A Dog’s Way Home
What constitutes a good “dog movie”? I am at a loss to answer that question, even though I am one of those dog lovers who often say they prefer dogs to people (well, I do). But what I like my movie dogs to be is this: selfless, friendly creatures who live in the moment as fun loving beings that would do anything for chicken and see everything as a game. It makes me cringe when films depict dogs with human-like qualities only to tug at our heartstrings.
So on paper, Charles Martin Smith’s talking dog movie “A Dog’s Way Home,” about a canine making an absolutely implausible two year/400 mile journey back to the human who saved it from the streets is my worst nightmare. But come on, now. What kind of person would deny the hope that their lost dog might still find its way home? Who hasn’t given words to their thoughts on behalf of a dog? Or embellished those thoughts? Or spoken them out loud? I can’t be alone here and won’t be the last weirdo bawling through this film’s end credits.
Even so, I believe that “A Dog’s Way Home” would have been more powerful and thought-provoking (while still retaining its adorable family friendliness) if Bella hadn’t been given a voice over by Bryce Dallas Howard. But this is still a movie you can’t help but root for Smith’s film has lovingly woven in a dozen humanist themes at every turn and there are two screenwriting credits, Cathryn Michon & W. Bruce Cameron. The latter of whom also wrote the novels and scripts that comprise “A Dog’s Purpose” & “A Dog’s Journey,” among other things.
However (and as much as I adore Shelby), I do wish the dog they cast as Bella would have been more of a classic American Pit Bull Terrier; it’s hard to argue the “she doesn’t even look like a pit” line spoken later in the film doesn’t undermine good intentions. Also, if I’m being honest, I would’ve liked to see the gay couple Bella crosses paths with given at least a fraction of the natural intimacy that a straight couple would have had free reign for in any number of hetero normative mainstream family movies.
Yet this flick believes in cross species friendship, packs an undeniable anti hunting/environmentalist message and maintains an overall progressive tone throughout so at its core, “A Dog’s Way Home” is still a good dog movie like any other good dog movie, regardless of what breed that nameless canine may be made up of.
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