Owen Wilson Refuses to Apologise for His 3 Favorite Dog Movies | Sorry Not Sorry

Owen Wilson is an actor known equally well for his voice and on-screen work, and dogs seem to play a big part in his career.

A staple of comedy movies throughout the noughties, and one of Wes Anderson’s most featured actors (starring in seven of the director’s films), Owen Wilson is also the voice of Lightning McQueen in the Cars animated movies. Being able to traverse both worlds is a gift as most actors get stuck on one side or the other. One thing’s for sure, Owen Wilson definitely has a varied career.

WATCH: Owen Wilson Is PROUD of His 3 Favorite Dog Movies! - YouTube

While his filmography might be diverse, when it comes to films that he loves, there is one overriding feature - the inclusion of a dog. Speaking with JustWatch on the red carpet, the actor shared his top three favourite dog movies, all of which will make you cry.

All Of Owen Wilson’s Favourite Films Require Tissues

When asked what films are his guilty pleasures, Owen Wilson was quick to answer, “I love Old Yeller, and then Where the Red Fern Grows, and the movie Sounder. I’ve just rattled off three of them.” All three feature canine characters in prominent roles, and it is clear that the actor has a soft spot for these older family films. 

Although family movies in name, they are a far cry from today’s offerings, as each of Wilson’s selections come with a side order of heartbreak. Not a short instance of ‘happy tears’, or moment of peril that proves to be fine in the end, but rather all out emotional warfare. Old Yeller for example, is infamous for its ability to devastate all that watch it. Released by Disney in 1957, Old Yeller is based on Fred Gipson’s book of the same name. Set in the 1860’s, the story follows a stray dog, Old Yeller, as he befriends a Texan frontier family. After spending much of the film helping protect the family from danger, Old Yeller tragically becomes ill, and his end is brutal. 

Wilson’s second pick, Where the Red Fern Grows, is even more gut-wrenching, with not one, but two, pooches crossing the rainbow bridge. The first is savaged by a cougar, and the second essentially starves itself to death due to grief. It’s harrowing stuff, but the whole film is based around a young boy and his grandad hunting raccoons, so this film is packed with animal death and is best given a wide berth by those that love either creature. 

The actor’s final selection, Sounder, is fractionally cheerier, with the title dog at least making it to the end credits, but even he finds himself the victim of an attack. The story charts the plight of an African-American family during the 1930s as they face poverty and racial injustice, honing in on the coming-of-age adventure of the family’s son and his canine best friend. 

Having tissues to hand is vital should you decide to dip into any of Owen Wilson’s favourite dog movies. Each film is a classic example of a tearjerker, but as sad as they all are, they do teach important life lessons. No one wants to deal with the death of a pet, and explaining such an event to children is excruciatingly hard; films such as Old Yeller, and Where the Red Fern Grows enable the young to process the concept from a slightly safer environment. 

For Wilson this trio is brilliant and he couldn’t imagine anyone having a problem with his choices. “I don’t know why I would ever have to apologise for loving a dog movie,” he concluded during our interview. The truth is there is nothing wrong with enjoying a dog movie, but these selections will batter emotions and viewing should be entered into with the knowledge that by their end, you will be an emotional wreck.

The Three Dog Movies That Feature Owen Wilson And Where To Watch Them

Owen Wilson’s love of dog movies has definitely had an impact on his career, with the actor himself having appeared in three of them to date. Thankfully they are not all as devastating as his own personal viewing preferences, although Marley & Me is a modern variation on the films Wilson grew up watching. Starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Anniston, Marley & Me follows the long-life of a Labrador called Marley. Although the dog has a long life and is loved throughout, this does not take the sting out of the final moments of the film. Marley & Me becomes so sad, that some can’t even make it through the film’s trailer without shedding a tear or two. 

Thankfully, the other two dog films featuring Owen Wilson have less of an effect on the tear ducts and more on the funny bone. For both Marmaduke and this year’s Charlie the Wonderdog, Wilson provides the voice of the title canines. 

Marmaduke, based on the popular cartoon series, finds the great dane relocating to Orange County, California and having to navigate the process of finding his place in the hierarchy there. Charlie the Wonderdog is an original story, but one that follows the predictable beats of the super hero movie as it tells the origins of Charlie and how he becomes Wonderdog. Both of these films are fine to put little ones in front of, and with the exception of the occasional fart joke, or light moment of peril, there is nothing likely to cause too many emotional scars in the years to come.