8.1/10
254,799
510 user 95 critic

Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009)

Trailer
2:14 | Trailer
A college professor bonds with an abandoned dog he takes into his home.

Director:

Lasse Hallström

Writers:

Stephen P. Lindsey (screenplay), Kaneto Shindô (motion picture "Hachiko monogatari")
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Popularity
2,390 ( 369)
Top Rated Movies #215 | 1 nomination. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Gere ... Parker Wilson
Joan Allen ... Cate Wilson
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa ... Ken
Sarah Roemer ... Andy
Jason Alexander ... Carl
Erick Avari ... Jasjeet
Davenia McFadden Davenia McFadden ... Mary Anne
Robbie Sublett ... Michael (as Robbie Collier Sublett)
Kevin DeCoste Kevin DeCoste ... Ronnie (11 Years)
Rob Degnan Rob Degnan ... Teddy Barnes (as Robert Degnan)
Tora Hallström Tora Hallström ... Heather
Donna Sorbello Donna Sorbello ... Myra
Frank S. Aronson Frank S. Aronson ... Milton - The Butcher (as Frank Aronson)
Troy Doherty ... Sal
Ian Sherman Ian Sherman ... Student Pianist
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Storyline

Commuting by train, music professor Parker Wilson finds an Akita puppy, whose cage broke unnoticed during shipping, leaving his destination unknown, and since the station can't care for it and the dog catcher warns even such cute ones may not be adopted in the two weeks allowed, he kindly takes it home. His bossy, jealous wife Cate initially makes Parker swear it won't stay, but by the time its' clear nobody will claim him and an adoption candidate is found, she agrees to keep the dog, who won over their daughter Andy and her fiance Michael at first sight. Parker's Japanese college friend Ken inspires naming the pup Hachi(ko), and is pleasantly surprised when Parker successfully tackles the challenge to get it to fetch, which Akitas don't usually do. Hachi makes a habit of waiting for his equally doting master at the station every evening, but after a cardiac crisis, Parker dies. Hachi refuses to accept this, being moved to Michael's home as Cate moves out, waiting for a master who ... Written by KGF Vissers

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

A true story of faith, devotion and undying love.


Certificate:

G | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Hachi is a Japanese Akita/Akita Ainu from the mountainous northern regions of Japan. See more »

Goofs

When Cate awakens Parker, who has fallen asleep watching Game 6 of the 1996 World Series with Hachi, the footage shown on the television is of then-Yankee catcher Joe Girardi running out his run-scoring triple in that game. Presumably it's late, and Parker and Hachi had been watching the game quite a while for Parker to have fallen asleep, but Girardi's triple came in the 3rd inning. It's also questionable whether Parker, who's depicted as an avid Yankee fan, would fall asleep during a World Series-clinching game. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Heather: So even if Columbus got lost and wasn't the first to discover America, he's still my hero. He was really brave to sail in such a tiny ship over a really big ocean. And because of him, we get Columbus Day off of school.
Teacher: Thank you Heather. Uh, Ronnie? Tell us about your hero.
Ronnie - 11 years: [writes HACHIKO on the blackboard] Hachiko was my grandfather Wilson's dog. Everyone called Hachi a mystery dog because they never really knew where he came from. Maybe Hachi escaped from a dog pound. Or maybe he ...
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Crazy Credits

Message near the end of the credits: "Although beloved by many as a family pet, Akitas are recommended only for dedicated and experienced dog owners. To learn more, please visit the American Humane Association at www.americanhumane.org and the American Kennel Club at www.akc.org" See more »

Connections

Remake of Hachikô monogatari (1987) See more »

User Reviews

 
You cannot get it any better than this
5 February 2010 | by ankurinSee all my reviews

Its really hard to articulate when you have so much to write and so little words to express. And even lesser words which could actually help you convey what you want to say. The closest word which comes to my mind in this case is 'stupendous'.

Hachiko is a true story about a dog in Japan and the special bond he shared with a professor whom he met when it was a little puppy. The story has been put forward exceptionally well by the cast and the director.

The movie has been kept extremely simple with minimum effort on the scenes, yet remarkably you are kept spellbound after a couple of minutes into the movie. And as the other reviews suggest, making the whole theater grab onto their tissues explains how good it really is.

Lastly, coming for someone who also rates 'Eight below' as one of his favorite's, a high rating of Hachiko would seem a little biased to many. But in my honest opinion I don't think that anybody who has watched this movie can rate it below 10.


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Details

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Japanese

Release Date:

12 March 2010 (UK) See more »

Also Known As:

Hatchi See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$16,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$46,749,646
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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