A Dog's Way Home movie review (2019)
So on paper, Charles Martin Smith’s talking dog movie “A Dog’s Way Home”, where a canine takes an utterly implausible two-year/400-mile journey to reunite with the human who saved him from the streets, is my basic nightmare. But after all, I am not made of stone, am I? What dog parent wouldn’t like to believe our lost dogs would eventually find us at all costs, no matter what? And who among us hasn’t interpreted a dog’s thoughts, elaborated on them and even spoken them out loud? I can’t be the only weirdo here and I won’t be the last one to cry during this film’s end credits.
Even then and despite Bryce Dallas Howard’s sweetly soothing voice as Bella (played by the adorable Shelby), I maintain that “A Dog’s Way Home” would have been a lot more affecting and provocative (without losing any of its charming family friendliness) had Bella not been granted a screen voice. Leaving that aside, Smith’s film is still one you can’t help but root for, as the screenwriters Cathryn Michon and W. Bruce Cameron (also the author and scribe of the trilogy that includes “A Dog’s Purpose” and “A Dog’s Journey”) lovingly braid in numerous humanist themes into their tale at every turn.
A stray mutt raised by a cat (which she calls ‘Mother Cat’) in the suburbs of Denver after her mom gets taken away, Bella falls into the hands of Lucas (Jonah Hauer-King) and Olivia (Alexandra Shipp); two kindly med school students who also volunteer for animals in need. Also in the mix is Lucas’ depressed war veteran mother Terri (Ashley Judd), the pet-hating real estate mogul Gunter (Brian Markinson) and antiquated city laws enforced by officer Chuck (John Cassini), that prohibit certain mutts and ignorantly think of “pit bulls” as two dirty words. To save Bella from a most heartbreaking fate (don’t get me started on pit bull euthanasia rates), Lucas, Olivia and Terri find her a temporary home in New Mexico, from which Bella escapes to make her way back to her own humans. It’s a perilous road decked with near-fatal hazards for sure, but also with mostly well-meaning humans and a baby cougar whom Bella calls ‘Big Kitten’—brought to life by what could contend for the year’s worst CGI. But who cares when she proves to be such a loyal and reliable road buddy in the mountains of Colorado?
