BEIJING, Aug. 7 -- An American film character's dog named after late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat has led to anger and objections in Egypt.

    The movie "I love you Man," starring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, and written and directed by John Hamburg, is a comedy about a man who tries to find a best man for his wedding.

    The controversial scene depicts Segel walking his dog when his co-star, Paul Rudd, asks him about the dog's name. He answers "Anwar Sadat: after Anwar Sadat, the former president of Egypt." When Rudd asks by whether this is because he admires Mr. Sadat's policies, he replies: "No, because they look exactly alike." And the film cuts to a shot of the dog. A later scene shows the character also has a poster of Mr. Sadat on the wall of his home.

    The scene made Egypt angry and was considered an insult to a national symbol, and thus an insult to the Egyptian people. The movie also stirred trouble between the Sadat family and Washington.

    Soundbite: Egyptian citizen "This is not only an insult to late President Sadat, but it is an insult to Egypt, because he is one of our national symbols."

    Ruqaya Al-Sadat, daughter of President Sadat, filed a complaint to the American embassy in Egypt over what she described as the "offensive reference" to her father made in the movie "I Love You, Man."

    Sameer Sabri, the Sadat family lawyer, said that Ruqaya Al-Sadat was offended by the movie. She felt that for a man who symbolizes a nation such comments are inexcusable and unjustified, adding that the movie oversteps the boundaries of freedom of expression.

    Soundbite: Basheer Abdul-Fattah, journalist and political analyst "I believe the offence was intentional in a way or another. We cannot just let it go or consider it as accidental. Moreover, it is hard to tell that the American culture considers such issues as freedom of expression."

    Sabri added that filing a complaint with the American embassy was not the only step taken in this regard, as he had petitioned the Cairo Court to ban the comedy on behalf of the Sadat family.

    Sabri demanded withdrawing all copies of the movie and also sent a complaint to the movie director John Hamburg, the producer Donlad De Line, and the screenwriter Larry Levin.

    This is not the first time the late Egyptian president is defamed in a movie, as Iran produced last year a documentary entitled "Assassination of a Pharaoh" on the assassination of President Anwar Sadat, labeling him as a "traitor" for signing the 1978 Camp David Accords that led to the 1979 Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty.

    Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Cairo.