A Dog's Journey

A Dog's Journey

Starring Josh Gad, Dennis Quaid, Marg Helgenberger, Kathryn Prescott

Directed by Gail Mancuso

The Story:
Ethan (Dennis Quaid) and his wife Hannah (Marg Helgenberger) lives a happy live on their ranch with their young granddaughter CJ (Emma Volk) and Ethan's ever-loyal dog Bailey (voiced by Josh Gad) - until CJ's alcoholic, neglectful mother Gloria (Betty Gilpin) decides to take her away because she feels like Ethan and Hannah only want CJ's inheritance since their son (and CJ's father) died.  Not long after, Bailey succumbs to a cancerous tumor, but not before Ethan tells him to look after CJ.

Bailey is reborn as Molly, who searches and finds CJ (Abby Ryder Fortson) who is older and lives with Gloria, who's only become more neglectful than before.  CJ turns to Molly and her only friend Trent (Ian Chen) for comfort, and as she grows up she begins turning to music as well.  Now almost eighteen, CJ (Kathryn Prescott) plans to leave her mother and head to New York City to start her own music career, but a sudden event occurs resulting in Molly's death.

Molly is then reborn as Big Dog, who finds Molly at a local grocery store before she heads off to New York, and then returns again as Max, who finds CJ in New York City and fulfills his promise to Ethan to take care of her and keep her safe - as he begins prodding her toward her childhood friend Trent (Henry Lau) in hopes of making CJ happy.

The Synopsis:
2019 is the year of the dog in cinema, and of course it's the most emotionally exhausting time of my life due to my insane love for our four-legged companions.  "A Dog's Way Home" and "The Art of Racing in the Rain" had me literally bawling in the theater, and thankfully I saw "A Dog's Journey" at home so I could once again cry, but this time in the privacy of my own home.  All three films tug at the heartstrings and deliver emotional moments that any dog lover can relate to, but what "A Dog's Journey" does better than the other two is offer a more hopeful look at our favorite friends, in a Buddhist belief in reincarnation that shows our most loyal pups watch over us no matter how many times they die and come back, and offers the most perfect love imaginable - unrelenting, giving, and self-sacrificing.

The sequel from 2017's "A Dog's Purpose," "Journey" finds our lovable dog Bailey living the good life with his boy Ethan and his growing family, including young granddaughter CJ.  Bailey protects CJ from the dangers of the farm and her uncaring mother until she takes CJ away, leaving Bailey and his humans distraught and hurt.  Before Bailey dies, Ethan tells him when he comes back to take care of CJ, and thus the journey begins - through different lifetimes for Bailey, he always seeks out and finds CJ to fulfill his promise to his boy Ethan.

Yet it's not just the dog that undergoes life changes, but CJ herself drastically transforms, and we get to see a character grow from an infant to a little girl, to a teenager and adult, and all the joys and pains that come along with it - through the eyes of Bailey.  It's a beautiful diatribe that offers two differing performances - one through a voice, the other through a body.

Josh Gad returns as the voice of Bailey, who again gives the dog a human touch as he sets out to protect CJ at any cost - until there's food around.  Gad perfectly epitomizes what it means to be a lovable dog with a mission: he has fun with other dogs when he notices CJ is happy, but when he senses her sad, he runs right to her side every time, and you sense a deep love for Bailey and his incarnations for CJ.  Equally, Kathryn Prescott as the grown-up CJ showcases raw emotion and gives a terrific performance that makes her a very likeable and believable character who you feel for and appreciate.

It's extremely rough to see a dog go through several deaths (even though it's all fake, which I had to keep telling myself through my tears), but the film tells a heartwarming tale at its center - how our dogs keep watch over us through our lives, and serve as much more than just a pet.  The final moments of the film is filled with tear-inducing moments, with a cathartic conclusion that only the most hardened of hearts will not cry through - but unlike other dog films, this one wasn't done in an emotionally manipulating way, but a way of telling us all that everything will be alright with our four-legged companions at our side.

The Summary:
Delivering a rousing, emotional story about the unrelenting love of a dog and its owner, "A Dog's Journey" tells a beautiful story through different lifetimes about how our four-legged friends bring comfort and unconditional love through every moment of our lives.

The Score: A