"It's a gentle parable of interspecies love and loyalty and a very nice time if you don't mind a little Fido flatulence." Carrie Rickey PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER "Light and fast." Gary Thompson PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS "For adults, there's the yearning for the days of when your mutt was your best friend and the only one who understands you, and that's enough of a nostalgic reason to go see "Good Boy!"" Michael Szymanski ZAP2IT "A simple but perfectly satisfying little story about a boy who wants to keep his dog." Michael O'Sullivan WASHINGTON POST "A swell flick for kid." Kathy Cano Murillo ARIZONA REPUBLIC

"An affecting, hot-buttered slice of toasted E.T. with a smidgen of Benji thrown in just because." Wesley Morris BOSTON GLOBE "Liam Aiken is the heart of this movie; the fantastic voice casting and animal training is the machine. Both serve their purposes well." Karina Montgomery CINERINA "Surprisingly nimble and fun to watch." Ann Hornaday WASHINGTON POST "A likable family film." Kirk Honeycutt HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "A film which effectively capitalizes on the human heart's weakness for cute things." Daphne Gordon TORONTO STAR

At A Glance

"A family film which is sweet, sentimental, and full of doggie treats to please young and old alike." Michael Elliott MOVIE PARABLES

It's a vertirable feast of good stuff aimed, not only at the kids but at the oldies too, and it's all heading your way to a theatre near you. The latest arrival comes via the Dog Star Sirius in the shape of a lovable, intergalactic pooch named Hubble. Right from the first moment you know that this is going to be fun, and fun it is. The dogs are great fun to watch and the antics they get up to will have the little ones squealing with delight and eveyone else having a darn good laugh. The storyline has plenty of appeal and is sure to bring back many childhood memories for those parents who are smart enough to take in "Good Boy!" So where did they come up with this story of a dog from outer space who lands on Earth and finds a whole new way of life for canines? And what about that old saying "Never work with children or animals"? Entrusting this complex mix of kids and dogs to a first-time full-length feature director was the producers’ decision, and it was one they had no trouble making. "When we were working on the script," says Lisa Henson, "John kept acting out all the roles; the kids, the dogs, the adults. One day I just realized he should direct it." And, according to Kristine Belson, "John had an affinity for the material and a passion for the film that was infectious and impressive. He made the material come alive for us, and that’s exactly what we needed him to do for an audience. His energy and positive attitude just made him the best choice for the job." But director John Hoffman says there was more to it than that. "I was incredibly blessed," he said. "At the beginning everyone said I must be crazy, but it really wasn’t any more difficult than making any other film." And one of the reasons he feels the experience was so successful was the film’s star, Liam Aiken. "Liam is an amazing, talented and very professional young actor," he continues. "Everyone breathed a big sigh of relief when he came on board." Lisa and Kristine agree wholeheartedly. "Liam is just a wonderful actor," Lisa says. "He is so natural on camera, yet he is a complete professional about his work. When he has to play scenes with Hubble and the other dogs, you see the dailies and absolutely believe the dogs are talking to him. He’s listening, reacting, concentrating, that’s pretty hard, even for an adult who’s been acting for years!" Kristine admits it wasn't easy finding a star like Liam. "We looked a really long time to find Liam," she admits. "We found him rather late in the game and were blown away when we saw him. He is soulful; he’s got the most soulful face I have ever seen. He’s very experienced but he’s very natural, too. He is so professional he can get it right in very few takes even under the most difficult of circumstances, with trainers all shouting at the dogs and chaos all around." And let's not forget those great fourlegged performers! To find the right dogs John Hoffman used the same approach as he did when casting the two legged stars. "Whether man or animal, I cast for the character," says Hoffman, "I knew each character in the script backwards and forwards and I looked for performers who could give me the specific qualities I was looking for. In casting a dog to play Hubble, I knew I needed a middle-management type who underneath was a softy that just wants a hug. It sounds strange to put it in those terms, but when you look at hundreds of dogs, notice their characteristics and the subtle variations between them, those terms make perfect sense." So was it love at first sight when he found his "Hubble"? Hoffman says, "When I saw Flynn, I knew he was Hubble. That dog just had star quality." Initially Flynn’s owners were hesitant about letting him step into a movie star’s shoes, but their enjoyment of the script, Hoffman’s clear love of dogs, and his conviction that their dog was something special won them over. But there is more than one doggone star in "Good Boy!" as those who see the film soon discover. There's the lovable "Shep", the nervous "Nelly", the big bundle in white "Barbara Ann" and the silly willy "Wilson". Throw in "The Great Dane" [leader of all dogs in the galaxy] and her sidekick "The Henchman" and this is canine heaven. They are all just so much fun to watch. But someone was needed to train them and make sure they were on the set and knew their 'lines'. That job fell to Bonnie Judd. Bonnie, who's name was put forward by Line Producer Bill Bannerman turned out to be a great choice. But there was one thing she insisted on. "Judd is no stranger to working with animals, and once she came on board she was adamant she have a lot of time to train the dogs," Belson said. "They needed to be prepared specifically for the tasks and constraints of making "Good Boy!", so the dogs were in training months before anything else began." And how good are the doggies? "They were just amazing," Belson continued. "The dogs were so good at hitting their marks and following instructions, it was actually much easier than you’d think." I'm sure that you and your kids will agree too after seeing "Good Boy!". Casting About "Good Boy!" is the directorial debut for John Hoffman and stars, Liam Aiken ["The Object Of My Affection", "Stepmom", "The Road To Perdition" and "Sweet November"], Molly Shannon ["Happiness", "Superstar", "Serendipity" and "American Splendour"], Kevin Nealon ["Coneheads", "Happy Gilmour", "Kill The Man" and "The Master Of Disguise"], Brittany Moldowan ["Saving Silverman" and "Bones"], George Touliatos ["Only God Knows", "Prom Night", "The Final Cut" and "Double Jeopardy"], Patti Allan ["Bombs Away", "Dangerous Intentions", "Carpool" and "The Alley"]and Paul Vogt ["My Dark Lady", "The First Of May", "Five Wishes" and "Spanish Fly"].
"Good Boy!" features the voices of Matthew Broderick ["Biloxi Blues", "Godzilla", "Addicted To Love" and "Inspector Gadget"] as Hubble, Carl Reiner ["Gidget Goes Hawaiian", "Summer School", "Ocean's Eleven"] as Shep, Donald Faison ["Juice", "Clueless", "Josie and the Pussycats" and "Big Fat Liar"] as Wilson, Delta Burke ["Maternal Instincts", "Sordid Lives", "What Women Want" and "Hansel and Gretel"] as Barbara Ann, Brittany Murphy ["Clueless", "8 Mile", "Sidewalks of New York" and "Just Married"] as Nelly, Vanessa Redgrave ["Cradle Will Rock", "Girl Interrupted" and "The Pledge"] as The Great Dane and Cheech Marin ["Up In Smoke", "Tin Cup" and "Spy Kids I,II & III"] as The Henchman. The Story

