A Dog's Purpose (film)
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''A Dog's Purpose'' is a 2017 American
adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...
drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
film directed by
Lasse Hallström Lars Sven "Lasse" Hallström (; born 2 June 1946) is a Swedish film director. He first became known for directing almost all the music videos by the pop music, pop group ABBA, but came to international attention with his 1985 feature film ''My L ...
and written by W. Bruce Cameron, Cathryn Michon,
Audrey Wells Audrey Ann Wells (''née'' Lederer; January 25, 1960 – October 4, 2018) was an American screenwriter, film director, and producer. Her 1999 film ''Guinevere'' won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. Early life and education Wells was born in ...
,
Maya Forbes Maya Forbes (born July 23, 1968) is an American screenwriter and television producer. She made her debut as a film director with ''Infinitely Polar Bear'' (2014). Her other writing credits include the screenplay of ''The Rocker (film), The Rocker' ...
, and Wally Wolodarsky, based on the 2010 novel of the same name by W. Bruce Cameron. The film stars
Britt Robertson Brittany Leanna Robertson-Floyd (née Robertson; born April 18, 1990), known professionally as Britt Robertson, is an American actress. She has appeared in the films '' The First Time'' (2012), ''Tomorrowland'' (2015), '' The Space Between Us'' ...
, KJ Apa in his film debut,
Juliet Rylance Juliet van Kampen Rylance (born 26 July 1979) is an English actress and producer, known for her roles in '' The Knick'', '' McMafia'' and '' Perry Mason''. She is the daughter of composer Claire van Kampen and the step-daughter of actor Mark ...
,
John Ortiz John Augustin Ortiz (born May 23, 1968) is an American actor. He is known for his antagonist role as Arturo Braga in '' Fast & Furious'' (2009) and ''Fast & Furious 6'' (2013), and Clyde in '' Jack Goes Boating'' (2010), which earned him a nom ...
and
Dennis Quaid Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for his starring roles in '' Breaking Away'' (1979), '' The Right Stuff'' (1983), '' The Big Easy'' (1986), '' Innerspace'' (1987), '' Great Balls of Fire!'' (1989), ' ...
with Josh Gad in multiple voice roles. It covers themes of loyalty, grief, dysfunctional family, over a series of reincarnations. The film is a co-production between
Amblin Entertainment Amblin' Entertainment, Inc., formerly named Amblin Productions, is an American film production company founded by director and producer Steven Spielberg, and film producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall in 1980. Its headquarters are lo ...
,
Reliance Entertainment Reliance Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian media and entertainment company. It is a division of Reliance Group, handling its media and entertainment business, across content and distribution platforms. The company was founded on 15 February ...
,
Walden Media Walden Media, LLC is an American independent studio that develops, produces and finances feature films and television series for the U.S. and global markets. Its films focus on stories of courage drawn from biographies, historical events, and li ...
, and Pariah Entertainment Group. It was released by
Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
on January 27, 2017, and grossed $205 million worldwide, and received mixed reviews from critics. It was
Peggy Lipton Margaret Ann Lipton (August 30, 1946 – May 11, 2019) was an American model, actress, and singer. She made appearances in many of the most popular television shows of the 1960s before she landed her defining role as flower child Julie Barnes i ...
's final film role before her death in 2019. A sequel, titled ''
A Dog's Journey ''A Dog's Journey'' is a 2012 book written by W. Bruce Cameron and published by Forge Books. It is the sequel to Cameron's 2010 book ''A Dog's Purpose A Dog's Purpose may refer to: * ''A Dog's Purpose'' (novel), a 2010 novel by W. Bruce Camer ...
'', was released on May 17, 2019.


