A Dog's Way Home

Name: A Dog's Way Home
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Family
Released: January 11, 2019
Duration: 96 min
Rating: 50
Cast: Alexandra Shipp, Ashley Judd, Barry Watson, Benjamin Ratner, Brian Markinson

2019

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Mixed or average reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews

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Mixed or average reviews based on 40 Ratings

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5.9

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5.9	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 40 Ratings

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A Dog's Way Home

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Movie Details & Credits

Columbia Pictures | Release Date: January 11, 2019 | PG

Starring: Alexandra Shipp, Ashley Judd, Barry Watson, Benjamin Ratner, Brian Markinson, Bryce Dallas Howard, Cesar De León, Chris Bauer, Edward James Olmos, Farrah Aviva, Jennifer Gibson, John Cassini, Jonah Hauer-King, Kimi Alexander, Lane Edwards, Leo Chiang, Lucia Walters, Motell Gyn Foster, Patrick Gallagher, Rolando Boyce, Spencer Drever, Tammy Gillis, Wes Studi

Summary: A lot can happen between lost and found. A Dog's Way Home chronicles the heartwarming adventure of Bella, a dog who embarks on an epic 400-mile journey back home after she is separated from her beloved human, Lucas (Jonah Hauer-King).

Director: Charles Martin Smith

Genre(s): Adventure, Drama, Family

Rating: PG

Runtime: 96 min

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Critic Reviews

RogerEbert.com Tomris Laffly

Jan 11, 2019

This may all sound too shameless and syrupy, but to its credit, A Dog’s Way Home scratches the surface of something I, as a pit bull obsessive, have never seen a “dog movie” do. Read full review

Alan Ng

Feb 16, 2019

The best thing I can say about A Dog’s Way Home is that it’s an exceptional film, that you’d find on the Hallmark Channel. Science has yet to count just how many strings the human heart has, but A Dog’s Way Home tries to pull every damn one of them. Read full review

Chris Nashawaty

Jan 11, 2019

Heartwarming, mildly funny, and occasionally thrilling without ever being anything more than just fine. Read full review

Glenn Kenny

Jan 10, 2019

As ridiculous as it gets, and that’s plenty, A Dog’s Way Home manages to serve up a one- to two-hankie finale, depending on the extent of your dog-person-ness. Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Jan 11, 2019

Dog’s Way Home is aimed at the very young, so don’t expect anything challenging. It moves along but felt limp and kind of lifeless, for all the sentimentality Smith & Co. serve up. Read full review

Katie Walsh

Jan 10, 2019

Even the cute factor of A Dog's Way Home can't obscure its narrative weaknesses. Read full review

IndieWire Jude Dry

Jan 10, 2019

For a movie with so much going on, (not even counting the CGI cougar Bella befriends), A Dog’s Way Home is wildly devoid of meaning or humor. Read full review

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User Reviews

ila2222

Feb 14, 2021

Самый трогательный фильм что я видел!Захватывает весь фильм!

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Panchogul

Feb 23, 2019

¿Que tiene la gente con este tipo de películas que siempre reciben críticas mixtas a malas? Son hermosas para disfrutar sólo o en familia, quizás sus historias sean siempre lo mismo ¿Pero que importa? Yo la encontré hermosa, cándida y juguetona, debo admitir que derramé lágrimas a lo largo¿Que tiene la gente con este tipo de películas que siempre reciben críticas mixtas a malas? Son hermosas para disfrutar sólo o en familia, quizás sus historias sean siempre lo mismo ¿Pero que importa? Yo la encontré hermosa, cándida y juguetona, debo admitir que derramé lágrimas a lo largo de casi toda la película, en fin, valió la pena la espera.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

MarkTakayama

Oct 21, 2019

If you like dogs, you watch this movie.You will love "Bella" who is royal to Lucas.I liked the mountains in Colorado and wild animals.Great movie!

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

NovastreamAU

Feb 25, 2019

A Dog’s Way Home is definitely not for everyone, but unlike that other dog centred story from a few years ago, A Dog’s Purpose (and getting a sequel later this year – A Dog’s Journey), this book adaptation is not just made for children. Author W. Bruce Cameron has been known for his “dogA Dog’s Way Home is definitely not for everyone, but unlike that other dog centred story from a few years ago, A Dog’s Purpose (and getting a sequel later this year – A Dog’s Journey), this book adaptation is not just made for children. Author W. Bruce Cameron has been known for his “dog tales” and clearly there’s a market for it. Dog lovers will get all fuzzy and warm watching this pooch embark on a 400-mile journey to get back home to her beloved owner. Its very cliché and predictable most of its runtime, but they’ve picked out the most perfect canine to make even the most deep-frozen hearts melt.

