A Dog's Purpose (2017)

A dog looks to discover his purpose in life over the course of several lifetimes and owners.

Director:

Lasse Hallström

Writers:

W. Bruce Cameron (screenplay by), Cathryn Michon (screenplay by)

Stars:

Josh Gad, Dennis Quaid, Peggy Lipton

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Josh Gad	...	Bailey / Ellie / Tino / Buddy (voice)
Dennis Quaid	...	Adult Ethan
Peggy Lipton	...	Adult Hannah
Bryce Gheisar	...	Ethan - 8 Years Old
K.J. Apa	...	Teen Ethan (as KJ Apa)
Juliet Rylance	...	Ethan's Mom
Luke Kirby	...	Ethan's Dad
Gabrielle Rose	...	Grandma Fran
Michael Bofshever	...	Grandpa Bill
Britt Robertson	...	Teen Hannah
Logan Miller	...	Todd
Kirby Howell-Baptiste	...	Maya
Pooch Hall	...	Al
John Ortiz	...	Carlos
Nicole LaPlaca	...	Wendi

Storyline

Lasse Hallström "The Hundred-Foot Journey" directed this adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name by W. Bruce Cameron, which follows a dog voiced by Josh Gad as he is reincarnated as different breeds belonging to various owners. Over the course of multiple lifetimes, the canine's existence intersects with that of a young boy who rescued him in 1962.

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Plot Keywords:

deflated football | dog | reincarnation | grandparents | firecracker | 

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Taglines:

The ones we rescue, rescue us.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements and some peril

Did You Know?

Trivia

There is a 7 year age differences between Britt Robertson (Hannah) and KJ Apa (Ethan).

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Goofs

Ellie is clearly played by a male German Shepherd. Female German Shepherds come in brighter coats than males and often lack the black streak across the forehead.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Bailey: [narrating] What is the meaning of life? Are we here for a reason? Is there a point to any of this?
[a litter of puppies]
Bailey: First, I had no idea what was going on. I... I couldn't see a thing. It was warm. There was my mother. Every day, I had fun. Was having fun the point? The whole point? No, it couldn't be that simple.
Dog Catcher: Here's one...
Bailey: And then it was over.
Dog Catcher: That's it for you.
[put him into his truck]
Bailey: No more fun. It seemed like such a short life. I mean, what exactly did I do? There was some...

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Connections

Features The Adventures of Pete & Pete (1992)

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Soundtracks

I Thank You
Written by Dave Porter (as David Porter) and Isaac Hayes
Performed by Sam & Dave
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

Surprised by the low rating- it was an excellent movie

Let me state up front that compared to "other movies" this movie is not a 10 but for what I expected it to be -a kid friendly, fun-loving movie that is relatively straightforward- it gets a 10. My 8 yr old son and 10 yr old daughter loved it, and so did I. It was sweet and heartfelt.

I cried each time the dog became another dog, and I don't think I am that sensitive.

In fact, this movie reminds me a bit of look who's talking, in the mind of a baby but in this movie, in the mind of a dog. It may feel realistic for some and not for others but who cares, it is a movie to make you smile and it is definitely not reality.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site

Country:

USA India

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 January 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Dog's Purpose

Filming Locations:

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$22,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,222,810, 29 January 2017

Gross USA:

$64,508,620

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$205,035,819

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dreamworks Pictures, Walden Media, Amblin Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos Datasat DTS (DTS: X) SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1