Plot

In the 1950s, a feral puppy wonders about life's true purpose. Weeks later, he is caught by dog catchers, taken to the pound, and euthanized. The dog is reborn as a Red Retriever in 1961. Leaving his cage at a
puppy mill A puppy mill, also known as a puppy farm, is a commercial dog breeding facility characterized by quick breeding and poor conditions. Although no standardized legal definition for "puppy mill" exists, a definition was established in ''Avenson v. ...
, he is taken by two garbage men who plan to sell him. Left locked inside their pick-up truck, he begins to die of heatstroke, but is rescued by a kindhearted mother and her eight-year-old son Ethan Montgomery. They break the truck's window and bring him home, naming him Bailey. Bailey and Ethan bond quickly, especially over the summer at Ethan's grandparents' farm, and Bailey decides Ethan alone is his purpose. Years pass, and after several attempts at advancing in his job fail, Ethan's father has become an alcoholic. In 1969, Ethan meets Hannah at a fair with Bailey, and they soon begin dating. They spend their summer together, happily through senior year. They plan to go to the same college, Ethan getting a football scholarship and Hannah with an academic one. At home one night, Ethan's drunken father becomes abusive towards his mother and him. Ethan orders him to leave and never return. Later in 1971 at a football game watched by scouts, Ethan is offered a full scholarship to Michigan State. That night, his vindictive classmate Todd throws a lit firecracker into Ethan's house, causing a house fire. Bailey alerts Ethan, who saves his mother out through an upstairs window. Ethan lowers her, then Bailey. However, he loses his rope and must jump, fracturing his leg and ending his athletic scholarship. Bailey attacks Todd, who is arrested by the police when firecrackers fall out of his pocket. With no other options, Ethan has to go to an
agricultural school Agricultural education is the systematic and organized teaching, instruction and training (theoretical as well as hands-on, real-world fieldwork-based) available to students, farmers or individuals interested in the science, business and technol ...
, where he will learn to take over the farm. Depressed, Ethan breaks up with Hannah before leaving for college, while Bailey stays with Ethan's grandparents. Bailey ages and Ethan comes to say goodbye. Bailey is reborn as a female
German Shepherd The German Shepherd, also known in Britain as an Alsatian, is a German Dog breed, breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various Old German herding dogs, traditional German herding dog ...
puppy, growing into a
police dog A police dog, also known as a K-9 (phonemic abbreviation of canine), is a dog that is trained to assist police and other law enforcement officers. Their duties may include searching for drugs and explosives, locating missing people, findin ...
named Ellie, in the late 1970s/early 1980s, while fully retaining memories of her past lives. Ellie is partnered with lonely, officer Carlos Ruiz who has recently split up with his partner, of the
Chicago Police Department The Chicago Police Department (CPD) is the primary law enforcement agency of the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, under the jurisdiction of the Chicago City Council. It is the second-largest Law enforcement in the United States#Local, ...
and works hard at "seeking" and "finding", now seeing the job as life's purpose. They form a close bond, ending after Ellie saves a girl, kidnapped by her mother's ex-boyfriend, from drowning and is then fatally shot by the kidnapper while protecting Carlos. Reborn in the mid-1980s as a male
Corgi The Welsh Corgi ( or Corgi, plural Corgis, or occasionally the etymologically consistent Corgwn; ) is a small Dog type, type of herding dog that originated in Wales. The name ''corgi'' is thought to be derived from the Welsh language, Welsh w ...
, Bailey is adopted by Atlanta college student Maya, who names him Tino. Lonely, he tries to find her happiness. She meets Al, a classmate, after Tino falls for Al's dog, a female Landseer named Roxy. They marry, having three children. Tino is heartbroken when one day Roxy does not return from the vet. As a now elderly Tino dies, he thanks Maya for giving him one of his best lives. Bailey reincarnates again, this time as a St. Bernard/
Australian Shepherd The Australian Shepherd is a breed of herding dog from the United States. The name of the breed is technically a misnomer, as it was developed in California in the 19th century. It is believed to have its origins in sheepdog breeds from northwe ...
mix puppy in 2014. At first adopted by Wendi, he is named Waffles. Unfortunately, Wendi's husband neglects him, refuses to let her keep him inside, and after several years, abandons him. Waffles searches for a new life, gradually returning to where he spent summers as Bailey. He joyfully reunites with his old master Ethan, now in his 60s, living on his grandparents' old farm. Not recognizing him, Ethan takes him to the local animal shelter, but later reclaims him, naming him Buddy. Finally sensing that he has finally found his true purpose, he reunites Ethan with a widowed Hannah, and they get married. Buddy shows Ethan that he is his beloved childhood dog, by performing tricks and responding to phrases that were known only to the two of them many years back, such as "boss dog". Ethan finds Bailey's collar, now old and rusty, and places it back on Bailey's neck, and they resume playing exactly the way they did years ago. Bailey narrates that life is about having fun, saving others, finding someone to be with, not getting upset over the past or the future, and living for today.