Shelby (who plays Bella), a real rescue dog btw, is the star in this family drama. It has a few similarities to the 1993 Disney film Homeward Bound, which I used to love as a kid, and has not just one but TWO dogs and a cat finding their way back home. Oh yeah, just to be clear, A Dog’s Way Home isn’t just about a dog, cats are a very important part of the story too. Maybe there’s another market for Hollywood to explore and use real cats instead of the CGI-heavy creatures in this film.

Bella’s pitbull mother gets taken away by a dog catcher who’s being influenced by a villainous real estate developer who wants to tear down some rundown houses which are home to numerous stray dogs and cats. Bella, finds a loving new family with Lucas (Jonah Hauer-King), who works at a VA hospital, and his depressed war veteran mother Terri (Ashley Judd). We also get to meet co-worker and love interest Olivia (played by Alexandra Shipp).

Bella (voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard) doesn’t look like a pitbull, since her father probably wasn’t, but coming from a pitbull mother means she’s a dangerous breed which is illegal in Denver, Colorado – where the movie takes place. “That’s basically racism for dogs”, protests an emotional Olivia. So after briefly being locked up at the local pound, Bella has to stay with Olivia’s family who live hundreds of miles away until they meet legal arrangements to make sure they can keep the dog.

Not understanding the situation and missing Lucas, Bella is eager to play their little game “Go Home” to get reunited with him. This is when she starts out on her dangerous journey through mountains and several seasons.

Bella meets some interesting human- and animal characters along the way, including a gay couple who briefly adopt her after she helps save an avalanche victim, a homeless veteran who uses her charms to get more money while begging and an orphan mountain kitten that she takes under her paw.

A Dog’s Way Home features some intense scenes that could upset younger viewers. She has some life altering experiences involving interacting with a pack of wolves, a dangerous highway and the fight for survival.

Director Charles Martin Smith, who directed A Dolphin’s Tale and its sequel, likes his slapstick clichés such as a “chicken run” through a supermarket when employees bump into anything and everyone possible. But the film’s dog loving demographic won’t really care too much about the formulaic story writing and are just here to see a dog find his way back home and eventually tear up multiple times throughout the movie.

A Dog’s Way Home will play in Australian cinemas from 28th February 2019.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Ralfbergs

Aug 21, 2019

Nothing special, quite predictable and basically watched it just because I like dogs. Probably nice movie for kids which I am not :D

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

bataguila

Jul 8, 2019

aburrida..........................................................................

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Broyax

Apr 11, 2020

C'est l'histoire d'un clébard, non d'une clébarde, enfin, un cabot quoi... non je veux dire une cabote... enfin euh, un quadrupède parmi nos "30 millions d'amis" qui chient partout sur les trottoirs (vive la parité, tout ça). Et donc surtout en image de synthèse bien bidon et de temps enC'est l'histoire d'un clébard, non d'une clébarde, enfin, un cabot quoi... non je veux dire une cabote... enfin euh, un quadrupède parmi nos "30 millions d'amis" qui chient partout sur les trottoirs (vive la parité, tout ça). Et donc surtout en image de synthèse bien bidon et de temps en temps en vrai clebs mais je ne suis pas sûr, à dire vrai.

Quoi qu'il en soit, notre chienne qui a du chien est très attachée à sa famille et... enfin, je ne sais plus parce que j'ai zappé rapidement, juste le temps de remarquer la présence d'Ashley Judd... qui est presque une mamie maintenant ! ou même une vraie mamie en fait. Elle pourrait faire des yaourts.

Qu'est-ce qu'elle fout dans cette daube niaise de chez Disniais, je pige pas. La pauvre... enfin, la pauvre, façon de parler. Quand même. Mais attends, attends... c'est pas Disniais cette merde niaise à chiards niaiseux... c'est une merde soniaise en fait ! au temps pour moi, c'est pas Disniais, c'est Soniais.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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