Director Charles Martin Smith Shares Insights into the Making of A Dog's Way Home Movie

Arden Moore on Pet Life Radio

Tune in as you learn the tale of one dedicated dog named Bella who travels more than 400 miles to be reunited with her favorite person, Lucas in this wonderful movie directed by the very talented Charles Martin Smith. The movie stars Ashley Judd, Edward James Olmos and Jonah Hauer-King into addition to Bella, a mixed breed portrayed by not one but two real-life animal shelter rescues. Smith also shares how he evolved from acting roles in such classics as American Graffiti and The Untouchables to being the go-to-director for all movies on dolphins and dogs. 


BIO:


CHARLES MARTIN SMITH (Director) is a veteran filmmaker and actor with a broad range of credits on both sides of the camera. He first came to prominence as one of the young stars of George Lucas’ “American Graffiti” (1973).  He has starred in many other films including Sam Peckinpah’s “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid”, “The Buddy Holly Story”, “Starman”, and Brian DePalma’s “The Untouchables”, as well as many other films, television films and mini-series. Smith earned tremendous praise for his portrayal of the late Farley Mowat, the real-life researcher who braved Canada’s frozen tundra to study wolves, in Carroll Ballard’s 1983 dramatic adventure “Never Cry Wolf.”

As a director, he previously directed the 2011 Warner Brothers #1 box office hit “Dolphin Tale,” starring Harry Connick, Jr., Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman.  He returned to write and direct the sequel “Dolphin Tale 2” in 2014.  Both films were based on the true story of Winter, a rescued dolphin whose life was saved by the use of a prosthetic tale.  The films have gone on to gross $150 million around the world.  “Dolphin Tale” earned a Genesis Award nomination from the Humane Society of the United States. 

He earlier directed and wrote the historical drama “Stone of Destiny,” for which he won the Best Director Award at the 2009 Palm Beach International Film Festival. The film was chosen to be the Closing Night Gala at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival, and went on to earn BAFTA Scotland Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay.

Previously, in 1997, he directed the Disney classic film “Air Bud” and followed that by writing and directing “The Snow Walker” for Lion’s Gate (2003), starring Barry Pepper and James Cromwell, which garnered nominations for 9 Genie Awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.  He also directed and co-starred in “Fifty/Fifty” and the 1986 satirical horror cult favorite, “Trick or Treat.”

In addition to feature films, Smith has also helmed a number of television projects, including the two-hour inaugural episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” which launched the hit series; multiple episodes of the Canadian series “Da Vinci’s Inquest,” in which he also had a regular role; and the Hallmark telefilms “Icon” and “Roughing It.”  He also wrote and executive produced the telefilm “The Clinic.”

On television, Smith has appeared on dozens of series over the past 40 years, including “Psych,” “Fringe,” “Leverage,” “Drive,” “Law & Order: SVU” and “Ally McBeal.”  He has also been seen in such longform projects as “Still Small Voices,” “The Triangle,” “The Apartment Complex,” “P.T. Barnum,” “The Beast,” “Streets of Laredo,” “And the Band Played On,” and “Roswell,” among many others.  He lives in Los Angeles and Vancouver, Canada.