Here's hoping it will help Tugg regain the status he lost in his most recent cinematic outing, a brazen Oscar bid: the title role in "Simple Jack, " the tale of a mentally impaired lad with a desperate need for orthodontic intervention and the ability to talk to animals.

WSJ: 'Vicky Cristina' Is Slim, Charming Allen Roundelay

It's surprising to hear him talk this way, because researchers don't usually ascribe human emotions to animals.

NPR: Penguins Helped and Hurt by Changing Climate

Sometimes I imagine that if we were very still we could hear, rising from the forests and oceans, the quiet laughter of animals, as they listen to us talk.

NEWYORKER: History of a Disturbance