I know, I know – this kind of article is very unlike what this blog is about, but hear me out here! I believe that all of us here, me and you, the readers, love dogs, right? Why else would we be so invested in dog racing and not, say, horse racing or F1? That’s why I figured that it’d be okay to write something a little bit different which would appeal to you, guys. The idea I came up with was a list of my own, personal, most favourite movies about dogs in the world! Keep in mind – for a movie to qualify on this list, it must be primarily about a dog (so something like “I Am Legend” won’t count), and I obviously must have seen it – while a lot of people have recommended me “Hachi” or “Eight Heroes”, I haven’t actually seen those, so I’m afraid they won’t be making the list (but they might make it onto a future one, if I see them and like them). In any case, let’s get down to business!
1. Old Yeller
Definitely one of Disney’s best live action movies to date despite being almost 60 years old, “Old Yeller” is the story of a young boy living during the Old West who needs to take over duties on the family farm after his father is called away. Soon enough, the boy encounters a large, yellow dog who seems friendly enough and quickly befriends the family, but the boy vows to never be his friend and instead simply focus on his work. Naturally, after the dog saves the boy’s life he mellows out, and the rest of the movie shows the two bonding and getting closer until… Well, I’m sure that by now everyone knows the ending, but don’t get me wrong, the movie is well worth a watch regardless! The acting is extremely tight and convincing, even from the younger actors, and the special effects involved in portraying all of these animals well are amazing, especially for their time!
2. Because of Winn Dixie
Alright, I admit – this movie isn’t actually very good if you’re looking for a cinematic masterpiece! It’s chock-full of clichés, the humour is laughable in all the wrong ways, and the acting is cringeworthy… And yet I still recommend that you check out “Because of Winn Dixie”. Why? Because it’s one of the most heartwarming, smile-inducing things to ever be put on film, period! There’s no bad guy here, not really, nor is there a dramatic ending to make you cry your eyes out. After the 1 hour 46 minute runtime of the movie, you’re gonna be grinning ear to ear and can go about your day feeling lighter than ever! The story of a 10 year old girl who moves to a new town and befriends a small dog who, in turn, helps her make friends in the most unlikely places, is able to melt even the most frozen of hearts, so long as you actually set your expectations for quality on the low end.
3. Marley & Me
Hoooo boy… That’s the big one, isn’t it? I don’t think any other movie represents the experience of owning a dog better than “Marley & Me” does. It is so funny, it’s so heartwarming, so gut-wrenching, it’s… Well, it’s accurate to say that it will make you feel literally every single emotion known to man throughout its runtime. Its plot is so basic that on paper it sounds downright boring – a pair of newlyweds decide to start a family by adopting a puppy, and their puppy (named after Bob Marley) turns out to be the spawn of Satan. “Worst dog ever” doesn’t even begin to describe it as Marley is completely disobedient, chews anything that can be chewed, eats anything that can be eaten (and a lot of things that can not be), pees, poops and vomits everywhere, and don’t even get me started on all the humping! It’s literally all the worst traits that could ever be exhibited by a dog put into one thing, and yet the director somehow manages to make the whole situation cute, endearing and funny, mostly because Marley’s owners tend to take the whole thing in stride and with a lot of humour. For anyone who has ever owned a dog, or at least imagined what it would be like, I HIGHLY recommend “Marley & Me”!