The Art of Racing in the Rain

The Art of Racing in the Rain

Starring Milo Ventimiglia, Amanda Seyfried, Kevin Costner, Ryan Kiera Armstrong

Directed by Simon Curtis

The Story:
Racecar driver Denny (Milo Ventimiglia) picks up a young puppy from a local couple and names him Enzo (Kevin Costner).  Enzo and Denny grow up together watching racing and Enzo accompanies Denny on some of his races, and develops a fondness for the sport.  He thinks it's just the two of them, until Denny meets and falls in love with Eve (Amanda Seyfried).

At first Enzo is distrusting of Eve and jealous that Denny's affections are now for the both of them, but he warms up to her after they get married and give birth to young Zoe (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), whom Enzo immediately takes a liking to and sets out to protect her.  As the years go on, tragedy continuously strikes the family, but Enzo stays by Denny's side as he weathers the rain of life as well as racing, and learns important lessons about life, love, and family.

The Synopsis:
When it comes to movies about dogs and cats, I dread having to see them, because I ultimately know no matter the outcome I'll be a crying blubbering mess by the end of it.  I can see hundreds of people die on screen and not flinch an inch, but as soon as I see a beloved pet getting the least bit injured, I'm balling and screaming at the screen.  "The Art of Racing in the Rain" is the third film of 2019 to focus on the relationship between a man and his dog ("A Dog's Way Home" and "A Dog's Journey" are the other two), and out of the three of them this one is the most damaging to my emotions, as there's hardly a moment to simply breathe and relax, as catastrophe after catastrophe strikes the family, and becomes absolutely draining by the end of it.

The film focuses on the relationship between racecar driver Denny and his dog Enzo, who's beautifully voiced in his inward voice by Kevin Costner.  Enzo believes it's he and Denny to the end, and grows a deep fondness for racecar driving like his best friend.  When Denny begins dating and marries Eve, Enzo grows to love her as well, and immediately becomes protective of their daughter Zoe after she's born.  The years progress and Denny's life his hit with hardships time and again, but he learns to weather the storms of life with Enzo by his side always.
"No one knows what curves life would throw at you, but the driver has the courage to create his own conditions and the rain is simply rain."  The title refers to a racer's life on the racing track when the weather turns sour and it begins to rain.  Most drivers slow down or can't handle the rain and skid off, but Denny learns the art of racing in it - to go with it, to maintain control, and to go with it.  This applies to the real-life events that threaten Denny's picture-perfect life, as he faces challenges left and right that threaten to throw him to the wall.  Enzo maintains his calm and stays with Denny through it all, even if he can't speak because of his long tongue, but he always keeps in mind the knowledge Denny has imparted on him - the car goes where the eyes go, there's no dishonor in losing the race but only dishonor in not racing because you're afraid to lose, that which we manifest is before us as we are the creators of our own destiny - and uses that knowledge to help Denny as only he knows how.

Kevin Costner offers a soothing voice to the otherwise insane world Denny faces, and gives Enzo a deeper personality than possibly imagined.  He's gruff but lovable, inquisitive and wise, and offers deeper meaning to life's events than you'd think.  Milo Ventimiglia and Amanda Seyfriend shine as Denny and Eve, whose love is felt through the eyes of Enzo and proves how unrequited it is.  Yet the film focuses more on the negatives of life, as Denny is hit time and again by the most harrowing, heartbreaking, and downright unfair events that any human can face, and this becomes emotionally exhausting by the end of it.  There's one particular event that hits a little halfway through that could've been cut out entirely if the director wanted to spare the viewers more heartache, but of course it doesn't, and you just want the film to gracefully end.
This could mean that the film is terrible, but it's completely the opposite - we grow to love and care so deeply for these characters that when we see them suffering continually, we don't want to deal with it.  We care way too much and are so invested in their lives that it mimics our own heartaches and troubles, which is the opposite of why most of us go to movies at the first place - we want to escape our troubles, fears, and heartache, not be reminded of it on the big screen.  But it also shows us the unrequited love of a dog for his owner, and gives us hope that we can weather the storms with our best friend at our side.

The Summary:
Delivering gut punch after gut punch, "The Art of Racing in the Rain" shows us how important it is to have man's best friend at our side, and showcases what selfless love really is - through the eyes of a dog.

The Score: A-