A DOG’S WAY HOME: Every Dog Has His Day

It’s another January, so inexplicably, it is another dog movie. By now you might be sooner to smile reading the final pages of Old Yeller than in these saccharine dog-talking adventures; but this is something different. Those sweet, unswerving puppy eyes warrant the tissues you stuffed in your pockets. Forget the Turing Test, you might want to check with your doctor if you weren’t moved by A Dog’s Way Home.

As the title suggests, the story centers on a dog finding their way home. That dog is Bella. You have heard of good dogs before, but Bella is audaciously gracious, outlandishly determined, and inwardly red in tooth and claw – and she isn’t afraid to show her paws in order to protect those she loves. The same can be said for her uncharacteristically ordinary looking owners, who, with a similar prowess seen in W. Bruce Cameron’s original novel, fend off the ruthless Trump like neighbor (formerly demolished homes, now irrevocably seeks out immigrants and outcasts in the form of animals), as well as the big bad policemen under his wing.

The politics are startlingly sagacious. But never mind that. We came here to see the dog. And what a dog!

The movie opens to Bella being rescued by Lucas (Jonah Hauer-King). Little does she know her life is in shambles; she lives with a pack of adorable strays under a crumbling home in the suburbs of Denver. It turns out, to Lucas’ dismay, that the mile high city has an equally lofty set of rules regarding pets. No pit-bulls as an enforced law is bullshit. Lucas sure seems to think so, as well as his veteran mother Terri (Ashley Judd), who suffers from PTSD, and maybe not just from the war, but also from the nagging of a bald-headed-baddy with a bizarre hatred for our protagonist.

So Bella is sent off to live with friends in New Mexico. Which means no more of the lovely, heartwarming games seen in the film’s opening moments. Games like stop, which for Bella means prance about until she gets attention, or chew on shoes, or “go home”, which she decides to spend the majority of the narratively familiar run-time playing.

For awhile you can watch Bella’s exploration through the elements with a soft, entertained grin. Director Charles Martin Smith (Air Bud, A Dolphin’s Tale) seems to be in his element here with his casual capitalization on audience soft spots. There is no defense against Bella and her chipper voice by Bryce Dallas Howard. I am not sure if it is possible to critique a dogs performance, but the whimpers under whiskers, and her convincing evocation of emotions will make your heart melt like the snow that surrounds her. And for a film about eternal friendships and internal integrity, she sure meets some amusing pals.

Having escaped her humble abode in New Mexico, she travels through damp forest leaves, empty local towns, and shivering snow. Along the way she befriends a friendly pack in the city, a young CGI cougar (yes, that is a contradiction of terms) at the lake, a homeless veteran, and a shaggy dog who makes for a great cuddle buddy. These encounters, though always cute, tend to outstay their welcome. Which can be said for the movie as well.

It can be entertaining to see our four legged hero sniff out human emotions, but about three quarters of the way in you will start to sniff out the cliches. For those who remember Homeward Bound, Lassie, or last year’s A Dog’s Purpose, the subject of dog loyalty, and finales with lost dogs running to to their owners like Forest Gump on his last legs won’t be anything new.

Nevertheless, it remains predictable yet effective. Predictable in its plot, effective in ways you wouldn’t have thought. Sure, it is sappier than the forest trees Bella runs by on her way home, but most people don’t realize that sap tends to stick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pKdCHvH310