Pets In Popular Movies
Think about all the movies you’ve seen that feature a pet as a central character or in a supporting role. Many films use pets to add another layer of emotional depth to their storylines. The stories of these on-screen pets resonate with us, as most of us have experienced the great benefits of owning a pet.
Movies use all the common pets you’d expect to see, such as dogs and cats, but many movies make use of more non-traditional pets. Consider the movie “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events,” which features a snake as a pet.
Many films actually include pets as central characters, often making for a fantastic family movie. Here are just a few movies that take advantage of the humor and emotion that a pet can bring to a film.
One movie that stars pets in its central roles is 101 Dalmatians. In this classic Disney movie, the talking Dalmatians from the film’s title are on an adventure to save their family from Cruella Deville.
The “Dr. Dolittle” trilogy of movies stars Eddie Murphy as a scientist who can talk to animals. These animals often come to him for help, creating hilarious situations, but the doctor is less than pleased with his abilities.
Movies often incorporate pets into their storylines as major characters who accompany the protagonist in a journey or adventure. “The Mask” was one such movie, in which the dog Milo played the role of a hero alongside Jim Carrey.
The film classic “The Wizard of Oz,” released in 1939, shows that pets have been used as major characters in film for as long as movies have been around. In this movie, Dorothy is accompanied by her faithful dog Toto, who stays by her side in her quest to find the Wizard of Oz and return to her home in Kansas.
With the advent of computer-generated graphics in movies, it’s possible for film studios to create pet characters that were never possible before. The recent “Garfield” movie featured the famous comic strip cat in a computer-generated role. It’s fun to watch these on-screen pets because get to hear the celebrity actors who give them their voices.
