Animal lovers enjoy this film narrated from a dog’s perspective for their simplicity, the emotions conveyed and, of course, the beautiful story. All the love that these animals have for their human friends can be felt in every minute of the movie The Art of Racing in the Rain, so viewers can notice that it was made with a lot of respect and affection for the animal world.
This type of film is one that leaves a mark, of those stories that remain in the audience’s mind for days, weeks or years, because of all the messages of overcoming and beautiful feelings shown. Besides, the story does not end in the almost two hours of film, there are many facts surrounding the film that make it even more special. Here are 10 things everyone needs to know about The Art of Racing in the Rain.
It’s based on a book
The Art of Racing in the Rain is a film adaptation of the bestseller of the same name by Garth Stein. Readers have very good reviews for the book, mostly for it being entertaining and letting readers embark on a literary journey where they can cry and laugh freely.
The moving story is perfectly understood by everyone who has had a dog in their family, so both the book and the movie are ideal for anyone who wants to enjoy life. Also, it’s a wonderful story where a dog can offer a great lesson of humanity and deliver good moments of pure happiness.
Patrick Dempsey Was The Movie’s Original Star
Patrick Dempsey almost starred in this film when Universal bought the rights to the book in 2009. The project could not be realized at that time so for that reason, the actor who’s best known for portraying Derek Shepherd (aka McDreamy) in Grey’s Anatomy had to pass on the role.
Dempsey didn’t stray away completely, however, as he remained as a producer for what would become the final film. Additionally, The Art of Racing in the Rain was almost made in 2016 when Disney tried to restart the project.
Enzo Is Kevin Costner’s Voice Acting Debut
Enzo the dog is voiced Kevin Costner, who for the first time in his career used his voice to bring an animal to life in a film. This means that this is the Academy Award winning actor’s debut as a voice talent.
The dog is (undoubtedly) absolutely adorable and an excellent actor, achieving expressions that were captured by the camera and that allowed the viewer to emerge in the film.
Pro Racers Drove For The Racing Scenes
Denny Swift, played by Milo Ventimiglia, is a professional racer, so it goes without saying that movie is jampacked with cars, races, and lots of driving. To keep everything under control and give more realism to the actions with the vehicles, the production hired professional drivers.
The races were brought to life in the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park with the help of FIA World Rallycross veteran Tanner Foust and NASCAR star Justin Marks. In this way, the safety of the team was also guaranteed.
The 1957 Ferrari 250 Is Just A Replica
In addition to the professionals who helped to make the scenes on the circuit, shots were taken of Milo Ventimiglia on a stationary airbag suspension platform with blue screens.
Another important fact in the film is about the car where Denny takes Enzo for one last ride. The filming was done with a replica of the 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, not the real thing. There are only 33 original cars of this model in the world and its value is close to 40 million dollars.
Enzo Was Based On A Real Dog
The film is not based on real events, but it has some fundamental aspects in actual details. For example, there is a Mongolian legend that believes that humans and dogs have similar souls. This means that, according to this belief, Enzo would be close to his dream of reincarnation as a human.
There are other aspects that come from real life, like Enzo being based on a dog that the book’s writer had as a child. The author of the bestseller also used his experience as a race car driver.
Amanda Seyfried Really Loves Dogs
Amanda Seyfried played a character who is not a dog lover in the beginning, which she says when she sees Denny and Enzo together for the first time. This was a difficult place for Seyfried to place herself in because in her reality, animals are an important part of her life. This can be seen on her social media sites, where she is always posting pictures of her dog.
In videos at the film’s presentation, it was pretty clear that Seyfried couldn’t stop petting and taking pictures with Parker the dog and she even talked about her four-legged colleague with a lot of love. As an anecdote, the actress had a Golden Retriever (Finn) for many years, so she knows the behavior of the breed by heart.
Enzo Was Portrayed By Many Dogs
Most of the film was filmed with the help of Parker, but as the story goes through a long period of the protagonists’ lives, several dogs were needed to play the role of Enzo. During the filming, there were the auxiliary dogs Orbit and Solar, as well as more than ten puppies, to help show Enzo age through the years.
For the young Enzo and the adult Enzo, production brought in the 2-year-old Parker and 9-year-old Butler. According to Milo Ventimiglia, Parker is more relaxed, sweet and even has a Zen soul. Meanwhile, Butler exuded great energy in the set so despite being old in dog years, he was quite active.
The Dogs’ Training Was Very Fun
Milo Ventimiglia cooperated with the trainers and the dogs to deliver believable and emotional scenes. The work was not very challenging, because dogs are instinctive and capture emotions. So to achieve this, the actor tried to have good communication between those involved.
While they were working on the set, Ventimiglia was the only person authorized, besides the trainers, to play with and pet the dogs. With this method, they achieved the familiarity between Enzo and Denny that it is possible to see on screen. To make the film, rehearsals were carried out to place the dogs with their colleagues in the scene. Production also guaranteed the safety, rest and fun necessary for the dogs to be comfortable and to work efficiently.
Milo Ventimiglia Had A Strong Bond With Parker
Milo Ventimiglia shared time with the dogs outside the set to create a bond with his four-legged co-stars so that they could give a more convincing performance. He offered them all petting and playtime but with Parker in particular, he created a unique friendship. Their bond was so tight that the actor wanted to take him home, but the cute dog already had a family.
Ventimiglia built a relationship with Parker that he feels will be a part of him for the rest of his life. The two were so close during filming that the trainer was concerned about the dog’s possible stress in a particularly emotional scene, because the actor dog perceived the character’s feelings. In addition, Parker didn’t need to take bribes to get many of the scenes because of the natural bond they already shared.