A Dog's Way Home (2019)

Dog movies seem to be going through a bit of a renaissance. Dog Days, A Dog's Purpose and it's sequel A Dog's Journey. Generally they are manipulative, overly simplistic, and completely schmaltzy. And audiences eat them up. People love their dogs and watching a dog struggle to survive for the love of it's owner seems to be a thing we're into.

A Dog's Way Home is exactly what you would think it is. If you're a dog lover you'll laugh and cry as Bella (a pitbullish mutt born to a stray) is rescued by first a cat family, then a human family, then does her best to get back to the human family after being unbeknownst to her only temporarily separated from them so she faces packs of wolves, an vengeful animal control officer, wilderness conditions, but also makes friends with another dog, a lovely gay couple, adopts a baby cougar, and crosses miles and state lines to get back to her beloved human family. Whew. I know. But I dare you not to tear up during all this cheese.

We don't go to these movies for their quality. We go to them to be inspired by the way we love our pets. Even non-pet owners will likely get all warm and fuzzy during the tearful reunion scene despite how eyerollingly bad the film is as it comes together in its climax.

I dare you not to tear up.

I dare you.

A Dog's Way Home
Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Ashley Judd, Jonah Hauer King, Wes Studi, Edward James Olmos
Director: Charles Martin Smith
Writers: W. Bruce Cameron, Catheryn Michon