I teach freshman composition, and this semester I had a whole day dedicated to “roadkill poems”. “Traveling through the Dark” by William Stafford has always been one of those poems I read early on in my writing career that made me go “Wow!” I know this isn’t the appropriate forum to advertise poetry, but these poems really got me started thinking about animals and cars. Are they inherently linked? If these keep showing up in literature, they’ve got to be in film too. And the more I thought about it, I realized they are.
So here are my top five favorite animal and car moments in movies.
#5 Puffy from There’s Something About Mary
Puffy was injured in a freak speed accident, brought on by the maniacal Pat Healy. As if a tiny Benji-like dog in a full body cast wasn’t funny enough, during a montage scene Ted is loading Mary’s SUV with groceries, and he puts Puffy on top of the car. Of course, he forgets Puffy, who rides on top of the car the entire ride home, weighted down by the cast. So sad.
#4 Tyson’s Tiger from The Hangover
Drunk out of their minds, the crew decided it would be a good idea to steal Mike Tyson’s tiger. Unfortunately, when they have to return the tiger, he wakes up a little too soon from the tranquilizers, slashing into Phil’s neck and taking over the car. Their near “tunnel death” is surprising and strange.
#3 Rabid Raccoon from Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
As if their quest for the perfect burger wasn’t difficult enough, things are really messed up when a rabid raccoon comes into the picture. It sneaks into the car and attacks the stoned victim of Harold. But the attack isn’t just for laughs. This actually leads into some important plot points, as it gets us to the hospital to find out the severity of Kumar’s family pressuring him into the medical profession.