Cast

* Josh Gad as the voice of Bailey, Ellie, Tino and Buddy, the reincarnations of "Boss Dog", the main protagonist. *
Dennis Quaid Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for his starring roles in '' Breaking Away'' (1979), '' The Right Stuff'' (1983), '' The Big Easy'' (1986), '' Innerspace'' (1987), '' Great Balls of Fire!'' (1989), ' ...
as Ethan Montgomery, an old man who owns and runs his grandparents' old farm. ** KJ Apa as teenaged Ethan Montgomery, a popular football player who later gets injured and must become a farmer. ** Bryce Gheisar as eight-year-old Ethan Montgomery, a young boy interested in comics and football. *
Peggy Lipton Margaret Ann Lipton (August 30, 1946 – May 11, 2019) was an American model, actress, and singer. She made appearances in many of the most popular television shows of the 1960s before she landed her defining role as flower child Julie Barnes i ...
as Hannah, an old woman who is widowed and has two children. **
Britt Robertson Brittany Leanna Robertson-Floyd (née Robertson; born April 18, 1990), known professionally as Britt Robertson, is an American actress. She has appeared in the films '' The First Time'' (2012), ''Tomorrowland'' (2015), '' The Space Between Us'' ...
as teenaged Hannah, the supportive and intelligent girlfriend of Ethan. *
John Ortiz John Augustin Ortiz (born May 23, 1968) is an American actor. He is known for his antagonist role as Arturo Braga in '' Fast & Furious'' (2009) and ''Fast & Furious 6'' (2013), and Clyde in '' Jack Goes Boating'' (2010), which earned him a nom ...
as Carlos Ruiz, Ellie’s partner who trains her as a
police dog A police dog, also known as a K-9 (phonemic abbreviation of canine), is a dog that is trained to assist police and other law enforcement officers. Their duties may include searching for drugs and explosives, locating missing people, findin ...
. *
Logan Miller Logan Miller (born ) is an American actor. He is known for starring in the Disney XD sitcom '' I'm in the Band'' (2009–2011) and for voicing Sam Alexander / Nova in the animated series ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' (2012–2017). In films, he has s ...
as Todd, a former friend of Ethan's who is vindictive and jealous of him. *
Juliet Rylance Juliet van Kampen Rylance (born 26 July 1979) is an English actress and producer, known for her roles in '' The Knick'', '' McMafia'' and '' Perry Mason''. She is the daughter of composer Claire van Kampen and the step-daughter of actor Mark ...
as Elizabeth Montgomery, Ethan's mother in an unhappy and abusive marriage to Jim, whom she later divorces. * Luke Kirby as Jim Montgomery, Ethan's father in an unhappy and abusive marriage with Elizabeth and a depressed alcoholic. * Gabrielle Rose as Fran, Ethan's maternal grandmother. * Michael Bofshever as Bill, Ethan's maternal grandfather and a farmer. *
Kirby Howell-Baptiste Kirby Howell-Baptiste (born 23 October 1987), credited mononymously as Kirby since 2023, is an English actress. She has appeared as a series regular on '' Downward Dog'' (2017), ''Killing Eve'' (2018), '' Why Women Kill'' (2019), and as Death o ...
as Maya Williams, a shy young woman who adopts Tino. *
Pooch Hall Marion "Pooch" Hall, Jr. (born February 8, 1976) is an American television and film actor known for his role as Derwin Davis, the football player on the sitcom '' The Game'', and as Ricky in the 2011 film '' Jumping the Broom''. He also played t ...
as Al, a young man who dates and later marries Maya, and has three children with her.


