Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days is a 2012 teen comedy film directed by David Bowers from a screenplay by Wallace Wolodarsky and Maya Forbes. It stars Zachary Gordon and Steve Zahn. Robert Capron, Devon Bostick, Rachael Harris, Peyton List, Grayson Russell, and Karan Brar also have prominent roles. It is the third film in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series and is based on the third and fourth books in the series, The Last Straw and Dog Days. The film was released on August 3, 2012. It is also Bowers' second live-action film.
Plot
The film begins with a Heffley family outing to the local public pool to start off the summer despite the fact that school has not ended. While there Greg is disgusted by several things such as how crowded it is, the public bathrooms, and how people eat and urinate in the pool. While at the pool the Heffley family meets a former trouble making friend of Rodrick who has become a model student after attending Spag Union, a strict prep-reformatory school starting in the eighth grade. Greg's father, Frank Heffley, mentions aloud Greg is in the eighth grade and ponders sending him there.
On the last day of school Greg attempts to get Holly to put her phone number in his yearbook in addition to signing it. However she is forced to leave before she can put the last two numbers in. Meanwhile Rodrick, who is advertising his band at Greg's school, falls in love with Holly's mean older sister Heather but is rejected when she runs over his foot. Greg is disappointed that he failed to get Holly's number and that she only referred to him as only a good friend, which Rodrick states is the "kiss of death." The next day Greg explains he intends to play video games all summer while maintaining the illusion he is spending time outdoors to please his father, however his plan quickly fails. In retaliation Greg's father bans television and video games for the whole summer. Later Greg's mom, Susan, urges Frank to spend more time with Greg and reminds him of his own neglectful father. Frank attempts to spend time with Greg by taking him to his favorite hobbies, such as fishing and a civil war battle re-enactment but both times Greg accidentally ruins the experience.
Sometime later Greg's best friend, Rowley, invites Greg to the country club, which Greg takes a liking to instantly due to the seemingly free food, the sparsely populated pool and the fact Holly teaches tennis there. While at the club he arranges a tennis match the next day between Holly, Rowley and himself despite the fact that he and Rowley have never played tennis. When Greg returns home he finds his father has signed him up for an internship at his job but lies and says he got a job at the country club to get out of it and to go to the country club everyday. The next day at the tennis match it becomes painfully obvious that Greg and Rowley have never played tennis and Holly teaches Greg personally.
At a party at Warren's, a neighbor's, house Greg's dad decides to get a dog for the family and to sign Greg up in the Wilderness Explorers in Troop 133 to teach him responsibility after hearing it worked with Warren's sons. At the same party Rodrick finds out Greg does not have a job and blackmails Greg into sneaking him in to see Heather, though his first attempt to talk to her ends horribly. Frank gets the dog, which Manny names "Sweetie" and who proves to be a handful. Rowley meanwhile invites Greg to a family trip to their beach house near the Boardwalk, an amusement park. When they visit the amusement park Greg convinces Rowley to go on the Cranium Shaker (a roller coaster) despite Rowley's parents making them promise to not go on scary rides. Rowley's parents find out and Rowley is saddened when they state they are disappointed in him. Greg attempts to email his mother asking her to help him leave but accidentally emails everyone on Rowley's dad's contact list and they angrily take him home shortly afterward.
Later when Greg asks Rowley to take him into the Country Club Rowley lies and states he's not going there so Greg sneaks in pretending to be a member of the Jefferson family. He runs into Holly and her sister and manages to get Rodrick's band, Loded Diper, a gig at Heather's Sweet 16 party much to Rodrick's delight. He meets Rowley, who tells him he lied to protect Greg's feelings after his parents didn't want to invite Greg. He and Greg make up however Rowley's father is infuriated that Greg has built a massive smoothie bill and tells Frank, who then finds out Greg does not have a job and is incredibly angry and disappointed. He then states he plans to send Greg to Spag Union, much to Greg and Rodrick's horror. Rodrick says his last chance is the "Wilderness Weekend" where he can attempt to impress his Dad while out on a camping trip. However Troop 133 proves to be weak compared to Troop 42, led by Warren, who claim a camping spot despite the fact Frank got their first. Later Greg and his friends overhear Stan and his sons mocking Greg and his Dad and in revenge Greg attempts to fill Warren's sleeping bag with ants however ends up destroying Warren's expensive tent while revealing that Troop 42 has not been camping but living off electronics. When Greg steps up and takes the blame Frank is impressed and finds out about Troop 42's electronics, angrily confronting him and calling him a phony. Frank then takes his campers to a motel and reveals he never liked camping to Greg. He tells Greg he will not send him to Spag Union and he is proud of him.
At Heather's Sweet 16 Rodrick sings a rock variation of Justin Bieber's "Baby" in an attempt to win over Heather however merely ends up ruining the party. Greg apologizes to Holly however she states she is happy as she felt her sister deserved it. They hold hands and the final clip is of the Heffleys, Rowley and Holly swimming in the public pool and enjoying the "best summer ever".
Trailer
Cast
- Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley
- Steve Zahn as Frank Heffley
- Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson
- Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley
- Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley
- Connor and Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley
- Peyton List as Holly Hills
- Karan Brar as Chirag Gupta
- Melissa Roxburgh as Heather Hills
- Grayson Russell as Fregley
- Laine MacNeil as Patty Farrell
- Oliver the dog as Sweetie
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