There are four dogs in this film – Bailey, Buddy, Tino and Ellie all voiced by Josh Gad. With Bailey, our first dog, she’s a puppy, left in an overheated car. As she drools and whines, she tells us she’s wondering how to get a drink of water. When a passerby mother and her son, Ethan, see the situation, and break the glass to rescue the puppy, the next thing we know the dog has found a new home. Of course Bailey, the dog, sees it differently. He decides he’ll be the one to keep this family.
That’s the beauty of A Dog’s Purpose. It’s the story of dogs as seen through, well, the dog’s eye. A dog’s purpose is to be man’s best friend, and that means engaging all of the dog’s senses to indulge his human owner. Everything is through sight, smell, touch, hearing and even speaking through a certain bark tone to express communication. It’s all unconditional love.
We’ve all been there…the fifteen-year-old pet we have to voluntarily put down to his final resting place, but did you know for the dog, the soul goes on? It may not just end here. Just ask Dennis Quaid who plays the adult version of “Ethan” the boy who lost his dog. Of course this film is the version we all want… that our pets die, come back and be here in the present right now, as it’s all we’ve really got.
Director Lasse Hallstrom does films all over the map. He’s brought us The-Hundred-Foot-Journey, Chocolat, and even Cider House Rules. Somehow these films tie together an element of kindness, miracle, and disbelief. This one is no different.
The movie teaches us that a dog’s purpose varies from owner to owner. But here’s the real story. Our pets are victim to how we treat them. To the life we give them. At times the movie is far-fetched as a long tossed Frisbee, but in the end there won’t be a dry eye in the theater. And it’s just the right dose of spiritual understanding for any parent trying to explain to their child that their doggie is in heaven.