scary water, then they too may feel more safe and secure. I can’t believe that dog trainer wouldn’t have tried different tactics than just pushing and clawing off the poor pup.
This particular video does make me leery about what other things have happened on the set of movies with animals who don’t want to always do what humans have planned in their big, important scripts.
But, it’s still a dog movie, and the other part of me really wants to see the story-line and how it plays out. Maybe someday I will check it out, if my conscience can tolerate it.
Contact Kayla Langmaid at
klangmaid@newtondailynews.com