Megan Leavey (film)

Last updated
Megan Leavey
MeganLeaveyPoster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Written by
Produced by
  • Mickey Liddell
  • Jennifer Monroe
  • Pete Shilaimon
Starring
Cinematography Lorenzo Senatore
Edited by Peter McNulty
Music by Mark Isham
Production
company
Distributed by Bleecker Street
Release dates
  • June 5, 2017 (2017-06-05)(Yankee Stadium)
  • June 9, 2017 (2017-06-09)(United States)
Running time
116 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$14.5 million [2]

Megan Leavey (also known as Rex) [3] is a 2017 American biographical drama film directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite and written by Pamela Gray, Annie Mumolo, and Tim Lovestedt, based on the true events about a young Marine named Megan Leavey and a combat dog named Rex. The film stars Kate Mara as the titular character, with Edie Falco, Common, Ramón Rodríguez, and Tom Felton in supporting roles.

Contents

The film was released on June 9, 2017, by Bleecker Street, received positive reviews and grossed $14 million.

Plot

Megan Leavey is a US Marine corporal who served as a Military Police K9 handler. She was paired with military working dog Rex (E168). The pair served two deployments in Iraq together. They were first deployed to Fallujah in 2005, and then to Ramadi in 2006, where they were both wounded by an improvised explosive device. Leavey was awarded the Purple Heart and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with a "V" device denoting heroism in combat.

In 2012, Rex developed facial palsy, which ended his bomb-sniffing duties. Leavey was able to adopt him through the intervention of Senator Chuck Schumer, around April 2012. Rex died on December 22, 2012. [4]

Cast

The real Megan Leavey is credited in the role of Female Drill Instructor #3, while Rex is portrayed by Varco, in an uncredited role.

Production

On August 7, 2015, it was announced that Gabriela Cowperthwaite would be directing a film about Megan Leavey, to be portrayed by actress Kate Mara, and her military combat dog Rex. [5] The script was written by Pamela Gray, with the help of Annie Mumolo, Tim Lovestedt, and Jordan Roberts. LD Entertainment would produce the film. [5]

Principal photography on the film began on October 12, 2015, in Charleston, South Carolina, [6] [7] including scenes filmed at The Citadel, with other scenes filmed in Georgia and New York City, with extensive desert and combat scenes shot in Spain.

Release

In January 2017, Bleecker Street acquired distribution rights to the film and set it for release on June 9, 2017. [8]

Home media

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 5, 2017, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. [9] [10] In the UK and Australia the film was released on DVD as Rex.[ citation needed ]

Reception

Box office

Megan Leavey was released alongside It Comes at Night and The Mummy and was expected to gross around $3 million from 1,956 theaters in its opening weekend. [11] It ended up grossing $3.8 million, finishing 8th at the box office. [12]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 85% based on 103 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Megan Leavey honors its real-life subjects with a sensitive, uplifting drama whose honest emotion more than makes up for its mild approach to the story." [13] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating, the film has average score 66 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [14] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. [12]

Awards

Megan Leavey was among the 2017 films which were honored with the Truly Moving Picture Award at the Heartland Film Festival.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edie Falco</span> American actress (born 1963)

Edith Falco is an American actress. Known for her roles on stage and screen she has received numerous accolades including four Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and five Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as nomination for a Tony Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Felton</span> English actor and musician (born 1987)

Thomas Andrew Felton is an English actor. Born in Surrey, Felton began appearing in commercials and made his screen debut in the role of Peagreen Clock in The Borrowers (1997). He portrayed Louis T. Leonowens in Anna and the King (1999) before being cast as Draco Malfoy in the film adaptations of the Harry Potter fantasy novels by J. K. Rowling, starting with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and finishing with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011). Felton appeared in the sci-fi film Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011). He was subsequently cast in indie films From the Rough (2011) and The Apparition (2012).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Mara</span> American actress (born 1983)

