Hachi - A Dog's Tale

Hachi - A Dog's Tale [DVD j Hachi]

If you have a sentimental bone in your body, have a box of tissues handy when you watch this film! After hearing wonderful things about the movie Hachi, I finally took the time to watch it on DVD recently and found myself opening crying at various times throughout the film. Based on a real-life incident that took place in China, Hachi is about an adorable - and rare - Akita pup that gets lost in delivery to its proper owner, and temporarily adopted by a college professor who stumbles across it in an east-coast train station. Against his wife's better wishes, Professor Parker ends up adopting Hachi permanently when no-one else shows up to claim him. The Akita breed forms unbreakable bonds with their human "masters", and Hachi is no exception. He breaks through fences and doors in order to accompany Wilson to and from his daily train stop to work. When tragedy strikes the Wilson family, Hachi's love and loyalty are put to harsh test. The human performances in this film are great -- with Richard Gere as Parker Wilson, Joan Allen as his wife, and a large cast of recognizable faces as other family members, friends, co-workers and students. However, it is the team of dogs that the film-makers worked with as Hachi that steal the show. These dogs are astonishingly expressive, and my heart simply broke at the strength of relationship between Hachi and Wilson...a love that transcends time. Don't forget to watch the extras on this disc, particularly those that tell the story of the real-life "Hachi" that inspired this fictionalized story. -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Hachi web site ]

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