Lassie (2005)

A family in financial crisis is forced to sell Lassie, their beloved dog. Hundreds of miles away from her true family, Lassie escapes and sets out on a journey home.

Director:

Charles Sturridge

Writers:

Eric Knight (novel), Charles Sturridge

Stars:

John Lynch, Samantha Morton, Peter O'Toole

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter O'Toole	...	The Duke
Samantha Morton	...	Sarah Carraclough
John Lynch	...	Sam Carraclough
Peter Dinklage	...	Rowlie
Gerry O'Brien	...	Watson
Steve Pemberton	...	Hynes
Eamonn Hunt	...	Alf Patterson
Edward Fox	...	Hulton
Jim Roche	...	Miner
John Standing	...	French
Gregor Fisher	...	Mapes
Jonathan Mason	...	Joe Carraclough
Brian Pettifer	...	O'Donnell
Paul Meade	...	Policeman
Jamie Lee	...	Tom

Storyline

Life is hard for Yorkshire miner's son Joe Carraclough (Jonathan Mason), who is beaten at school by a his teacher, his only consolation is his collie Lassie. It gets worse: when the mine is decommissioned, his father, Sam (John Lynch), is forced to sell the dog to The Duke (Peter O'Toole), who owns the local estate. The Duke's servant, Hynes (Steve Pemberton), scares the dog, who keeps running back, so the Carracloughs have to keep returning her, until the Duke moves to the Scottish Highlands for the holiday season. Lassie escapes, embarking on a desperate journey home, with daunting Glasgow dogcatchers and taken in by a circus performer. It looks like a miracle is needed, by Christmas.

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Plot Keywords:

human dog relationship | animal character name as title | lassie character | lassie | dog | 

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Taglines:

More Than A Hero. A Legend.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some mild violent content and language

Details

Official Sites:

Metropolitan Films [France] Official site [United States]

Country:

USA France Ireland UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 September 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lassie kehrt zurück

Filming Locations:

Clancy Barracks, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£132,926 (United Kingdom), 18 December 2005, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$374,879, 3 September 2006, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$652,163, 5 October 2006

Company Credits

Production Co:

Odyssey Entertainment, Classic Media Productions, Davis-Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

There were some earlier "Lassies", in literature of the 1800s, as well as in silent movies. Eric Knight, a British-born author, wrote a Lassie character in a short story in 1940, then expanded it to a novel called "Lassie Come Home", which became the first Lassie sound movie. The original "modern" Lassie was first played by a male collie named Pal in Lassie Come Home (1943). Pal is listed on the IMDb as Pal, and played Lassie in all of the early sound movies. His descendants played in the television series and in most Lassie movies and television appearances since.

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Goofs

The steam train has a British Railways logo on the tender, but British Railways didn't come into existence until after the war, certainly not before or during the war, the period in which the film is set.

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Quotes

The Duke: [bringing Sarah out to see Lassie in the kennel] Isn't she something?
Cilla: I thought you said they wanted to keep her?
The Duke: Well, they changed their mind, didn't they? Couldn't get rid of her fast enough once the subject of money was mentioned.
Cilla: She doesn't look very happy about it.
The Duke: Nonsense!

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Crazy Credits

There are no credits at the beginning of the film, not even the film's title. All that is seen is the logo of the production company.

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Connections

References Grand Hotel (1932)

User Reviews

Poor family sells beloved Lassie to make ends meet.

This inspired adventure will warm your heart and provide your children with an introduction to the inequities of class-based society. Set in early 20th century England, a struggling working class family faces destitution when the local coal mine shuts down, leaving no work in town. Their young son's primary source of joy is his dog Lassie, but they can scarcely afford to feed him. When the granddaughter of nearby duke fancies Lassie, a deal is struck to exchange the dog for cash. How will Lassie respond to this form of trade? What effect will the dog have on these two families representing either extreme of peerage? Find out, and enjoy a couple of delightful subplots along the way. Meet an opportunistic upper-class "wannabe," an amiable puppeteer with a traveling sideshow, and even catch a glimpse of the era's dating scene.

Like most children's films, the performances lean toward the pedestrian, but the cast is engaging nonetheless. The cinematography is breathtaking, and the story is fully realized. Don't miss it!