They say that making films with animals is quite difficult. After all, they can’t agree with them, as with people, so you need to spend more time on their preparation. But director Brian Levant, who shot Snow Dogs, has a different opinion on this. He believes that dogs are smart and quick-witted animals, which the other members of the film crew soon became convinced of. This article will consider not only the plot, but also the actors of the film "Snow Dogs".
Story line
The plot focuses on the successful dentist Ted Brooks, who for the entire time as a dentist managed to acquire his own clinic, as well as a large client base. But in the measured and unhurried life of Ted, great changes were soon to happen, and one unusual case contributed to this.
Once the dentist received a notice of inheritance. The fact is that one woman living in Alaska died, and Teda bequeathed all her property. At the same time, Lucy Watkins called him a son. It was a surprise for the guy, and he told everything to his mother. But she did not dispute what was written and admitted that she and his father adopted him in childhood. And if so, then he simply must fulfill the last will of his real mother.
After sunny Miami, Alaska seemed to Ted a very cold place. And the town of Tolketna, in which his mother lived, turned out to be just a small village. He was even more surprised that in addition to a very modest property, he had 8 dogs at his disposal. Moreover, seven of them several times won prizes in dog sled races, which are held in the city every year.
What to do with such an inheritance, Ted does not know. Dogs need to be looked after. And for him this is a difficult task, because the young man had no animals before. Worse still, the dogs do not really like the new owner, and they make it clear to him. Apparently, Ted will have to stay here until he decides what to do next.
Filming
Before you figure out which actors starred in the movie “Snow Dogs,” it’s worth talking about the conditions in which they had to work. So, the snowy settlement of Tolketna, where the main events take place, was built in one of the ten provinces of Canada - Alberta. At the same time, buildings similar to those that can be found in Alaska were used. And the scenery was set up so that in the background was always visible a large snow-capped mountain.
During the filming of the painting “Snow Dogs”, the actors worked in several places: on a frozen pond, rocks and mountain peaks. The climate there was severe, so many members of the film crew, especially those who live in warm regions, had to film in unusual conditions, when the air temperature dropped below -30 degrees.
But for the film, such conditions were ideal, although they had to take measures so as not to get frostbite. For this reason, many scenes did not work out and were cut out.
The film "Snow Dogs": actors and roles
Brian Levant, known for the films “The Spy Next Door” and “Present for Christmas”, worked as a director on the picture. Before that, he had already dealt with such animals, because by the time the picture was filmed, six dogs already lived in his house.
Mr. Levant gave the main role to Cube Gooding, Jr. In his opinion, he was more suitable than anyone else for the role of a dentist. Interestingly, the actor performed all the tricks during the filming himself.
He really enjoyed driving a dog team, although it turned out that this was not so simple. Like the other actors who starred in the movie Snow Dogs, Gooding was previously seen in other projects. For example, he received roles in the films Gladiator, Jerry Maguire, Pearl Harbor, etc.
James Coburn, who played in such films as The Magnificent Seven, Golden Girl, Our Man Flint, and others, did an excellent job with his role.
He played the role of a local resident of Tolketna, a hunter and a dog-rider. In appearance, he created the impression of a stern man, but inside he was just a darling.
Actress Nichelle Nichols, who starred in several parts of Star Trek in Snowy Dogs, was the mother of Ted Brooks.
It seemed to the woman that her heroine looked like her own mother, so Nichel decided to achieve this role in any case.
And the girl at the bar Barb played Joanna Bakalso. By the way, according to the idea of the filmmakers, Barb was supposed to convey the spirit of the late mother of Ted.
Also, the Filipino actress is known for the films “Mysterious”, “Young Daddies” and “Crime Zone”.
Snow Dogs: Dog Actors
Dogs for filming were selected for a long time, it was very difficult to prepare them for this. They should not have been afraid of the large number of people and sounds that the technician makes on the set. It was necessary to collect several teams of different from each other. Therefore, sometimes it was necessary to ask animals from local residents. In total, about 90 dogs were recruited, and there were several times less dog handlers, so loud barking constantly came from the shooting site.
Some of the films “Snow Dogs” were dog-actors: Bakk, Koda Beer, DJ and Floyd - before that they had already taken part in the shooting of the film “White Captivity”. It described the life of animals that were left alone to winter in the Antarctic.
It is worth noting that the film received few positive reviews from critics, but its budget paid off with interest. About $ 33 million was spent on filming, and box office revenues amounted to $ 81 million. Thus, the project was successful.