The Day After Tomorrow Inspired Dog Names

The 2004 film The Day After Tomorrow features a young Jake Gyllenhaal playing the role of Sam Hall, the son of paleoclimatologist Jack Hall, who gets stuck in New York City while an earth-shattering disaster takes place. He and his friends get trapped in the New York Public Library and find ways to survive. While Dennis Quaid’s Jack Hall is the film’s lead character, Gyllenhaal’s Sam becomes a focal point as he uses his wits and leads a team of people into safety.

The name Sam is also a common choice for canine characters. This is because the name is easy to call out and remember. Additionally, it can work for both male and female pets. One of the most famous examples of a famous canine named Sam is Martin Riggs’ dog from the Lethal Weapon film franchise.

Sam is a Shetland Sheepdog owned by Martin Riggs, the main protagonist in Lethal Weapon film series. The franchise is centered on Riggs (portrayed by Mel Gibson), a young narcotics officer with suicidal tendencies and Danny Glover, a homicide detective for the LAPD. When the unlikely duo is paired up with each other, they find a way to work through their differences and solve crimes together.

Throughout the franchise, Sam remains a loyal companion to Riggs. While it is unclear when or how he acquired the dog, it is implied that Riggs wanted company after he lost his wife, Victoria. Thus, he ended finding Sam and they live together in his trailer.

In the first installment of the film series, Lethal Weapon, Sam is shown running towards the direction of the trailer where Riggs lives. Even with his owner’s suicidal tendencies, Sam remains loyal to him and does not leave his side. Sometime during the film, in one of Riggs’ attempts to end his life, Sam was present and played a role in Riggs deciding against the act. Towards the end of the film, the pooch is shown to spend Christmas with Riggs and the Murtaughs, although he doesn’t get along with the family’s cat, named Burbank.

Sam was also prominently featured in the second film of the franchise, entitled Lethal Weapon 2. He is first seen frolicking in the beach before going home and watching a movie with Riggs in the trailer. When his master brings home a girl named Rika Van Den Haas, Sam was asked to go outside so the two could be alone. However, when armed men start to arrive to ambush Riggs, Sam alerts his owner by barking loudly, allowing the three to escape unharmed. In the last two films of the franchise, Lethal Weapon 3 and Lethal Weapon 4, Sam was still featured, albeit in minor roles.