A Dog’s PR-pose
If there is one thing I love it is dogs. I grew up with them, and just seeing a dog puts a smile on my face. I tend to avoid movies starring dogs, though. There is always the dread that the movie will take a sad turn, and it would destroy me. I have still never seen “Marley & Me.”
That’s why the recent allegations of animal abuse with regards to “A Dog’s Purpose” are so disturbing and upsetting to hear. The film had incredible buzz leading up to it, promising to be a heart-wrenching tale. It also appeared like it would be a hit for production company Amblin Entertainment, with a low budget and the tendency for dog-centric films to make upwards of $100 million at the box office.
Unfortunately, things behind the scenes it appeared were not so positive. TMZ released a video that appears to show one of the dogs used in the film being forced into turbulent waters, despite its clear displeasure; then the video ends with the dog’s head being submerged and the crew panicking as they rush to extract the dog from the water. The editing of the film cuts out a few moments, so it is unclear what happens in the middle and after the video ends.
The video was posted just over a week before the premiere of the film and has caused considerable trouble. The red-carpet premiere was canceled by Universal and PETA is out in force to protest the film. While PETA is a problematic organization, I doubt it will be very hard for them to convince people to avoid a film that has animal abuse allegations surrounding it.
German shepherds are known for avoiding water.
| Arturo Nikolai |
Amblin has not commented to the press, only releasing a news release stating that they are reviewing the footage and that Hercules (the German shepherd in the video) is “happy and healthy.” Universal, additionally canceled an event for the press to meet the dogs used in the film. The canceling of the press event and the red carpet were smart decisions because it allowed the studio to prevent any questions being asked and prevented further stories from developing based on answers that they couldn’t control.
Further dooming the film, it seems, several of the actors in the film have been making public their opinions on the video. Each actor shows regret and makes clear that they were not involved in the way the animal was treated, distancing themselves from the film. If you can’t get your cast to stand up for the film, there is not much hope.
The actor response is a tricky one to manage. If the actors do not respond to the video and continue to promote the film they, they run the risk of seeming as if they do not care about animal abuse; which could damage their reputations. By responding, the actors can show they care and reiterate the points Amblin released to the press; which may seem more genuine coming from an actor instead of a faceless company.
Josh Gad (the voice of the dog) hasn’t tweeted a single thing in relation to the movie on the day of its release. Instead, he has opted to promote another of his upcoming films, “Beauty and The Beast.”
The Twitter account for the film has not tweeted since the day before the TMZ video was made public. A smart choice, as any further tweets they sent, would be met with a cavalcade of negative response.
The American Humane Association was the group responsible for caring for the animals, one that has been the focus of several claims of animal abuse on film sets. The organization placed the trainer deemed “responsible” on leave; but to some, that is not enough. At this time, that is all that the AHA can do, however, or risk litigation.
Researching who you do business with is important because a bad association can lead to poor publicity. Had the producers placed value in providing the best service over using the standard group, this situation could have been avoided.
The film seems to be getting quite negative reviews from critics either way, so people interested might find a better use of their time and money in donating to a local humane shelter or taking their own dog for a walk.
Filmic Relations 