![]() In the end, it doesn’t matter that much, we all used to see such extra makeup in Hollywood movies. Layla, Chico, and Forrest are all Hachi :) Maybe because a small Shiba Inu is prettier, or maybe because it resembles the grown-up Akita Inu look more closely. Strangely, for the role of a small Hachi they used a Shiba Inupuppy. Peter’s wife Cate Wilson is nicely played by Joan Allen, while Hachi is portrayed by three Akita Inu dogs, Layla, Chico, and Forrest. In the main role is the famous Hollywood star Richard Gere, who plays a professor Parker Wilson, an American counterpart of the actual professor Hidesaburō Ueno, Hachikō’s owner. ![]() The story’s main protagonist was a dog Hachikō, which is in this American movie adaptation of the incredible story called Hachi. It is based on a true story, which originally took place in Japan, in Shibuya, Tokyo. “ Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” is a heartbreaking movie of the great loyalty between the dog and its owner. Stars: Richard Gere, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Joan Allen, and others. Lindsey (screenplay), Kaneto Shindô (screenplay for the original Japanese movie “ Hachikō Monogatari“) ![]() “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” is a great, big wet lick to the face, and a welcome one.Writers: Stephen P. Lindsey manage to toe the correct side of the line between overt sentiment and mushy smarm. The breadth and depth of Hallström’s work (“Chocolat,” “My Life As a Dog,” “The Shipping News”) suggests he might represent Sweden’s finest cinematic export since the Bergmans - Ingrid and Ingmar. The film really amps up the pulling of heartstrings at this point, as the dog continues his increasingly grim journey to the train station every afternoon, eternally hopefully that his master - his friend - will greet him again.Įventually, a reporter hears the remarkable dog’s tale, and the town rallies around its most famous denizen. I don’t think I’m giving anything away in saying that Parker dies about two-thirds of the way through the film - after all, it’s the dog’s behavior after his master’s death that made his story so unforgettable. to wait for Parker to step off the train again. He even shows up again promptly at 5 p.m. He also ignores his master’s instruction not to follow him to the train station for work every day. Hachi is a loving but willful companion - for instance, he refuses to play fetch, despite Parker’s many training attempts. The primary relationships is between the dog and Parker, but Allen has a great scene with Hachi where you can see the reluctance just melt away from her face. Soon enough, of course, Hachiko (the name comes from the number eight, which was written on his collar tag) becomes a full-fledged member of the family. They’ve apparently recently lost a dog she was close to, and as middle-aged empty nesters, Cate isn’t eager to see a four-legged interloper. So Parker takes the little guy home, despite the stern warning of his wife Cate (the always-wonderful Joan Allen) that they not keep him. The befuddled station manager (Jason Alexander) refuses to accept the pup, saying he’d have to just take it to the pound. Hachi was sent from a Japanese monastery, but his shipping tag was torn off. Gere plays Parker Wilson, a music professor who stumbles upon the lost puppy while disembarking from a train at his quaint little town of Bedridge. There’s an iconic statue of Hachiko at the station, and a Japanese film version came out in 1987, but the story remains largely unknown in the States.ĭirector Lasse Hallström teams up again with Richard Gere to tell an affecting Americanized version that retains many of the Japanese notes about loyalty and love between man and canine. “Hachi” is based on a true story that is very famous in Japan of an Akita dog that waited every day at the train station for its master - even years after the man had passed away. You might resent being emotionally manipulated by this film, but I challenge even the most hard-hearted moviegoer not to spill some saltwater while watching it. “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” is unapologetically a tear-jerker.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |