FILM REVIEW: Hachi A Dog's Tale
FILM REVIEW: Hachi A Dog's Tale
Starring: Joan Allen, Sarah Roemer, Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa, Jason Alexander, Richard Gere
Directed by: Lasse Hallstrom
Genre: Family, Drama
Certificate: U
An akita puppy born in a Japanese monastery is being shipped to the United States. On his long journey to the USA, the small puppy loses his address tag and his wooden crate falls off the cart, breaking open. The curious puppy climbs outs and goes wandering around a Rhode Island train station. The puppy walks right up to Parker Wilson who has just stepped off the train on his way home from his job, as a teacher in University.
The Professor assumes someone would be looking for this beautiful pure breed, but the station manager won’t take the responsibility for him. So Parker takes the puppy home as he had no were else to go. Parker then names the dog 'Hachi' as it was the one word on his tag, which he later learns it actually means his place in the litter. Parker tells his wife Kate, who is unenthusiastic about having a new pet. But the next morning they realise that no one seems to own or want to claimed the puppy from the station. The animal shelters are already overcrowded, so they decide to putting up some posters and little Hachi ends up going home with Parker again.
Parker does not want to give up the little canine friend he found. And soon man and dog become very attached to one another, sitting on the couch watching a baseball games while eating popcorn, playing in the back garden and taking a bath together after finding a stinky skunk in the garage. After watching Parker trying to teach Hachi to fetch Kate realised that Hachi should stay.
As Hachi grows up he becomes more and more attached with his human friend. The dog is so devoted to his owner that he accompanies him every day to the station and will be there when he gets back. However others started to notice and appreciate this loving ritual, even the hotdog guy who works nearby.
(PLOT REVEAL - You may wish to stop reading if you don't want to spoil the ending!)
One day Hachi sit at the usual place to wait for Parker but never comes. While teaching a music class Parker had a stroke and died. His daughter and her family try to take Hachi home with them and he kept escaping to go back to the train station to wait for his friend the years pass and Hachi sat in that same place until the day he died.
I would give this film 4/5 as it was very touching and a great film for all the family.
Rating
4/5 (****)
