For The Love Of Dog
By Skip Sheffield
What is “A Dog’s Purpose?”
The short answer is unconditional love. Swedish director
Lasse Hallstrom used W. Bruce Cameron’s screenplay of his 2010 novel to mount a
tribute to canines and their human friends.
There is not just one dog in the story. It starts with a Red
Retriever who escapes from a dog pound, and is rescued by a woman named Hannah
(Britt Robertson). Hannah has a brother named Ethan (Bryce Gheisar) who becomes
very attached to the dog he names Bailey.
Dogs don’t live as long as humans. In time Bailey segues
into different times and breeds as Buddy, Tino and Ellie. Josh Gad provides the
various dog voices. The one constant is Ethan, who grows up to be Dennis Quaid.
Hannah becomes Peggy Lipton, in a welcome return to the silver screen.
“A Dog’s Purpose” is aimed squarely at dog lovers. Ironically
the movie has been protested by PETA because of a scene in which one of the
dogs, a German Shepherd, jumps into a raging river.
My father hated dogs; therefore we never had one of our own.
It was not until I was married with children that a dog came into my life. I
consider myself better for the experience.
“A Dog’s Purpose” is sentimental, corny and clichéd, but it
is filled with love. A dog’s purpose is to “Be Here Now.” That is good advice
to humans of any age.
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