Production

In 2015, DreamWorks acquired the film rights for Cameron's novel. On May 8, 2015, it was announced
Lasse Hallström Lars Sven "Lasse" Hallström (; born 2 June 1946) is a Swedish film director. He first became known for directing almost all the music videos by the pop music, pop group ABBA, but came to international attention with his 1985 feature film ''My L ...
would direct the film. On August 5, 2015,
Britt Robertson Brittany Leanna Robertson-Floyd (née Robertson; born April 18, 1990), known professionally as Britt Robertson, is an American actress. She has appeared in the films '' The First Time'' (2012), ''Tomorrowland'' (2015), '' The Space Between Us'' ...
and
Dennis Quaid Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for his starring roles in '' Breaking Away'' (1979), '' The Right Stuff'' (1983), '' The Big Easy'' (1986), '' Innerspace'' (1987), '' Great Balls of Fire!'' (1989), ' ...
joined the cast. On September 18, 2015,
Pooch Hall Marion "Pooch" Hall, Jr. (born February 8, 1976) is an American television and film actor known for his role as Derwin Davis, the football player on the sitcom '' The Game'', and as Ricky in the 2011 film '' Jumping the Broom''. He also played t ...
was cast in the film. On October 15, 2015,
Bradley Cooper Bradley Charles Cooper (born January 5, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and three Grammy Awards. In addition, he has been nominated for twelve Acade ...
joined the cast to play Bailey's inner voice, but the role was eventually performed by Josh Gad.
Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
began on August 17, 2015. During production,
controversy Controversy (, ) is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin '' controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an op ...
ensued over treatment of a dog during filming.


Release

In December 2015, the film switched from a
DreamWorks Pictures DreamWorks Pictures (also known as DreamWorks SKG and commonly referred to as DreamWorks) is an American film studio and Film distribution, distribution label of Amblin Partners. It was originally founded on October 12, 1994, as a live-action a ...
release to under the
Amblin Entertainment Amblin' Entertainment, Inc., formerly named Amblin Productions, is an American film production company founded by director and producer Steven Spielberg, and film producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall in 1980. Its headquarters are lo ...
banner as per
Amblin Partners Storyteller Distribution Co., LLC, doing business as Amblin Partners, LLC., is an American independent entertainment production company. It develops and produces films under the Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks Pictures banners, as well as ...
' newly enacted branded strategy. The film was released by
Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
on January 27, 2017. Universal also distributed it overseas, except for countries where Mister Smith Entertainment handled international sales.


Reception


Box office

''A Dog's Purpose'' grossed $64.5 million in the United States and Canada and $140.5 million in other territories for a worldwide gross of $205 million, against a production budget of $22 million. In North America, it was released alongside '' Resident Evil: The Final Chapter'' and ''
Gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
'', and was projected to gross $18–22 million from 3,050 theaters in its opening weekend, slightly lower than initial $27 million tracking had the film debuting to before boycotts against the film were called for. It made $466,000 from Thursday-night previews and $5.3 million on its first day. It ended up debuting to $18.2 million, finishing second at the box office behind the second weekend of Universal's own ''
Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enter ...
''. The film dropped 40.6% in its second weekend, grossing $10.8 million and finishing third at the box office.


Critical response

On
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, the film has an approval rating of 35% based on reviews from 147 critics, with an average rating of 4.9/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "''A Dog's Purpose'' offers an awkward blend of sugary sentiment and canine suffering that tugs at animal-loving audiences' heartstrings with shameless abandon." On
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, the film has a weighted average score of 43 out of 100 based on 32 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Audiences polled by
CinemaScore CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data. Background Ed Mintz, who ...
gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. Andrew Barker of ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' wrote: "Viewed in a vacuum, it’s hard to fault the movie’s earnestness; Hallström’s canine cinema pedigree (which includes the superior '' Hachi: A Dog's Tale'') shows through; and Rachel Portman's score is understandably sentimental without going completely saccharine." Frank Scheck of ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' wrote: "While the human performers are more than adequate, there’s no doubt that the canine stars carry the day. Their utter irresistibility helps a long way in terms of getting past the corny plot machinations of ''A Dog’s Purpose''."


Home media

''A Dog's Purpose'' was released on digital HD on April 18, 2017, and was followed by a release on
Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
and
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
on May 2, 2017, from
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Universal Pictures Home Entertainment LLC (UPHE) is the home video distribution division of Universal Pictures, an American film studio owned by NBCUniversal, the entertainment unit of Comcast. UPHE is the home video distributor for all of the ...
. The film topped the home-video sales chart for the week ending on May 7, 2017.