"Good Boy! may not be a classic, but it is a solid, upbeat, funny movie." Sarah Chauncey REELCOM

12 year old Owen Baker has been working hard to save up the money to get a dog of his own. Working as the neighbourhood dog walker has finally paid off. Mum and Dad have decided he can finally realize his dream. They let Owen adopt a raggedy mutt he names Hubble. But both Owen and his pet Hubble are in for a few shocks. Owen discovers he can understand Hubble. Hubble, whose real name is Canid 3942 has been sent to earth from the Dog Star Sirius to check out the local dog population and to ensure they have fullfilled their mission of ruling the Earth. Imagine the shock when Hubble discovers all dogs are mans best friends but are pets. But the bad news doesn't end there. The Greater Dane, leader of all dogs is about to visit Earth and check on the locals himself. Owen and Hubble must combine forces to set things in order so that it looks like dogs are in charge. If they fail, all dogs will be removed from the planet. Will Owen and Hubble save the day? Find out in the family comedy "Good Boy!". The Verdict "Guaranteed to have the little ones squealing with delight and everyone else having a barrel of laughs as these delightful pooches win their way into everyones hearts. And the humans come up pretty good too. "Good Boy! may be short but there's plenty of value packed into those 87 minutes folks. "Good Boy! has a story which will appeal to people of all ages. Warning: Parents should avoid pet shops and animal shelters on the way home!! Rated "G" for 'Good' fun, 'Good' times and 'Good' value in the pre-xmas period. So sit..., stay...., be a good human.... and watch the doggie show.!" The Cast

Liam Aiken Molly Shannon Kevin Nealon Brittany Moldowan George Touliatos Patti Allan Hunter Elliott Mikhael Speidel Benjamin Ratner Peter Fleming Paul C Vogt Brenda M Crichlow D Harlan Cutshall Chaka White Nicola Anderson Ted Friend Susan Bain

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Owen Baker Mrs Baker Mr Baker Connie Flemming Mr Leone Ms Ryan Frankie Fred Wilson's Dad Wilson's Other Dad Bob the Dog Catcher Mrs Fleming Mr Fleming Woman at the Pound Woman at the Pound TV Anchorman House Bidder

The Crew Directed by John Hoffman Adapted from the story "Dogs from Outer Space" by Zeke Richardson Screen Story by Zeke Richardson & John Hoffman Screenplay by John Hoffman Original Music by Mark Mothersbaugh Cinematography by James Glennon Film Editing by Craig P Herring Casting by Deborah Aquila/Lynne Carrow & Tricia Wood Production Design by Jerry Wanek Art Direction by John Marcynuk Set Decoration by Penny A Chalmers Costume Design by Antonia Bardon Production Manager Suzanne Lore Run Time 87 minutes Rated G [AUST] Copyright ©2003 - MGM/UA - All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2003 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved