Translated Title: Firehouse Dog / There's Also a Fire Dog in My House
Movie Title: Firehouse Dog
Year: 2007
Country: United States/Canada
Category: Action/Comedy/Family
Language: English
Subtitles: Chinese
Running Time: 111 Min
Director: Todd Holland
Cast: Josh Hutcherson as Shane Fahey
Bruce Greenwood as Connor Fahey
Bill Nunn as Joe Musto
Steven Culp as Zachary Hayden
Dash Mihok as Trey Falcon
Bree Turner as Liz Knowles
Introduction:
Plot:
Rex is the leading star of Hollywood, with athletic abilities comparable to extreme athletes and an elegant charm on stage that makes him a new idol of the new era. Rex's lifestyle meets the standards of top movie celebrities, including Kobe beef jerky, a lion dog girlfriend, and a collar studded with diamonds... Oh, I forgot to mention, Rex is a dog.
However, life is not always smooth sailing, even for a star dog in Hollywood who gets whatever it wants. Rex's good luck soon runs out when he was performing a mid-air stunt for a commercial advertisement, but an accident occurred... Rex's owner and everyone else thought he was dead, but actually, he was lost in an unfamiliar city, lonely, his fur dirty and matted, and being chased by an animal shelter. Rex had to hide in a dirty and cold attic, reminiscing about his previous luxurious life in his dreams.
Shane Fay is a very smart but somewhat rebellious 12-year-old boy from a single-parent family. The greatest joy in his life seems to be finding ways to irritate his father, Conner. Conner is the captain of the "Dalmatian" fire station, and his busy work inevitably leads him to neglect his son's life, but he has no choice because his subordinates are all incompetent colleagues, including the experienced firefighter cook Joe Masto, the stubborn and nagging Pepita Clemente, the weary houseman Lionel Bradford, and the newcomer Terence Kang whose days in the industry can be counted on one hand... This poorly functioning team is experiencing immense grief due to the death of their former captain - Conner's brother, which also troubles Shane, so he can only escape this unavoidable blow in life by skipping school.
Conner is extremely troubled by his mischievous son, just as he plans to teach Shane a lesson, the fire alarm rings, citizens report seeing flames coming from an attic - coincidentally where Rex was hiding. Rex was trapped in the fire, making a desperate leap and finally successfully escaping death, being saved by Conner. When they safely return to the fire station, Conner orders his son Shane to find the owner of this "mongrel dog"...
Since they don't know Rex's true identity, Shane reluctantly takes temporary ownership of him. The showy, unruly, and overly picky Rex quickly clashes with the moody Shane, escalating tensions between the two... However, when Shane discovers Rex's extraordinary talents, his attitude towards him gradually changes. The firefighters also benefit greatly from Rex's help, making him the mascot of the fire station. Rex's arrival not only boosts the morale of the firefighters but also finds a turning point for Shane and Conner to restore their normal father-son relationship - he has become a firefighting star in this city, but his fame draws Hollywood's attention again, and Rex's original owner hopes he will return. At this point, Shane and Conner are facing a major challenge they couldn't imagine, and they need Rex. So, what will our little hero Rex do?
Behind the Scenes:
[Dog Movies in the Year of the Pig]
Unexpectedly, after the Year of the Dog, Hollywood has sparked a craze for dog movies, like this "Firehouse Dog", which was a task given to screenwriter Claire-Dee Lim by the film company. So she gathered two of her former classmates at the University of California, Mike Werb and Michael Colleary, forming a screenwriting team dedicated to "dog movies". For Werb and Colleary, Lim's idea not only allowed them to relax and make a comedy filled with family warmth but also gave them the opportunity to study how dogs, as movie protagonists, could mix reality and fantasy. As Werb said: "In many Hollywood films, dogs have very prominent images. Their roles on the big screen are so loved by audiences, creating several classic film works. However, the stunt dogs that perform tricks in Hollywood are not as popular as they appear on the big screen. Stunt dogs have many strict rules, they are more like workers than pets to us. Stunt dogs cannot be touched or seen by anyone other than their owners. The story told in 'Firehouse Dog' revolves around such a stunt dog."
Mike Werb specially invited his colleague and friend Todd Holland to direct the film, saying: "I agreed to direct the film entirely because of my love for dogs. I respect everything they do for humans. I also have a dog named Rosebud, from whom I learned how to love and how to live better."