Kate Rooney Mara is an American actress. She is known for work in television, playing reporter Zoe Barnes in the Netflix political drama House of Cards, computer analyst Shari Rothenberg in the Fox thriller series 24 (2006), wronged mistress Hayden McClaine in the FX miniseries American Horror Story: Murder House (2011), Patty Bowes in the first season of the FX drag ball culture drama series Pose (2018), and a teacher who begins an illicit relationship with an underage student, in the FX miniseries A Teacher (2020). For the latter, she received an Independent Spirit nomination for Best New Scripted Series as an executive producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dogs in warfare</span>

Dogs have a very long history in warfare, starting in ancient times. From being trained in combat, to their use as the scouts, sentries, messengers, mercy dogs, and trackers, their uses have been varied and some continue to exist in modern military usage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramón Rodríguez (actor)</span> Puerto Rican actor

Ramón Rodríguez is a Puerto Rican actor known for his current role as the title character in the ABC series Will Trent. Previous roles of interest included The Wire (2006–08) and Day Break (2006–07), and in the films Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) and The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009). He portrayed John Bosley in the 2011 reboot of Charlie's Angels. In 2014, Rodríguez starred as Ryan Lopez on the Fox crime drama television series Gang Related. In 2018, he played the role of Benjamin Cruz on the Showtime television series The Affair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lex (dog)</span> Military dog

Lex was the first active duty, fully fit military working dog to be granted early retirement in order to be adopted. Working for his United States Marine Corps handler Corporal Dustin J. Lee in the Iraq War, he was wounded in an attack that killed Lee, and subsequently was awarded an honorary Purple Heart.

Annie Mumolo is an American screenwriter, actress, comedian, and producer, best known for co-writing the 2011 film Bridesmaids with Kristen Wiig, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay. She and Wiig also co-wrote the screenplay and played leading roles for the 2021 comedy film Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. She has also appeared in films such as This Is 40 (2012), Afternoon Delight (2013), The Boss (2016), Bad Moms (2016), Queenpins (2020), and Confess, Fletch (2022).

A Shot in the Dark (<i>Homicide: Life on the Street</i>) 4th episode of the 1st season of Homicide: Life on the Street

"A Shot in the Dark" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on February 24, 1993. The teleplay was written by Jorge Zamacona based on a story by executive producer Tom Fontana, and the episode was directed by Bruce Paltrow. In the episode, Crosetti focuses his investigation into the shooting of Officer Thormann on one suspect, while Lewis continues to investigate. Meanwhile, Pembleton and Bayliss pursue different leads in the murder case of 11-year-old Adena Watson.

A Dog and Pony Show (<i>Homicide: Life on the Street</i>) 6th episode of the 1st season of Homicide: Life on the Street

"A Dog and Pony Show" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American police drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 10, 1993. In the episode, Pembleton and Bayliss investigate the murder of a police dog, Crosetti helps his friend adjust after a serious injury, and Felton and Howard suspect a drug dealer for a brutal murder.

<i>Bridesmaids</i> (2011 film) Film by Paul Feig

Bridesmaids is a 2011 American comedy film directed by Paul Feig from a screenplay by Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, and produced by Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel and Clayton Townsend. It stars Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Melissa McCarthy, and Chris O'Dowd. The film focuses on a woman who experiences a series of misfortunes after being asked to serve as maid of honor for her best friend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dustin J. Lee</span> United States Marine

Dustin Jerome Lee was a corporal in the United States Marine Corps, serving as a dog handler and IED detector with his dog Lex. He and Lex were attacked by indirect fire at Company A's forward operating base on March 21, 2007. A 73 mm rocket round exploding delivered a mortal wound to Lee, which also injured Lex.

