Movie #196........................."Hachiko: A Dog's Story"

Movie #196 "Hachiko: A Dog's Story" is a wonderful fllm with so many attractive features: 1) Lasse Halstrom's direction 2) Richard Gere's connection with the dog 3) Joan Allen whom I love (she comes from Rochelle, Il) 4) a great true story that it is based on and 5) a fine script with a wonderfully "acting" (if that's possible) dog (s). There's nothing not to like here --- I heard, as the producer did, about this dog at Shubuyo train station in Japan who went 9 years everyday to the train station AFTER his master had died, and he finally died there, and how he taught loyalty and bonding to all the people there. So much so, that they erected a bronze station at the train station in his memory. You'll find yourself being very emotional when you see this --- a wonderful family film. I found myself so sad that this dog doesn't understand death (he isn't even told that his master dies), but then, maybe he does, and he knows soemthing more than we do. There's something magical about this dog (an akita) and his relationship with his master professor Parker, and it makes the movie magical. This is one you want to see!





Average rating: 4.162
I'd give it 4.2 stars
Hachi: A Dog's Tale
Hachiko: A Dog's Story
(2009) G
When his master, Parker (Richard Gere), dies, a loyal pooch named Hachiko keeps a regular vigil -- for more than a decade -- at the train station where he once greeted the man every day in director Lasse Hallström's touching drama based on a true story. Hachiko's faithful routine teaches the station's patrons about true love and commitment. Joan Allen stars as Parker's wife; Sarah Roemer, Jason Alexander and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa co-star.