SGT. STUBBY: Dog Of War’s Sweet Animated Tail

The portrayal of dogs within cinema can verge between the heartwarming and the heartbreaking, dependent on the genre the four legged pooches find themselves in. If a dog appears in a horror film, the outcome of the mutt will often spell disaster, as their instincts for sniffing out danger put them directly in harm’s way. However, if they are in a family movie they fare better and are used as a narrative device to provide humour and a positive change to a lead character’s way (just don’t mention Turner and Hooch, sob).

And then there is the small sub-genre of doggy flicks that are based on real life animals that have shown acts of unrelenting loyalty and love that prove why they are regarded as man and woman’s best friend. Films such as Marley and Me (2008) and Hachi – A Dogs Tale (2009) show how much a dog can change someone’s life and pull on the heartstrings of a cinema audience. Following on from their (dog) lead comes another waggy tail based on true events, animated film Sgt. Stubby – An American Hero, which offers a little known story of a stray’s part in US history.

Friendship amongst the frontlines

Sgt. Stubby – An American Hero focuses on the friendship between Stubby and Conroy whilst bringing this real life story to a wider audience, to entertain but also to educate. The film begins on the battlefield of France in March 1918 as Stubby runs through the treacherous terrain and finds an injured soldier. We then travel back six months earlier to Connecticut to see how Stubby came to this point, with a narration by Conroy’s sister (Helena Bonham Carter) who recalls their friendship during the war.

Stubby is roaming the streets looking for scraps when he sees a parade of US army soldiers and follows them back to their base, where he literally runs into Corporal Robert Conroy (Logan Lerman) and quickly cements his way into his heart. After charming the Colonel with his bravery and ability to salute, he is allowed to stay with the regiment, but the threat of war looms heavy and a scene showing tear gas training brings the reality of the situation to the forefront. As Conroy and the division prepare to ship out to France, Stubby is supposed to stay behind at the base camp; but, unable to leave his master, he escapes and stows away onto their ship and is quickly reunited with Conroy.

From there on Stubby becomes an integral part of the regiment, from clearing the vermin from the trenches to digging out soldiers from the rubble to warning the troops of impending gas attacks. Conroy, meanwhile, forms a bond with fellow soldiers Elmer Olsen (Jordan Beck), Hans Schroeder (Jim Pharr), and French soldier Gaston Baptiste (Gerard Depardieu), and the film follows their journey, with Stubby, through the war until its end in November 1918.

Shaggy, short and sweet

There are times when the job of critiquing a film is necessary and warranted, to highlight the good and bad of storytelling, acting and directing, but there are times when a film is so sweet-natured that it feels out of a place to pick a (dog) bone with it. It may not be as sophisticated as a Pixar joint in terms of story and animation, but Sgt. Stubby’s heart is firmly in the right place and charms throughout its short running time. It is a film that will appeal to families; you could imagine grandparents watching it with little ones, and it balances the cute parts of Stubby with the realities of war.

Whilst the film makes a point of not showing actual casualties or killed soldiers, the narrative uses subtle hints to this and the images of a gas strewn French village pepper the animation with a darker tone. Meanwhile, a scene where Stubby is wounded protecting soldiers from a grenade and later his subsequent hobble across the battlefield back to his master may induce a few tears from the young and those older softhearted viewers.

There are those that may find Sgt. Stubby a little too twee for their tastes and it may not appeal to those who are not won over by doggy antics, but for those that are susceptible to a four legged friend, you will find Stubby a real heart-warmer. Even this self confessed Ice Maiden melted during the final frames when the real Stubby’s picture appears on screen, and you realise the big difference this little dog made to the lives of the people he encountered.

Sgt. Stubby: Conclusion

To audiences it may just be another cute but slight animation, but the makers of Sgt. Stubby – An American Hero, Fun Academy Motion Pictures, have well-natured intentions for their film and the positive impact it could have. They have partnered with over 70 animal organisations to highlight how stray animals can form a lifelong bond with humans and go beyond their limitations if given a chance in life. They aim to educate with their animation, which shows how a stray dog went from unwanted to the most decorated dog in US history.

This may be a lot to ask of a small film from a small studio, competing with the likes of Disney/Pixar, but then who doesn’t love an underdog story?

What are your thoughts on Sgt. Stubby? Are you prone to animated manipulation tugging at your heartstrings?

Sgt. Stubby – An American Hero was released in the US on March 13th 2018.