<i>Man Down</i> (film) 2015 American film

Man Down is a 2015 American war thriller drama film directed by Dito Montiel, written by Adam G. Simon, and starring Shia LaBeouf, Jai Courtney, Gary Oldman, Kate Mara, and Clifton Collins Jr. The film follows a Marine who returns from Afghanistan to find his hometown devastated, and his wife and son missing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megan Leavey</span> US Marine K9 Handler

Corporal Megan Leavey is a former active duty United States Marine Corps corporal who served as a Military Police K9 handler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucca (dog)</span> War dog

Lucca was a German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois service dog who was employed by the United States Marine Corps for 6 years. She was trained to detect explosives. She was deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan. In her over 400 missions, no human fatalities occurred under her watch. In 2012, while on patrol in Afghanistan, she was injured by an IED blast, necessitating the amputation of her left leg. After recovering at Camp Pendleton, Lucca officially retired in 2012 and was adopted by her original handler, Gunnery Sergeant Chris Willingham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Hafner</span>

Alex Hafner is an international film and television actor. Alex was born in Vienna, Austria. His Spanish father is an engineer, his Italian mother an economist. He also has a sister, Sofía. During his childhood his family moved between Madrid, Vienna and Singapore before moving to California to attend school in Beverly Hills. Alex holds a master's degree from USC. Brought up in a fully multilingual home, he speaks fluent German, Spanish, English, and French.

<i>It Comes at Night</i> 2017 film by Trey Edward Shults

It Comes at Night is a 2017 American psychological horror film written and directed by Trey Edward Shults. It stars Joel Edgerton, Christopher Abbott, Carmen Ejogo, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Riley Keough. The film focuses on a family hiding in a forest as the Earth is taken over by a highly contagious disease.

Pamela Gray is an American screenwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabriela Cowperthwaite</span> American filmmaker (born 1971)

Gabriela Cowperthwaite is an American filmmaker. She has directed documentaries and feature films, and she also produces, edits, writes, and directs for television and documentary films. Her films often deal with social, cultural, and environmental issues relating to real life events. Her most notable film is Blackfish (2013), which received a BAFTA nomination for Best Documentary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animals in War & Peace Medal of Bravery</span> Award

The Animals in War & Peace Medal of Bravery was instituted in 2019 in the United States by Robin Hutton and Mari Lou Livingood to honor the work of American animals in war and peace. The medal was created to be the American equivalent of the Dickin Medal, awarded in the UK for any animal displaying conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty particularly in the armed forces or civil emergency services.

<i>I.S.S.</i> (film) 2023 film by Gabriela Cowperthwaite

I.S.S. is a 2023 American science fiction thriller film directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite and written by Nick Shafir. The film stars Ariana DeBose, Chris Messina, John Gallagher Jr., Masha Mashkova, Costa Ronin, and Pilou Asbæk.

References

  1. "Megan Leavey". AMC Theatres . Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  2. "Megan Leavey". The Numbers. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  3. "Rex". booktopia.com.au. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  4. "Beloved Bomb-Sniffing Dog Who Retired To Live With Marine Handler Dies". CBS New York . Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  5. 1 2 Barraclough, Leo (August 7, 2015). "'House of Cards' Star Kate Mara to Play Iraq War Hero Megan Leavey". variety.com. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  6. "Casting agency seeking extras for Kate Mara movie filming in Charleston". abcnews4.com. October 12, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  7. "On the Set for 10/16/15: 'Ab Fab: The Movie' & 'Planet of the Apes' Sequel Start Shooting While 'Star Trek Beyond' Wraps". ssninsider.com. October 16, 2015. Archived from the original on June 13, 2017. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  8. Lincoln, Ross A. "Kate Mara-Starring Iraq War Hero Biopic 'Megan Leavey' Gets Summer U.S. Release". Deadline. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
  9. Amazon.com: Megan Leavey (DVD). Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  10. Amazon.com: Megan Leavey (Blu-ray). Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  11. "Tom Cruise's 'The Mummy' faces tough box-office battle against 'Wonder Woman". Los Angeles Times . June 7, 2017.
  12. 1 2 "'Wonder Woman' Soars On Saturday; 'Mummy' Still Crummy – Sunday AM Box Office". Deadline Hollywood . June 11, 2017.
  13. "Megan Leavey (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. 9 June 2017. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
  14. "Megan Leavey reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved June 14, 2017.