Movie Review: A Dog’s Purpose

 

*Spoiler Alert*

 

“A Dog’s Purpose” was originally a novel written in 2010 by Bruce Cameron, and on Saturday, Jan. 27 it was released as a movie in theatres across America.

This heart-warming film taught many great lessons about life. As a dog owner myself, the movie really took a toll on my emotions as I had a personal connection to the storyline. I was crying one minute but laughing the next. This movie also had a lot of familiar voices and faces including Dennis Quaid and Josh Gad, the voice of Olaf from “Frozen.”

The movie starts with a dog who constantly questions his reason for existence. He eventually finds a family with a young boy named Ethan, who names the dog Bailey. Bailey grows up with Ethan, helping him through all of the hard times with his alcoholic father, finding his future girlfriend, Hannah, and even saving Ethan when his house starts on fire. One day, Ethan goes off to college and Bailey continues to get older and more tired. His family takes him to the vet where Ethan meets them and Bailey’s life with Ethan ends.

After his life with Ethan, Bailey is reincarnated as a puppy and lives other lives with other owners. He is a heroic police dog in one life and a caring service dog with a loving family in another. In each life, he notices that his owner is sad in some way and Bailey is there to support him and make him feel better.

These series of lives lead him to a life where he ends up at a familiar farm. Bailey realizes this farm belongs to Ethan and is lovingly reunited with him. Ethan is sad and lonely in his old age, so Bailey finds his old girlfriend Hannah and brings them together. By the end of the movie, Bailey understands his purpose for living: to always be there for his owner.

This movie is a family-friendly story that puts you on an emotional rollercoaster. The story is relatable to all dog owners and entertaining to all ages. I highly recommend this movie to everyone, and I also suggest bringing tissues to the theatre because this movie is a tearjerker.