Mike Werb and Michael Colleary tried to make the protagonist Rex not just serve human stories or just solve problems or act cute. Werb said: "We hope Rex can have strong emotional fluctuations like humans, distinct personalities, and possess any of the bad habits of superstars, acting styles somewhat operatic. It's indeed a bit difficult to achieve this because it is, after all, a dog that cannot speak."
Even though this is a family comedy aimed mainly at teenagers, the three screenwriters still hope to incorporate some adult perspectives into it. Michael Colleary believes: "I hope not only children laugh watching the movie, but adults can also enjoy it. The movie subtly satirizes some unwritten rules in today's Hollywood, implying that people lose their normal judgment ability as long as stars are involved - this is known as the 'star effect'."
Claire-Dee Lim added: "This is a movie suitable for everyone to watch. Under the premise of action comedy, warm sentiment is an indispensable seasoning."
[About Dogs]
A large portion of the casting time was spent searching for the right dog to play Rex. Because they needed a dog that is agile, flexible, with superior motor nerves, and small enough to easily hide in a drum-shaped barrel... but not too small, otherwise it wouldn't have the strength to fight villains in the movie. It couldn't be a star dog like Benji ("Benji: Escape to Safety!") or Lassie ("Lassie"), because it needs to balance realism and fantasy in the story. Michael Colleary said: "Simply put, you can imagine Rex as the smartest and most energetic creature in the world, then give it the appearance of a dog."
Before starting to select dogs, they read a lot of books about dog behavior, effectively helping them exclude breeds unsuitable for the story. Then, they met many dogs and their owners together, ultimately choosing four Irish terriers with similar builds and coat colors to collectively portray Rex, completing all filming under the guidance of dog trainer Ursula Brauner. Brauner comes from Hollywood's best Boone Animal School: "Although I've assisted in the filming of many dog-related movies, working with 'Rex' was a very unique experience. You can say this movie fully showcases the characteristics of a dog. On set, there were four dogs named Strider, Frodo, Arwen, and Legolas, sharing various stunts and stunt work. We specifically selected them for this movie, it was their first appearance on the big screen, so a lot of things had to be taught from scratch." Since Rex is a "normal" dog, it doesn't talk and must express itself through actions or body language, of course, with the support of computer digital technology.
The lively, brave, and friendly four Irish terriers quickly won the affection of all actors and staff on set. In Ursula Brauner's view, dogs are humans' most loyal friends: "Working with dogs, the most important thing is to trust them from the bottom of your heart. Of course, you also need to control them to prevent them from doing foolish things. During filming, dogs may encounter many unique situations, including gunfire, bells, bright lights, and cameras, at which point they will instinctively rely on familiar people around them. If they can feel your trust and establish good emotional communication with you, they will ignore some sudden situations around them and won't be so easily startled."
In comparison, finding a young actor to play Shane was much easier. Right after the filming of "Little Manhattan" ended, someone suggested director Todd Holland take a look at Josh Hutcherson's performance, and after only five minutes, Holland instinctively felt: "He's Shane." Subsequently, Holland spent a whole day with Hutcherson and his mother Michelle at the shooting site of "R.V.", a family comedy co-produced by Hutcherson and Robin Williams... Holland expressed: "After detailed discussions, I finally confirmed that Hutcherson is the best person for Shane. Unexpectedly, during filming, his performance even surpassed my expectations. I've worked with many famous child stars, and Hutcherson is the best among them. He's smart and hardworking, like a shining little sun on set."
Although Josh Hutcherson loves small animals and has a pet dog himself, working with four dogs simultaneously still required an adjustment process. Regarding this, Ursula Brauner was very satisfied with Hutcherson's performance: "In the movie, Hutcherson bears the greatest acting pressure because he interacts with the dogs the most, needing to adapt to the completely different temperaments of four dogs, requiring him to exhibit more patience and tolerance than adults." Hutcherson himself also said: "Acting with dogs is indeed very fun, but also quite tiring. Like in one scene, I'm crying, then Rex walks in and sits next to me... I hear the coach repeatedly saying 'sit, sit, sit' outside the camera, during which I have to improvise something to deal with this awkward situation. For me, having so many voices affecting me makes it harder to get into character, but the dogs and coaches in the movie are really great, they are so well-trained, although there are some minor impacts during filming, they don't constitute..."