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'Cats & Dogs' and Pigs and Whales: Our Favorite Movies About Pets
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Family, Sequels
Tomorrow, "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore" hits AMC theatres in both standard and in 3D. In honor of this pet-fueled sequel -- which features voices from Chris O'Donnell, Bette Midler and Christina Applegate -- we decided to count down five of our favorite movies about pets!
The animal film genre is pretty vast -- especially when you add animated films into the mix -- so we decided to focus just on some of our live-action favorites. As much as we love cats and dogs -- we also tried to branch out into some slightly more exotic pet films too.
Let us know your favorite pet films in the comments!
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Disney's "Old Yeller" is the quintessential pet film/tear-jerker that still stands-up more than fifty years after its release. You might not have dry eyes at the end, but what a great story and a great representation of what it is to own and love a pet.
Who can resist the lovable stray dog Benji in the 1974 film of the same name? Benji might have different names -- depending on who is feeding him -- but he's also got plenty of love. If any little dog could help save two kidnapped children, it's this one!
OK, so Willy's not really a pet in the traditional sense -- and freeing him from his man-made tank is actually kind of the goal -- but still, the killer whale who forms a bond with a foster kid in 1993's "Free Willy" still counts as a pet by us.
After the release of the film, the "real" release of the whale -- Keiko -- was attempted, spurred by the studio and animal rights supporters. Sadly, that attempt may have been misguided as the whale never was able to successfully integrate himself into another pod and he was cared for by trainers and marine biologists until his death at age 27 in 2003.
Still, the message of the film -- and the attention that the film brought to the issues surrounding whale hunting makes the film a winner.
When the Australian film "Babe" was released in 1995, who thought it would actually end up getting nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture? But the lovable tale of a pig who thinks he's a dog charmed audiences and even members of the Academy.
The voice acting and animatronic work of the film (animatronics were combined with real pigs to make Babe on screen) still charms our hearts fifteen years later.
That'll do pig, that'll do.
First, a warning -- you won't get through "Marley & Me" without a big box of tissues handy. However, it's all worth it in this lovable, heartfelt family film based on the best-selling book of the same name.
Of all the films that have tried to capture the human elements of pet ownership and the impact that animals can have on our daily lives, I think "Marley & Me" stands-out as one of the most true representations of everything involved. If you've ever owned a pet, watch "Marley & Me."
What are some of your favorite movies about pets? Let us know in the comments! And don't forget to get your tickets to see "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore" in standard and in 3D! You can learn more about "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore" at the official website , which has games, clips, photos and more!
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