Dhruv Trivedi
‘Finch’ is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie that follows one of the last remaining humans on earth as he embarks on a dangerous cross-country journey. With only his faithful dog and newly minted robot for company, the film’s namesake and protagonist attempts to find a safe haven for his pet even as he grapples with his own mortality.
The journey that Finch begins is eventually completed by Goodyear, the dog, and Jeff, the robot, who arguably play as important a role in the narrative as Tom Hanks‘ lead character. So let’s get to know the dog and the robot from ‘Finch’ a little better, shall we?
Is the Dog in Finch Real?
Yes, the delightfully loyal Irish Terrier who disdainfully relieves himself on Jeff’s feet when the robot first comes on is completely real. Goodyear’s real name is Seamus, and the canine was cared for by the Redwood Pals Rescue, which supports animal rescue and adoption efforts in Humboldt County, California. Seamus, originally a rescue dog, has now seemingly been adopted by a loving trainer and is part of an animal acting team in Los Angeles.
Tom Hanks reportedly described his experience of acting opposite a dog and a robot to be full of vitality and noted how he and Seamus formed a bond during filming. In fact, the actor attributes the central human-canine relationship of ‘Finch’ as the attribute that sets the film apart from other similar post-apocalyptic movies. During the production, Seamus also seemingly had a body double and had to visit a professional colorist so that he and the other dog could pass for the same canine character on-screen.
Who Voices the Robot in Finch?
The robot in ‘Finch’ is voiced by actor Caleb Landry Jones, who is known for films like ‘Get Out’ (2017) and ‘X-Men: First Class’ (2011). The actor lent his voice to the robot, Jeff, as well as acted the part in a motion-capture suit opposite Tom Hanks’ titular character. Thus, Jones did much more than just voice the mechanical artificial intelligence character.
Even his movements have been translated on screen through the CGI-generated android, which mirrors Jones’ actions. In fact, the actor was so involved in depicting the robot that he reportedly read all the books that Jeff is seen reading in the film as he learns about the history of humanity and the world. Depicting Jeff involved more than just essaying a mechanical being, as the robot goes through a maturing process in the film.
From when Finch starts him up for the first time to the point where Jeff essentially begins taking care of his creator, the robot’s character changes significantly in its speech and movement, both of which become more confident. Hence, Jones’ performance was closely copied by the animators and visual effects artists during the post-production process while creating the final version of Jeff. This gave the mechanical robot a human quality, making the character more complex and relatable.
Read More: What Happens to Jeff and Goodyear in Finch? Are They Dead or Alive?
