Silver screen fur friends

Last week everyone was treated to a fantastic column by Trish as she told us about the great time she had at the Tumwater Dog Days event.

This week Thom will share with you.

Since I was not feeling well and decided not to attend, I elected to do one of my favorite pastimes which includes a film, a bowl of popcorn and waging a losing battle with my two cats for control of the couch.  A friend of mine had recommended a movie on a streaming service called “Rescued by Ruby” (2022). It is the very wonderful and true story of Rhode Island State Trooper Daniel O’Neil who was determined to be a member of the K9 Search and Rescue team and his choice in choosing Ruby from a shelter to prevent her from being euthanized.  Despite misgivings by other people, Trooper O’Neil never gave up trying and Ruby not only passed her exam but went on to become a valuable member of the K9 team. She later was voted “Search and Rescue Dog of the Year” by The American Human Hero Dog Association in 2018.

All in all, a very enjoyable movie earning our rating of 5 out of 5 dog treats.

Now I must admit I watched the movie at first with some trepidation as my friend has a habit of proclaiming every movie he watches as ‘the best movie he has ever seen.”  And as enjoyable as “Rescued by Ruby” is, I felt the need to share with you just a few of my favorite films that fall into the “Animal” category.  Please keep in mind this is a limited list due to the space allotted.

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale    2009   Starring Richard Gere                                          This is a remake of a 1987 Japanese Film that told the true story of an Akita dog named Hachiko who lived in Japan from 1923 to 1935.  This version, which puts it in an American context, faithfully keeps the true element of loyalty as displayed by the story of the real Hachiko.  After his owner passed away suddenly in 1925, Hachiko returned to the train station the next day, and every day after for the next nine years, patiently waiting for his owner to return.                                                  We give it 5 out of 5 dog treats.

To Dance with the White Dog    1993         Starring Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy

This is a wonderful treat of a movie made all the more poignant as it was one of the last films that the real-life husband and wife (52 years), Cronyn and Tandy, made together before her passing in 1994. In this tale, after losing his wife, Cronyn is visited by a white dog who helps him with his grief but disappears whenever his family appears making them start to question his sanity.  As I was going through a difficult time when my American Eskimo came into my life, this movie has always had special place in my life.  This film is based on the 1990 book of the same title by Terry Kay.

We give it 5 out of 5 dog treats.

The Three Lives of Thomasina    1963       Starring Patrick McGoohan

One of the first live-action movies from Disney that I remember and based off of the book Thomasina by Paul Gallico (The Poseidon Adventure).  As a kid I remember being enchanted by the voice of Thomasina telling us what was going on in her life as a little child’s undying love for her cat is told.

We give it 5 out of 5 cat treats.

Charlie, The Lonesome Cougar    1967 Starring Charlie

Charlie was and always will be my favorite Disney movie back when Walt used to host the show every Sunday night.  It’s about an orphaned cougar “adopted” by lumbermen and raised in a Pacific Northwest logging camp. But soon he is torn between his new life and the one nature has chosen for him.

We give it 5 out of 5 cat treats.

Phar Lap    1983 Starring Tom Burlinson, Martin Vaughan

Sure, everyone knows about Seabiscuit but how many of you have ever heard of Phar Lap?  The BIG chestnut reigned as king of the track during the depression era of Australia in the 1930’s.  From humble beginnings, he went on to become the nation’s hero.  Ernest Hemingway once wrote: “Every true story ends in death” and this is no exception.  However, this is still one inspiring movie.

We give it 5 out of 5 bags of Sweet Cob.

The Incredible Journey           1963

While there have been several remakes of this story, this is the original about an aging bull terrier Bodger, Labrador retriever Luath and Siamese cat Tao who embark on a journey to get back home, no matter how difficult.

We give it 4 dog treats and 1 cat treat for a total of 5.

The Bear     1988 Starring Bart the Bear, Youk the Bear, Tcheky Karyo

This tale is told from the cub’s perspective. After a young cub is orphaned, he attempts to bond with a male grizzly, who initially rejects him and then they bond together for an incredible story.  The blend of real-life animals and puppets from Jim Henson is seamless as this is a fantastic film adaptation of the book The Grizzly King by James Oliver Curwood.

We give it 5 out of 5 honey pots.

Ratatouille  2007 Starring Patton Oswalt and Peter O’Toole

A rat moves to Paris to follow his dream of becoming a great culinary chef.

If this doesn’t get your attention then I don’t know what will. An excellent cast with a superb script and excellent artwork.

We give it all 5 courses of an exquisite 5-course meal.

Sneak Preview: Arthur the King                  2024 Starring Mark Wahlberg

We haven’t seen this movie yet but did see the trailer and it looks fantastic. It is based on the memoir “Arthur – The Dog who crossed a jungle to find a home” by Mikael Lindnord.  It is the incredible true story of an extreme adventure race athlete, a stray dog, and how they found each other.  Some of the strongest bonds are formed under extreme situations.

Update:  Just ran out and bought a copy so we’ll try to give you a review next week.

We hope you’ll enjoy these and by no means is this a complete list.  In fact, we barely scratched the surface. If you can think of your favorite, then let us know.

Paws for Thoughts: “In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this” – Terry Pratchett