A Dog’s Way Home (2019)

Directed by: Charles Martin Smith | 95 minutes | adventure, drama, family | Actors: Ashley Judd, Jonah Hauer-King, Edward James Olmos, Alexandra Shipp, Chris Bauer, Barry Watson, Motell Gyn Foster, Wes Studi, Bryce Dallas Howard, John Cassini, Brian Markinson, Patrick Gallagher, Broadus Mattison, Rolando Boyce, Cesar de Leon

Bella is a young stray dog ​​from the Denver suburbs. After her mother is captured, she is raised by a cat who sees the puppy as one of her cubs. When Lucas, a medical student who volunteers at a hospital for war veterans and has a soft spot for animals, finds Bella, the dog is adopted by the boy. The two soon become inseparable. However, Lucas’s efforts to save the feline family guarding Bella ignite the wrath of ruthless real estate tycoon Gunter and slavish cop/dog catcher Chuck. Bella gets the designation ‘pit bull’, which under Denver law is enough to confiscate (and possibly put to sleep) a dog if he roams on public land (ie outdoors) within the city limits. To save Bella from certain death, Lucas and his girlfriend Olivia decide to leave Denver. Temporarily housed with Olivia’s aunt in New Mexico, Bella goes in search of her owner. However, in order to be reunited with Lucas, she must embark on an epic and dangerous journey spanning hundreds of miles.

‘A Dog’s Way Home’ is based on the book of the same name by W. Bruce Cameron, the author of the previously successful film ‘A Dog’s Purpose’. Given the plot and intended target audience, it should come as no surprise that ‘A Dog’s Way Home’ is an uncomplicated, morally two-dimensional (most characters are good or bad, leaving little room for characterological grays) and at times sugary film that will appeal to young viewers in particular. to address. Still, the film has more to offer if you’re willing to look a little further. The print is also a subtle indictment of the way in which many Western societies treat dogs of a certain signature. The vague term pit bull, which is zoologically inaccurate, generalistic and silly, often counts as a license to lump certain dog breeds into a pile and label them as ‘dangerous’ without their behavior giving serious reason to do so in practice. In practice, the erroneous terminology leads to countless animal and human dramas.

What ‘A Dog’s Way Home’ also does well, in a sometimes heartwarmingly beautiful way, is to make visible and tangible the deep bond that humans and dogs can develop. Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of really getting to know a four-legged friend or has studied the work of service dogs knows that a dog can truly act as a support for both good and bad times. Although ‘A Dog’s Way Home’ mainly focuses on the relationship between Lucas and Bella, the dog also serves as a shining beacon in dark times for Lucas’ traumatized mother (war veteran) and the ex-soldiers at the veteran hospital.

Bella’s long odyssey toward home, riddled with obstacles and trials, is the film’s second central theme. Along the way, Bella meets a variety of captivating and amiable characters, such as a sympathetic gay couple, a lonely drifter and an orphaned cougar cub whom the dog affectionately calls big kitten. The bond between Bella and the cougar eventually becomes very close, making for some beautiful and touching scenes. Other great icons of the American wilderness, such as coy wolves (a wolf-coyote cross), bison and moose, also cross Bella’s path. It’s just a shame that many of the animals on screen appear as mediocre CGI creations and contrast sharply with the often mighty beautiful images of the Rocky Mountains. Especially the action-rich scenes look a bit fake and wooden due to the mediocre quality of the special effects. Although the serene and pleasant-sounding voice of Bryce Dallas Howard suits Bella well, it was not really necessary to use the now overused and anthropomorphic cliché of the talking dog in this film. The story itself and Bella’s endearing snout are more than enough for hitting the right emotional chord.

Despite some minor flaws, with the mediocre effects most striking, ‘A Dog’s Way Home’ is a pleasant family film with a beautiful and sympathetic message.