
A Dog's Way Home
By Sandie Angulo Chen,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Sentimental but sweet dog adventure has intense, sad scenes.

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A Dog's Way Home
Community Reviews
Based on 64 parent reviews
If your kid is sensitive, avoid
Traumatized my son
What's the Story?
A DOG'S WAY HOME, based on W. Bruce Cameron's same-named book, centers on a pitbull-mix dog named Bella (voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard). Bella starts her life in Denver as a stray pup who lives in an abandoned lot with her mother and littermates. After Bella's mom is caught by animal control, a mama cat nurses Bella and adopts her. One day, Lucas (Jonah Hauer-King), who lives near the lot, shows his crush, Olivia (Alexandra Shipp), the cats. In the process, they discover cute little Bella, and Lucas brings her home to live with him and his mother (Ashley Judd), a veteran who's struggling with depression. For a while, Bella enjoys an idyllic life with Lucas and his mom and even comforts the veterans at the VA hospital where Lucas works (and his mom attends group therapy sessions). But when animal control deems Bella dangerous (because she's part pit) and threatens euthanasia, Lucas teaches her a game called "Go Home" in which she races back to their house. After Lucas is forced to place Bella in the temporary care of Olivia's aunt and uncle in New Mexico, Bella believes she must play "Go Home" and begins her long, perilous journey home.
Is It Any Good?
Cameron is like Nicholas Sparks, but for pet stories; his crowd-pleasing, tearjerking work focuses on the powerful love between humans and their dogs. And while dog-loving families will be happy to note that, unlike in A Dog's Purpose, there's no death scene involving the central canine in A Dog's Way Home, there definitely is an emotional, intense story arc that's likely to leave them in tears. Howard does a fine job voicing the incredibly loving, determined, and long-suffering Bella, who wants nothing more than to play with Lucas and comfort "Mom" and her veteran friends. Bella's relationship with the doting Lucas (Hauer-King is sweetly charming) is as cute as you'd expect, especially the twee way he offers her a "tiny piece of cheese" every night before bed.
But the movie's second half, which deals with the series of sad to seriously upsetting obstacles Bella faces once she's separated from Lucas, is overlong. The scenes Bella spends as an adoptive mother to an orphaned baby cougar she calls "Big Kitten" feel like they're part of one of those "unlikely animal friends" stories, but the cougar looks so overtly computer-generated that the effect can be off-putting. And when Bella ends up with homeless Axel (Edward James Olmos), things get downright depressing. The theme of veterans suffering from mental illness works in the context of service dogs, but Axel's situation seems a bit heavy for what's otherwise clearly a family-targeted film. There's a brief moment of happiness when Bella temporarily lives with a kind married couple (Barry Watson and Motell Gyn Foster) who want to adopt her. She's tempted, but her heart belongs at home, with Lucas.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violent/upsetting scenes in A Dog's Way Home. Do you think they're necessary to the story? Can a movie have violent/scary parts and still be family-friendly?
Discuss how the movie includes diverse representations of dog owners. Why is it important to see people from different walks of life and backgrounds in media?
How do the movie's story and Bella's actions promote empathy and perseverance? Why are those important character strengths?
How does the movie portray veterans? Is it sympathetic? What do veterans need that they aren't always getting?
Movie Details
- In theaters: January 11, 2019
- On DVD or streaming: April 9, 2019
- Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard , Ashley Judd , Jonah Hauer-King
- Director: Charles Martin Smith
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Cats, Dogs, and Mice
- Character Strengths: Empathy , Perseverance
- Run time: 96 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: thematic elements, some peril and language
- Last updated: April 26, 2023
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