Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | David Bowers |
| Produced by | Nina Jacobson Brad Simpson |
| Screenplay by | Wallace Wolodarsky Maya Forbes |
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| Music by | Edward Shearmur |
| Cinematography | Anthony B. Richmond |
| Editing by | Troy Takaki |
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| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | August 3, 2012 |
| Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $22 million |
| Money made | $77.1 million |
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days is a funny movie from 2012. It mixes live actors with some animation. David Bowers directed it. The story was written by Wallace Wolodarsky and Maya Forbes.
The main stars are Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley and Steve Zahn as his dad. Other important actors include Robert Capron, Devon Bostick, and Rachael Harris. This film is the third movie in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. It uses ideas from the third and fourth books by Jeff Kinney. The movie came out on August 3, 2012. It made $77.1 million around the world.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days was the last movie with the original actors. Many of them, like Zachary Gordon, grew too old for their roles. New actors were chosen for later movies. The next film, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, came out almost five years later.
Contents
What Happens in the Movie?
Greg's Summer Starts Rough
The movie begins a few months after the last one. Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) and his family go to a busy pool party. Greg's older brother, Rodrick (Devon Bostick), sees an old friend. This friend used to cause trouble. But now he is a model student after going to a military school. Greg's dad, Frank (Steve Zahn), thinks about sending Greg there too.
Greg's summer starts badly. His dad bans him from playing video games. He also cannot watch TV. Greg's mom, Susan (Rachael Harris), starts a book club. She wants Greg and his friends to read classic books. Greg finds these books very boring. Frank is also jealous of their neighbor's athletic kids. Susan tries to make Frank and Greg spend more time together. But their bonding activities always go wrong.
Country Club Adventures
A few weeks later, Greg's best friend, Rowley Jefferson (Robert Capron), invites Greg. They go to the local country club. Greg loves the fancy lifestyle there. His crush, Holly Hills (Peyton List), teaches tennis at the club.
Greg goes home and learns something shocking. His dad signed him up for an unpaid summer job at his office. Greg quickly lies and says he already has a job at the country club. Frank and Susan are very happy. They give Greg a simple phone called a "Ladybug." It only lets him call home or 911.
Rowley invites Greg on a family trip to a beach house. Greg finds the trip boring. He tries to email his mom using Mr. Jefferson's (Alf Humphreys) laptop. But he accidentally sends the email to everyone on Mr. Jefferson's contact list! The next morning, Greg tries to call home with his Ladybug phone. The phone does not work right. Greg accidentally calls 911. Soon, the police arrive. They almost arrest Mr. Jefferson. Greg is then sent home.
Trouble at the Club and Wilderness Weekend
Rowley stops letting Greg come to the country club. This is because of the beach house incident. But Greg sneaks in by pretending to be other members. He meets Holly and her sister, Heather (Melissa Roxburgh). Greg manages to get Rodrick's band, Löded Diper, a job. They will play at Heather's sweet sixteen party. Rodrick is very excited because he likes Heather.
Greg and Rowley become friends again. One morning, Frank drops Greg off at the club. Rowley's dad confronts them. Greg has a $260 bill for fruit smoothies from the country club. He did not know the food cost money. The manager tells Frank that the club does not hire kids. Greg's lie is found out. Later, Greg gets a disc in the mail for Spag Union. He fears he will be sent there.
Rodrick tells Greg about "Wilderness Weekend." He says it could help Greg avoid Spag Union. Their group is not as strong as Frank's boss, Stan's (Phil Hayes), group. Greg keeps making mistakes. The boys hear Stan and his group making fun of Frank. Greg tries to set a trap for revenge. He finds out Stan's group is cheating. They are using modern things like pre-cooked meals and portable TVs. Stan attacks Greg, thinking he is a raccoon. Greg accidentally throws the tent into the campfire. Frank arrives and Greg admits what happened. Frank loses respect for Stan. He confronts Stan about cheating. Stan runs into Greg's trap and is embarrassed.
