The newest film in the Nicholas Sparks book-to-movie oeuvre, The Lucky One, illustrates the impact that animals, found objects, and inexplicable romance can have on a person’s life. The movie follows U.S. Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault, played by High School Musical hottie, Zac Efron, as he returns home from his third tour in Iraq with a photo of a woman he’s never met – the good luck charm that kept him alive.
Thibault traces the mysterious photograph to a woman named Beth (Taylor Schilling), who works at a family-run kennel in North Carolina. In spite of complications with her family and livelihood, and her initial mistrust of the young Marine who’s come to find her, a romance that goes beyond puppy love begins to bloom!
Efron, who grew up with dogs, loved the energy his canine co-stars and their caretaker brought to the production. He commented, “They were such a presence on set,” he says, “These were the most highly trained dogs you’ve ever seen in the world.
Acclaimed actress and activist Blythe Danner, who plays Beth’s mother Ellie Green in the movie, agrees. “They were absolutely perfect, just great… The dogs have to do exactly what they did before so you can improvise with them. I adored the dog.”
Animals were such an important presence on set that the actors even took to comparing one another to different dog breeds.”Zac Efron would be a Lab, and so would the character he plays in the film! They’re both faithful, and get through things in a stoic way,” Danner says, ” just like a true heart-throb!”
As the owner of a kennel, Danner’s character has to interact with animals a lot, so it’s a good thing the actress is a true animal-lover. She cares so deeply for pets that, following the loss of her husband to cancer almost a decade ago, she refuses to get another pet until her career slows down enough to allow her ample time to pet-parent.
Danner elaborates, “It’s too hard to take care of a dog the way I’ve been traveling. I think once I calm down and I’m not moving around so much I really will concentrate on getting a dog, cause I wanna do it right. I don’t want to abandon the dog or have to give it to somebody while I run off here or there. I really wanna be with the dog.”
When she is able to adopt again, the actress hopes to adopt a Havanese or Havanese mix. Like all good potential pet-parents, Danner has done her homework: “I’ve done a lot of research; I’ve been looking for a little dog with a big dog personality, and I’ve met a few Havanese that I’ve adored.” Danner also spends time with daughter Gwyneth Paltrow’s Maltese, Daffodil. If she’s too bust to be a pet-parent herself, being a pet grand-parent is the next best thing!
In addition to being an animal-lover, Danner is also a passionate activist. After losing her husband, Bruce, to cancer, she started The Bruce Paltrow Fund at www.oralcancerfoundation.org, which caters especially to women and minorities. She is also a member of the Moms Clean Air Force, is on the Board of Environmental Advocates of New York, the Board of Directors of the Environmental Media Association, and the recipient of the 2002 EMA Board of Directors Ongoing Commitment Award.
Be sure to see Blythe, Zac, Taylor, and their canine co-stars in Nicholas Spark’s The Lucky One, in theaters April 20th!
For the Best that Pet Lifestyle and Animal Welfare has to offer follow Wendy and Lucky Diamond on Facebook, Twitter, and right here at AnimalFair.com!
Originally published on Animal Fair, April 2012.
