A Dog's Way Home (2019)

Canine to five

I appreciate a canine caper as well as the next person... okay, probably far more than the next person. I am a "dog person" through and through, and cheesy, over-sentimental films about our furry, four-legged friends bring me an innate sense of joy. "A Dog's Way Home" is certainly no exception. This sweet, often funny, often depressing story follows a rescue named Bella (given inner monologue voice over by Bryce Dallas Howard), as she tries to find her owner, after the threat of euthanasia from a antagonistic Denver Animal Control officer sends her to live in New Mexico with another family.

Bella finds herself roaming the New Mexico and Colorado countryside, weaving in and out of the lives of strangers, and other animals. She spends time with a pack of dogs knocking over trash cans, a mountain lion she raises after its mother is murdered, and a gay couple who take care of her after an avalanche, to name a few. The human cast is peppered with some solid performances from the likes of Ashley Judd as the mother of the boy who finds Bella, Edward James Olmos a homeless veteran who befriends her, and Barry Watson as one half of the aforementioned couple that help to outline the story beats, and give a somewhat vague passage of time.

All in all, this is a charming movie about the mistreatment of animal companions, with a strong undercurrent that ties it to mistreatment of American War Veterans. Despite some of its flaws, it has a lot of heart, and that heart usually stays in the exact right place. But, to tell you the truth, I could have done without Bryce Dallas Howard's voice over in many spots. When the film seemed like it could have hit a truly emotional note, it would drop in with an often shrill delivery that would only serve to undermine the scene. Some of the dialogue is awkward and out of place, while some of the landscape photography could have been a little more dynamic. The Colorado countryside looks lifeless and droll far too often.

That being said, this is a sweet film that has enough peril to make you worry that Bella might not make it (unless you saw the trailer). It should be a nice time in the theatre for the family. More sensitive "dog people" should be warned to bring tissues. I wish someone would have warned me.

Grade: B-

Director: Charles Martin Smith
Writer(s): W. Bruce Cameron (also Book) & Cathryn Michon
Running Time: 96 min
Rating: PG for thematic elements, some peril and language