Controversy

On January 18, 2017, a video surfaced on
TMZ ''TMZ'' is an American entertainment-focused tabloid news organization owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested ...
showing footage taken from the set of the film, which shows a male German Shepherd named Hercules being dragged and dipped into rushing water while visibly resisting. After a cut in the video, the next clip shows the dog being submerged in the water at the other end of the tank while a voice on set can be heard shouting "CUT IT!", and various people are then seen rushing towards the dog. The
American Humane Association The American Humane Society (previously American Humane), is an American animal welfare organization founded in 1877 that works to rescue, care for, and protect animals by taking action wherever and whenever they are in need. It was previously ...
, which ensures that animals are not harmed in entertainment productions, announced that its representative on set had been suspended over the incident, and that the incident was under further investigation.
PETA People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; ) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. Founded in March 1980 by Newkirk and animal right ...
called for a boycott of the film. Actor Josh Gad, who voices the dog in the movie and was not on set during the making of the film, said he was "shaken and sad to see any animal put in a situation against its will." Director Lasse Hallström said via
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
that he "did not witness" the actions in the video, and was "very disturbed" by the footage. Due to the release of the video, Universal Pictures cancelled the film's scheduled January 19 Los Angeles premiere. Amblin Entertainment released a statement in regards to the incident, saying, "on the day of the shoot, Hercules did not want to perform the stunt portrayed on the tape, so the Amblin production team did not proceed with filming that shot," and "Hercules is happy and healthy." On February 4, 2017, the American Humane Association reported that an independent third-party animal-cruelty expert had concluded that safety measures on the set of the film were in place and the video had been deliberately edited to mislead the public.


Sequel

On June 21, 2017, CEO of Amblin Entertainment Michael Wright announced that a sequel was in development. On August 26, 2018, Universal began production on the sequel, which is directed by Gail Mancuso, and was released on May 17, 2019. In addition to Quaid and Gad reprising their roles, the cast also includes
Marg Helgenberger Mary Margaret Helgenberger (born November 16, 1958) is an American actress. She began her career in the early 1980s and first came to attention for playing the role of Siobhan Ryan on the daytime soap opera ''Ryan's Hope'' from 1982 to 1986. Sh ...
(replacing
Peggy Lipton Margaret Ann Lipton (August 30, 1946 – May 11, 2019) was an American model, actress, and singer. She made appearances in many of the most popular television shows of the 1960s before she landed her defining role as flower child Julie Barnes i ...
, who had become seriously ill),
Betty Gilpin Betty Gilpin (born July 21, 1986) is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Debbie "Liberty Belle" Eagan in the Netflix comedy series '' GLOW'' (2017–2019), for which she was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outsta ...
, Kathryn Prescott, and
Henry Lau Henry Lau (; ; born October 11, 1989), known mononymously as Henry, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer based in South Korea and China. He debuted in 2008 as a member of Super Junior-M and launched his ...
. The trailer for the sequel, titled''
A Dog's Journey ''A Dog's Journey'' is a 2012 book written by W. Bruce Cameron and published by Forge Books. It is the sequel to Cameron's 2010 book ''A Dog's Purpose A Dog's Purpose may refer to: * ''A Dog's Purpose'' (novel), a 2010 novel by W. Bruce Camer ...
'', was released in January 2019.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dog's Purpose 2017 films 2017 controversies in the United States 2010s fantasy comedy-drama films American fantasy comedy-drama films Films about dogs Films about reincarnation Films about pets Films set in the 1960s Films set in the 1970s Films set in the 1980s Films set in the 1990s Films set in the 2010s Films set in Chicago Films set in Michigan Films shot in Manitoba Amblin Entertainment films Reliance Entertainment films Universal Pictures films Walden Media films Films directed by Lasse Hallström Films based on American novels Films with screenplays by Audrey Wells Films with screenplays by Wallace Wolodarsky Films with screenplays by Maya Forbes Films scored by Rachel Portman Films about animal cruelty Obscenity controversies in film Animal cruelty incidents in film 2017 comedy-drama films American children's fantasy films American children's comedy films American children's drama films 2010s psychological drama films American psychological drama films 2010s English-language films 2010s American films English-language fantasy comedy-drama films English-language fantasy comedy films English-language fantasy drama films