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 USA:

$254,420, 3 September 2006

Gross USA:

$652,163

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,442,854

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

There are seven puppies in the litter (at around 1h 30 mins), but eight can be seen in the walk in the countryside (at around 1h 30 mins).

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Quotes

The Duke: Mr. Hynes. Please do not say another word. Never, under any circumstances whatsoever, will I allow anybody to attack an animal of mine. Collect what wages are due to you and leave my property immediately. Otherwise I will not be answerable for the consequences.

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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

Version of Courage of Lassie (1946)

User Reviews

Wonderful tale of a dog and its strong bond to a young boy

The worst thing that can be said about this excellent film is that it is a "family movie" as that term may turn off many cinema buffs from seeing a film that is first rate from practically all aspects. It is brilliantly directed by Charles Sturridge ("Brideshead Revisited") and features several cream of the crop actors starting with the marvelous Peter O'Toole. It is also a superb adaptation of Eric Knight's wartime novel, "Lassie Come Home." (Unfortunately, the viewer would not know this until the end of the credits.) The photography is absolutely breathtaking with scenes of the Scottish Highlands that I haven't seen equaled. There is also a grittiness and realism to the film that was impossible to capture in a 1943 version filmed on the back lots of MGM. Rather than a mere remake, this film is classic in its own right and deserves a wider audience than I suspect it has found thus far. High fives all the way.