Filmed-in-Winnipeg "A Dog's Purpose" has plenty of puppy love, star power
Article content
It's a movie shot in Manitoba that dog lovers will want to see, but they would be wise to have a box of tissues handy to wipe their tears.
The trailer for A Dog's Purpose, filmed in Winnipeg and parts of Manitoba through the summer of 2015, went online last week. According to many of the 5,000 comments, viewers couldn't get through the two-and-a-half-minute trailer without getting emotional.
The comedy-drama, told from the perspective of a dog, follows the many lives of a reincarnated dog. The dog is first owned by a boy in small-town America in the 1960s, then he (sometimes returning as a female) brings joy to several other families. Many years later he comes back into the life of his original owner, now an adult, played by Dennis Quaid.
"I'm gonna freaking bawl my eyes out every time the dog dies," one viewer commented, adding it will be like watching the funny but heart-wrenching movie, Marley & Me, five times.
A Dog's Purpose was shot in Winnipeg, Brandon, Virden and north-east Minnedosa. The City of Winnipeg's Animal Services staff was consulted during filming, which was a thrill of a lifetime for its chief operating officer, Leland Gordon.
"They came here several times because they wanted to see how an animal shelter operates," Gordon said on Tuesday. "It was neat because the director and their whole team was here."
Gordon was especially delighted to meet Quaid. He had been a big fan of the actor ever since he starred in the 1983 drama, The Right Stuff.
"There was a chance where part of the film was going to be shot here, but it didn't work out because the camera angles wouldn't work properly," Gordon said. "It was just too tight in here for what they were looking for."
Consequently, another building in Winnipeg was converted into an animal shelter for filming.
"They invited us down and I had never been on a movie set before, so it was nice," Gordon said. "They installed a rail system for a camera that could move slowly and shoot something.
"That wouldn't have worked in our place."
This isn't the first time Winnipeg's Animal Services has been part of a movie production, Gordon pointed out. The shelter was briefly used in the 2008 thriller, The Lazarus Project, which was also shot in Stonewall and Brandon, and starred Paul Walker.
A Dog's Purpose, based on the 2010 novel of the same name by W. Bruce Cameron, also stars Britt Robertson, Josh Gad, Peggy Lipton and Juliet Rylance. It's scheduled to be released Jan. 27, 2017 by Universal Pictures.
None of the dogs featured in the movie were from the shelter, but Gordon hopes it might inspire Manitobans to adopt a dog either from animal services, the Winnipeg Humane Society, D'Arcy's ARC or another local rescue.
"I hope when people see this and they see how much joy that animals can bring to people, if they're ready to get a pet -- and they think long and hard about it because it's a lifetime commitment -- then I encourage that the first place they go is to an animal shelter or a rescue," Gordon said.
Adoptable dogs from animal services can be viewed online (winnipeg.ca). Gordon also noted the shelter is in dire need of donations of dog biscuits, six-foot leashes and peanut butter.
The staff uses peanut butter when giving dogs their medications as well as to make cookies, which are sold as fundraisers to cover vet fees.
