Technical assessment: 3
Moral assessment: 3.5
CINEMA rating: V13
MTRCB rating: PG
The film follows the four lifetimes of a dog (voiced
by Josh Gad). During his first life, as
a golden retriever, he's rescued from a dangerous situation and adopted by
8-year-old Ethan Montgomery (Bryce Gheisar). Ethan's mother (Juliet Rylance)
welcomes this addition to the household, and helps convince his father (Luke
Kirby), to accept the puppy whom Ethan names Bailey. He becomes Ethan's inseparable
companion as Ethan grows into a high school football star (KJ Apa) and finds
true love with Hannah (Britt Robertson). His bond with Ethan proves the most
enduring of his relationships with humans. But still, during his succeeding
lifetimes, Bailey serves as a police dog called Ellie and later becomes a Corgi
named Tino. Ellie does her best to comfort her lonely trainer, widowed Chicago
police officer Carlos (John Ortiz), and Tino helps to liven up the stagnant
social life of his companion single young lady Maya (Kirby Howell-Baptiste). In
all this life cycles of living and dying, Bailey desperately tries to ponder on
the real purpose of his existence.
A Dog’s Purpose is a
charming adaptation of a 2010 best-selling novel by author W Bruce Cameron. It
will be easy for pet lovers to fall in-love with the film and the dog
protagonist but non-pet lovers will be endeared to the film’s universal appeal
as well. The storyline though is quite simplistic and devoid of spectacle but
it is able to show its heart. Gad as the voice-over is terrific and the other
casts are as effective. It might have really been a challenge as well to make
dogs act but the film is able to do that with flying colors. One will really
never see dogs the same again after seeing the film as it will really make one
feel dogs’ human side. The film does not really climax though – but such is
forgivable for the film is meant to make the audience ponder on the very core
of humans and dogs purpose of existence. And it really is just as simple as the
film.
The film
banks on its simple charm and the simple but powerful message—live in the
present moment, one simple truth that most may have already forgotten. In the
hustle and bustle of urban life, most take present moments for granted. Humans
are either busy in the present, resentful in the past or anxious of the future.
Bailey lived each moment of his life, in all the four lifetimes, by the present
moment. He acknowledges his emotions at the moment and forgets his ego—all for
the sake of his master. Dogs love unconditionally and live a life of no regrets
because they have given their all to their owners. They know that they do not
own their life and that they are always dependent on their master. They provide
joy and bring cheer to the lives of people and yet, when they are neglected,
they do not harbor hatred. They are loyal to the core both to their master—and
to their purpose. Truly, humans can learn so much from dogs. God created man
for a purpose—to love. And dogs are created to remind humans of that purpose. But we must also be reminded that unlike this
dog in the movie, humans live only one life. For some of its mature themes on teenage love,
family life, and alcoholism, the children must be accompanied when watching,
but all ages must be guided on the concept of reincarnation which underlies the
plot of the movie.
