Williams: Dogs -- the new comfort food

Dogs — the new comfort food

We saw a lot of exotic animals at the box office this past year. The “Dark Knight” and “Twilight” brought us bats and werewolves, “Kung Fu Panda” brought pandas to life, and “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” showed us lions, hippos and zebras trying to find their way home. But the animal of choice in Hollywood these days seems to be canis lupus familiaris, most commonly known as the domesticated dog. Canines have not only been gracing the screen, but have been outshining and upstaging their human counterparts.

CBS’ Greatest American Dog started the ball rolling last summer. The premiere of the very first primetime, network television show featuring dogs as central characters attracted more than 10 million viewers. As part of the cast along with my dog Andrew, I can say firsthand that filming a reality television show with dogs is a huge undertaking and undoubtedly was much more than the producers and CBS bargained for. Don’t be surprised if you don’t see another one any time soon. There are a lot of kinks that need to be worked out. However on the silver screen, dogs, both real and animated, seem to be much more manageable. Take “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” for example. This live action family film about a pampered L.A. pooch dognapped and taken to Mexico received Disney’s largest ever October opening, grossing $29 million in its debut weekend, and $94 million total. There’s already talk of a sequel.

Next came “Bolt,” an animated film featuring the voices of John Travolta and Miley Cyrus about a canine action star. It grossed 27 million its first weekend and $112 million to date. Naturally animated dogs are easy actors. You don’t have to take time teaching them tricks, they don’t have to be fed, watered or taken out to potty. And best of all, you won’t have the America Humane Society looking over your shoulder. Most recently we have “Marley and Me,” the film adaptation of John Grogan’s best selling book about his rambunctious Labrador Retriever. Released on Christmas day, M&M stayed in the number one spot for two weeks, has grossed $124 million, and still remains in the top four. Not only has the movie done well, but it has kicked the paperback version of the book into first on the New York Times bestseller list for paperback nonfiction.

Coming up this weekend is the release of the much anticipated “Hotel For Dogs.” Starring Hollywood heavy hitters Don Cheadle, Lisa Kudrow and Kevin Dillon, this light-hearted story about a couple of kids who convert a vacant house into an oasis for homeless dogs is bound to be a hit. There’s already merchandise being sold at F.A.O Schwartz in Manhattan, Macy’s and toy replicas of the dogs in McDonald’s Happy Meals. There’s even a little Indie film called “Wendy and Lucy” garnering a lot of buzz lately. This buddy pic stars Michelle Williams as a young woman traveling with her dog encountering bad luck along the way. It’s already been nominated for several Independent Film awards.

However the one I’m most anxious to see is “Hachiko: A Dog’s Story.” Not scheduled for release until much later this year, this heartwarming true story is an adaptation of a Japanese tale of a loyal Akita named Hachiko. He accompanies his owner to the train station daily and returns to greet him every evening after work. On one ill-fated day, Hachiko’s owner passes away while at work and never returns to the station, however for the next nine years Hachiko faithfully continues to return to the station to wait for him. Richard Gere stars as a professor who becomes Hachiko’s caretaker. Still today a bronze statue of Hachiko stands outside Shibuya station in Japan to honor this dog’s devotion, commitment and love. Yes, this is definitely a must-see.

So why has Hollywood gone to the dogs? Some psychologists say we can blame it on the economy. In times of economic strife, people tend to stay away from heavy films on dark subjects. We are attracted to entertainment that makes us smile and feel good. We want frivolous diversions and warm fuzzies. Canine-related films are just what the doctor ordered during recession-laden times, true chicken soup for soul. In other words, dogs are the new comfort food.

Stafford resident Laurie C. Williams is a certified pet dog trainer and local business owner. She appeared on the television reality show “Greatest American Dog” with her Maltese, Andrew. Reach her at onesmartpooch@aol.com.