Frank tells Greg he never liked camping anyway. He decides not to send Greg to Spag Union. Greg is very surprised and happy. Frank gives Greg advice about learning from mistakes. He tells him to take responsibility. They both realize they are more alike than they thought.
The Sweet Sixteen Party
A few days later, it is Heather's sweet sixteen birthday party. Löded Diper plays a rock version of Justin Bieber's song "Baby." Rodrick sings, trying to impress Heather. But the show stops when Rodrick knocks over a huge ice sculpture of Heather. She gets very angry. She tries to hit Rodrick with a microphone stand. Instead, she smashes a chocolate fountain. Chocolate splashes all over her, Rodrick, and her friend Madison. The party ends in a mess.
Holly then holds Greg's hand, showing she likes him. In the end, Greg, Rowley, and Holly hang out at the town pool. Greg thinks his summer did not go as planned. But he might look back on it as the best summer ever.
Who is in the Movie?
- Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley, the main character.
- Steve Zahn as Frank Heffley, Greg's dad.
- Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson, Greg's best friend.
- Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley, Greg's older brother.
- Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley, Greg's mom.
- Peyton List as Holly Hills, Greg's crush.
- Grayson Russell as Fregley, a strange classmate.
- Karan Brar as Chirag Gupta, one of Greg's friends.
- Bryce Hodgson as Ben, one of Rodrick’s friends.
- Laine MacNeil as Patty Farrell, Greg's enemy.
- Melissa Roxburgh as Heather Hills, Holly's older sister. She was also in the second movie.
- Connor/Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley, Greg's younger brother.
- Alf Humphreys as Mr. Jefferson, Rowley's dad.
- Bronwen Smith as Mrs. Jefferson, Rowley's mom.
- Terence Kelly as Grandpa Heffley, Greg's grandpa.
- Oliver the Dog as Sweetie, the Heffleys’ pet dog.
- Philip Maurice Hayes as Stan Warren, Frank's boss.
- Dalila Bela as Taylor Pringle, a rude girl.
- Elise Gatien as Madison, Heather's best friend.
Jeff Kinney, who wrote the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, also appears in the movie. He plays Mr. Jonathon Hills, Holly and Heather's dad.
Awards the Movie Won
The movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days and its actors were nominated for and won several awards. Here are some of them:
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
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| 2013 | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Movie | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days | Nominated | |
| Favorite Movie Actor | Zachary Gordon | Nominated | |||
| 2013 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actor | Zachary Gordon | Nominated | |
| Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actor | Robert Capron | Won | |||
| Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actor | Karan Brar | Nominated | |||
| Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actress | Laine MacNeil | Nominated | |||
| Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actor Ten and Under | Connor & Owen Fielding | Nominated | |||
| Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actress Ten and Under | Dalila Bela | Nominated | |||
| Best Performance in a Feature Film - Young Ensemble Cast | Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Peyton List, Karan Brar, Laine MacNeil, Connor & Owen Fielding, Devon Bostick, Grayson Russell | Won |
What's Next for the Movies?
New Live-Action Movies
When Dog Days first came out, people thought it would be the last live-action movie. In 2012, Jeff Kinney and the actors said there were no plans for a fourth movie. But they did not say it would never happen. Kinney said, "You never know!"
Zachary Gordon, who played Greg, explained why. He said the actors were getting older. "You can't stop it," he said. "The characters are supposed to be timeless." In 2013, Zachary Gordon confirmed there would not be a fourth live-action movie. Jeff Kinney later said he wanted the sixth book, Cabin Fever, to be an animated movie instead.
On July 29, 2016, a new movie was announced. It would be based on the ninth book, The Long Haul. This movie would have a completely new cast. It came out on May 19, 2017. It did okay at the box office. But critics did not like it as much as the others.
Animated Film Series
On December 10, 2020, Disney announced something exciting. An animated movie based on the books would come to Disney+ in 2021. This would be another fresh start for the series. All future Wimpy Kid movies would be computer-animated.
See also
In Spanish: Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3: Dog Days para niños
