Snow Dogs

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Snow Dogs

Snow Dogs promotional poster
Directed by Brian Levant
Produced by Casey Grant
Jordan Kerner
Written by Gary Paulsen (book) (screenplay) Jim Kouf, Tommy Swerdlow & Michael Goldberg, Mark Gibson & Philip Halprin
Starring Cuba Gooding Jr.
James Coburn
Nichelle Nichols
Joanna Bacalso
Sisqo
Music by John Debney
Cinematography Thomas E. Ackerman
Editing by Roger Bondelli
Distributed by Buena Vista
Release date(s) January 18, 2002 (USA)
Running time 99 min.
Language English
Budget $33,000,000
Followed by Snow Buddies
IMDb profile

Snow Dogs is a 2002 live-action movie, released in the USA on January 18, 2002 by Walt Disney Pictures and directed by Brian Levant. It stars Cuba Gooding, Jr. Snow Dogs was suggested by the book "Winterdance - The fine madness of running the Iditarod" by Gary Paulsen.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Theodore "Ted" Brooks (Cuba Gooding Jr.), a renowned dentist of Miami, Florida, who is advertising on every bus in Miami, travels to the wilds of Alaska to claim his inheritance left by his late mother - seven Siberian Huskies and a border collie - and discovers his roots. Totally out of his element, he has to face challenges he has never dreamed of: blizzards, thin ice, an intimidating, crusty old mountain man called Thunder Jack (played by James Coburn in one of his final roles),and the aggressive, defiant lead dog, Demon. All of this happens with the buzzing excitement of the Arctic Challenge Sled Dog Race which is only two weeks away.

During his stay in Tolketna, Brooks tries to find the reason he was given up for adoption, including any information about his father. Ted meets a barmaid named Barb who was a friend of his late birth mother Lucy. She falls in love with him during the course of the movie. He continues to encounter Thunder Jack, who wants all of his late mother's sled dogs, especially Demon. Thunder Jack is Ted's real father. Brooks eventually feels that the truth is worth the dogs themselves, and trades them to Thunder Jack. Jack tells Ted that he and Lucy stayed in a cave during one of the Arctic Challenges. It is there that Ted was conceived. Lucy leaves after the race and gives Ted up for adoption.

With Demon, Thunder Jack takes part in the Arctic Challenge Race but is unable to finish it because of a storm. Meanwhile Brooks, who has returned home to Miami is learning that his personal journey isn't yet finished. Infuriated by evidence found proving Thunder Jack was at the hospital when he was born, Brooks returns to Alaska looking for answers. When he learns of the missing musher and his team, he feels that this may be the opportunity to save a man, and perhaps find truth once and for all.

Brooks sets out to rescue the man who lied to him, with Nana as the lead dog. He finds Jack in the old cave. Ted finds out the reason for Demom's bad temper is the pain caused by a bad tooth. He pulls it out and Demon becomes a friendly dog. During the journy back, the sled nearly goes over a cliff into a river but the dogs pull it back up. Ted brings his father across the fininsh line.

Ted and Barb get married and Nana and Demon have four puppies. Now having grown to love the region, Brooks moves his practice to it with his wife, who is pregnant at the end of the film, as his partner.

The movie ends with Ted's cousin Rupert becoming the new famous Miami dentist with his face on every bus.

[edit] Cameos

Also appearing in the $33 million budget film are Star Trek's Nichelle Nichols as the mother of Ted Brooks and R&B singer Sisqó as his cousin. There is also a brief sequence with singer-songwriter Michael Bolton. Christopher Judge of Stargate SG1 fame also appears as Ted Brooks' father at the start of the movie.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Human roles

[edit] Dogs

  • Fly as Nana
  • D.J. as Demon
  • Floyd as Mac
  • Speedy as Scooper
  • Shadow as Diesel
  • Buck as Sniff
  • Koda as Yodel
  • Gloria as Dutchess

D.J., Koda, and Floyd also starred in Eight Below.

[edit] Production

Most scenes were filmed in Canmore, Alberta. The City of Tolketna, Alaska which is the main place in the film, is only an invented place for the movie.

Many of the dogs and mushers used in the film were locals. Two of the hero team doubles and all of Olivier's team were supplied by Nakitsilik Siberians of Bridge Lake, BC. Mountain Mushers' from Golden BC supplied the Thunder Jack team. Old Ernie's team was supplied by Russ Gregory from Calgary, Alberta. Arcticsun Siberian Husky Kennel from Edmonton, Alberta was one of many kennels - including Czyz, Snowy Owl, Gatt racing and others - from the area that supplied background for the film. Two of the dogs came from Kortar Kennels, in Ontario. Demon came from Lac la hache, B.C.

[edit] Awards

John Debney won the ASCAP Award in 2003 for the soundtrack of "Snow Dogs".

[edit] Trivia

  • The tagline of the movie is "Get ready for mush hour!".
  • Demon bears a strong resembalence to Steele, the big, black and white, bad tempered Alaskan Malamute that appeared in the animated film, Balto.
  • This is one of the last movies starring James Coburn
  • Ted flys with WestJet to Anchorage
  • When Ted, Jack and the dogs leave the ice cave, you can see that Demon was on the left side of Nana, in front of Diesel, then somewhere in between those scenes, Demon magically appears in front of Mack, on the other side of Nana. He holds that position for the rest of the movie.
  • At another point in the film, Ted yells "No more slump, boys! It's milk bones for everyone!", but both Dutchess and Nana are females.
  • Yodel can be distinguished from Sniff because Yodel has blue eyes.
  • Mack has blue eyes, while Diesel has a brown eye and a blue eye.
  • Yodel and Sniff are the real dogs, Dutchess and Scooper are the swing dogs and Mack and Diesel are the point dogs. Demon is the lead dog, but Nana filled the position while he was gone.
  • Yodel, Dutchess and Mack are on the right side, while Sniff, Scooper and Diesel are on the left side.
  • Demon Jr. is a Husky. His parents Demon and Nana are a Husky and a Border Collie. It is impossible for Demon Jr.’s parents not to have a mixed breed puppy.
  • Notice that the dogs are halfway down the trail when they were pulling the sled up. When the camera zooms into Demon when he's walking, it appears that he is just starting to pull the dogs along.
  • When Demon has his head low, you can hear him growl.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[1] mushing consulting, doubles & character teams were supplied by Nakitsilik Outdoors Adventures

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