A Dog’s Journey (2019)

Directed by: Gail Mancuso | 104 minutes | comedy, drama | Actors: Josh Gad, Dennis Quaid, Kathryn Prescott, Marg Helgenberger, Betty Gilpin, Henry Lau, Abby Ryder Fortson, Ian Chen, Emma Volk, Johnny Galecki, Jake Manley, Daniela Barbosa, Conrad Coates, Arlene Duncan, Kevin Claydon, Victoria Sanchez , Cherissa Richards, Shion-En Chan, Kenneth Liu

‘A Dog’s Journey’ is the sequel to the 2017 released ‘A Dog’s Purpose’. Both films are based on the books by W. Bruce Cameron and follow the fortunes of the dog Bailey. In the first movie, we saw Bailey dying several times and being reincarnated again and again in a different dog form. At the end of the film, the four-legged friend is reunited with his first and most beloved owner Ethan, now a grown man who was a boy in Bailey’s first life. As icing on the cake, Bailey makes sure that Ethan finally wins the heart of his old high school sweetheart Hannah.

‘A Dog’s Journey’ largely follows the same pattern as its predecessor. Bailey now leads a comfortable and carefree life on Ethan and Hannah’s farm. And he even has a new playmate in the form of granddaughter CJ. However, ongoing friction between CJ’s selfish and unstable mother Gloria (a young widow) and her in-laws causes Gloria and her daughter to move. When Bailey ends up in pain from illness and old age, Ethan is forced to put his best buddy to sleep. He asks his ‘boss dog’ to look for CJ in the next dog’s life and successfully lead the girl through the arduous trials of a troubled life. Loyal Bailey does his job excellently, watching over CJ in various dog guises (from very large to very small). The faithful companion proves to be the best support a person could wish for in both good and difficult times.

That unconditional dog loyalty is the cement that binds ‘A Dog’s Journey’. The fact that Bailey, instead of an ordinary dog, is a being who keeps coming back in another body after his physical death gives that loyalty another metaphysical and transcendental dimension. In addition, the film deals with themes such as friendship, true love, bad boyfriends and bad motherhood. The latter theme in particular plays a prominent role and is embodied by CJ’s mother Gloria, a promiscuous and alcoholic woman who regularly neglects her daughter and, of course, does not like dogs.

The result is a film that contains both heartwarming, sad and happy moments. Certainly people who have experienced losing a beloved pet will shed a tear from time to time, even if you know that Bailey will eventually return in the guise of another dog. The mix of new and familiar characters also works well. The best moments are the interactions between Bailey and Ethan. Dennis Quaid delivers an excellent acting performance here and knows how to make the inseparable bond between man and dog tangible and tangible.

Although ‘A Dogs Journey’ is sometimes a bit on the gooey side, it rarely gets too sentimental and the film retains a certain sincerity on an emotional level. The moral about responsible motherhood is presented with a little too much aplomb and a strong pointing finger. In any case, the purely human concerns are less convincing than the scenes relating to human-dog relationships. Although the story is largely predictable and works towards a conclusion that you can see coming from miles away, there are the necessary subplots and twists that make the film less straightforward. For example, a pressing question that regularly arises is whether CJ will ever be reunited with her grandparents.

Despite some minor flaws and the of course not very credible or very original story, ‘A Dog’s Journey’ is a pleasant family film that has its heart in the right place. Did you appreciate ‘A Dog’s Purpose’ and similar films? Then you can set up this picture with peace of mind.