Hero dog Max unleashed in theaters
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E-mail CNTV, June 26, 2015
Amid all the action-packed blockbusters heating up the summer box office, there is one family film that stands out as a fit for all audiences and ages. It is a movie about an unlikely hero canine who teaches a family about dealing with loss and love.
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Hero dog Max unleashed in theaters |
To some, this summer's breakout star might be a little rough around the edges. But he is already headlining a Hollywood film and making it big on the red carpet. Get ready for Max, a photogenic, talented, and highly intelligent Belgian Malinois.
In the movie, his handler, Kyle suffers a fatal incident and much like a human, Max becomes consequently traumatized with the loss of his best friend. But when Kyle's family adopts the dog, the only person that Max connects with is Kyle's younger brother, Justin, and the two begin to embark on an unforgettable adventure together. Lauren Graham, who plays the boys' mother, explained what drew her to the story.
"I just thought it was a classic family film. I loved the way of telling a story of a war through the lens of this animal, and how the family heals by knowing the animal and the animal heals by knowing the family. I just thought that was kind of fresh and yet interesting," Graham said.
Actor Josh Wiggins, who plays Justin, had no trouble sharing so many scenes with Max and the four other dogs who stood in for Max on set.
"It was awesome. I mean, I love dogs. I've grown up around them all my life. I have three of my own right now. So it was nothing, there was no hesitance going in. It was a lot of fun," Wiggins said.
In the film, Max was required to squirm, fight, bite, and emote on command. Luke Kleintank, who plays Tyler, a character who worked with Kyle before his death, was quite impressed with the dog's talents.
Boaz Yakin's co-writer, Sheldon Lettich, noted why he believes 'Max' fills a much-needed void in the current landscape of family adventure films.
"There hasn't been a hero dog movie for years, maybe for decades. It's been a really long time since there's been a movie like this. And that's what Boaz and I started thinking about a few years back. We didn't have a story but we were just thinking, hero dog movie! It's about time we bring that back," Lettich said.
Although many in Hollywood warn against working with animals or kids, both of which have temperaments that can be allegedly hard to control on set, writer and director Boaz Yakin was quick to contest that.
"Not true, not true. It's a myth. Working with dogs and kids, especially talented, creative kids, is a pleasure. It's the adults you have to watch out for. Kids haven't gotten all the bad habits yet," Yakin said.
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