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:

Every dog happens for a reason.

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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

Bradley Cooper was originally slated to provide the voice of the titular dog; however, he was ultimately replaced with Josh Gad.

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Goofs

In one of the scenes the dog is watching "Dynasty" in the 80's on an analog TV and noting that the protagonists are fighting. Dogs could not recognize images on analog TVs, as their eyes could recognize the flicker effect that happened with analog images. It wasn't until digital TV came along in the 90's that dogs could recognize images on TV.

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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

Referenced in Superstore: Wellness Fair (2017)

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Soundtracks

Score from Gunsmoke
Written by Rex Koury, Leith Stevens, Lucien Moraweck, and René Garriguenc
Courtesy of CBS Broadcasting, Inc.

User Reviews

great heartwarming film

those who have read this book will not be disappointed, as always the book is still better than the movie, but for a movie based on a great book, they did a really good job. the story is heartwarming, and has a few tearful moments, but all in all, it was a happy ending. as someone who almost always cries at the sad movies, i give this a 3 tissue warning. i truly enjoyed this book, and all W. Bruce Cameron's books, and the idea of making a movie from such a great book is always troubling, but the process here was well done. the actors representing the characters did a great job of embodying the personalities, and no one can complain about Josh Gad voicing the many lives of the dog. bravo to the producers and the director for doing such a good job with the story,

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