A Dog's Purpose is an emotional drama based on W. Bruce Cameron's 2010 novel about a dog (voiced by Josh Gad) that's reincarnated several times from the 1950s through the 2000s (the dog keeps its memories/personality, despite being different breeds and genders). There are some violent/upsetting scenes: An alcoholic, abusive father pushes his wife and son; a man kidnaps a girl, threatens her, throws her in the water, and shoots at a police officer and his dog; a neglectful dog owner keeps his dog chained and then purposely lets him go astray; and a fire causes a catastrophic injury for a young man. Strong language is infrequent (but includes "s--t"), and couples don't do much more than kiss. Look for clear messages about empathy and the importance of companionship, both human and animal. Before the movie's release, a controversy emerged about whether the animal performers were mistreated on the set; an investigation proved that the video was edited in a misleading manner.
The film is directed by Dean Devlin, director and writer, known for Chocolat (2000), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) and Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009).
WHAT'S THE STORY? A DOG'S PURPOSE is based on W. Bruce Cameron's comedic novel about a dog's journey through several lives, with all different sorts of human companions. Voiced by Josh Gad, the dog is first a puppy that's picked up and euthanized by animal control. His first meaningful life is as Bailey, a golden retriever that ends up adopted by only child Ethan (Bryce Gheisar) and his mother (Juliet Rylance). Bailey and Ethan enjoy a close relationship that continues as Ethan grows into adolescence (K.J. Apa) and eventually becomes a star football player in the 1960s. Bailey even plays a part in helping Ethan find his first serious girlfriend, Hannah (Britt Robertson). But after family and personal tragedy strike, Bailey eventually dies of old age. He's then reincarnated as Ellie, a K-9 German shepherd partnered with cop Carlos (John Ortiz) in the 1970s. The dog fulfills its life cycle again and again until the 2000s, when circumstances bring him full circle.
MOVIE INFO Rating: PG (for thematic elements and some peril) Genre: Comedy, Drama Directed By: Lasse Hallstrom Written By: W. Bruce Cameron, Cathryn Michon, Audrey Wells, Maya Forbes, Wallace Wolodarsky In theaters: January 27, 2017 Runtime: 120 minutes Studio: Amblin Entertainment Cast: Dennis Quaid, Josh Gad, Britt Robertson, Peggy Lipton