A Dog's Purpose

Movie review by Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media
A Dog's Purpose Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 10+

Tearjerker is sweet, poignant, and occasionally violent.

PG 2017 120 minutes
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Parents say

age 11+

Based on 38 reviews

Kids say

age 9+

Based on 75 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

Stands out for and .

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that A Dog's Purpose is an emotional drama based on W. Bruce Cameron's 2010 novel about a dog (voiced by Josh Gad) that's reincarnated several times from the 1950s through the 2000s (the dog keeps its memories/personality, despite being different breeds and genders). There are some violent/upsetting scenes: An alcoholic, abusive father pushes his wife and son; a man kidnaps a girl, threatens her, throws her in the water, and shoots at a police officer and his dog; a neglectful dog owner keeps his dog chained and then purposely lets him go astray; and a fire causes a catastrophic injury for a young man. Strong language is infrequent (but includes "s--t"), and couples don't do much more than kiss. Look for clear messages about empathy and the importance of companionship, both human and animal. Before the movie's release, a controversy emerged about whether the animal performers were mistreated on the set; an investigation proved that the video was edited in a misleading manner.

Community Reviews

ArchCody
ArchCody Adult
March 13, 2022
age 14+

Nice story.

Alsome feel good life journey good for all.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
DrHoritor
DrHoritor Adult
January 27, 2020
age 18+

If you've read the book then prepare to be ultimately disappointed.

I read the dog's purpose and dog's journey books and I am offended at some of the major changes that take place in the film. the story also deals with a pagan belief in reincarnation so I would caution some parents about that. Like most film adaptations the story is cut short in important areas and not long enough in others. the most saddening and offensive difference between the book and film was when Bailey who is a reincarnated female German Shepherd police dog is shot and dies by a criminal and the scene and situation where this takes place is not at all what happens in the book. (Book) Bailey (police dog) rescues a girl who fell into a river and was not kidnapped or pushed in by the criminal. the eventual criminal shoots the police officer,  not the dog. Both the cop and dog survive and Bailey (police dog) grows old and lives a happy life with the owner Maya who is another officer. (Film) A girl is kidnapped by a man and Bailey (police dog) tracks him down. the man resists arrest and throws the girl into the river before shooting Bailey later. two very unrelated events in the book. and instead of Maya being the police officer who owned the police dog she is not mentioned at all until Bailey reincarnates into his next life after getting shot on duty. And she is not a police officer in the film version universe as well. So then we have a whole new dog's life that was not ever in the story whatsoever??. also for the river scene a real dog was used and nearly drowned during filming before the decision to use an animated dog was made instead. terrible corner-cutting decisions have been made in this film adaptation and it betrays it's fans on every level. Reccomend the book,  not the film

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 38 parent reviews

What's the Story?

A DOG'S PURPOSE is based on W. Bruce Cameron's comedic novel about a dog's journey through several lives, with all different sorts of human companions. Voiced by Josh Gad, the dog is first a puppy that's picked up and euthanized by animal control. His first meaningful life is as Bailey, a golden retriever that ends up adopted by only child Ethan (Bryce Gheisar) and his mother (Juliet Rylance). Bailey and Ethan enjoy a close relationship that continues as Ethan grows into adolescence (K.J. Apa) and eventually becomes a star football player in the 1960s. Bailey even plays a part in helping Ethan find his first serious girlfriend, Hannah (Britt Robertson). But after family and personal tragedy strike, Bailey eventually dies of old age. He's then reincarnated as Ellie, a K-9 German shepherd partnered with cop Carlos (John Ortiz) in the 1970s. The dog fulfills its life cycle again and again until the 2000s, when circumstances bring him full circle.

Is It Any Good?

Director Lasse Hallstrom specializes in emotional, feel-good fare that can make audiences cry, and this tearjerking drama is no exception. But because of a behind-the-scenes animal-abuse controversy, word of mouth leading up to the release of A Dog's Purpose wasn't about Gad's touching voice performance or the movie's alternately adorable and heartbreaking storylines. Instead, all the buzz was about a viral video that allegedly depicted on-set abuse toward the movie's animal actors -- a video that was later proven to have been purposely edited in a misleading way (i.e. faked).

All of that aside, the story exalts the relationship between dogs and their humans. Gad's voice is gentle and clear as all the various incarnations. Although the dog lives several lifetimes, it's Bailey that resonates the most (Apa is perfectly cast as a high-school football star whose dog is his best friend). There are occasional heavy themes, but there's laughter, too, and one "life" is quick and happy -- when the dog is a little pooch that belongs to pizza-loving, fast-talking graduate student Maya (Kirby Howell-Baptiste). Maya is lonely, and, thanks to her cute little dog falling for a much larger dog in the park, she finds love with her classmate. But ultimately it's the Bailey-Ethan bond that's most meaningful for this particular dog, and the way they find their way back to each other again is likely to leave you sniffling.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violent/upsetting scenes in A Dog's Purpose. Do you think they're necessary to the story? Can a movie have violent parts and still be family friendly?

  • Did the controversy about the movie impact your feelings about it? How do you feel now that it's been proven that the video was edited in a misleading way? What does this teach us about casting a critical eye on what we see and hear?

  • What do the human characters learn from the dog? How does the movie's story promote empathy? Why is that an important character strength?

  • How does the movie address grief, especially in relation to losing a pet? Have you ever had to deal with that? What made you feel better?

  • How does the movie portray drinking? Are there realistic consequences? Why is that important?

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