Lassie

Lassie Come Home was a wonderful family film, and I was interested to see if this updated remake trying to draw in a new generation would be as good, from director Charles Sturridge (FairyTale: A True Story). Basically it follows pretty much the same storyline as the original 1943 film, miner's son Joe Carraclough (Jonathan Mason) has his best friend female Rough Collie dog Lassie (male dog Mason) to keep him happy. After Joe's father Sam (Sliding Doors' John Lynch) loses his job when the mines are decommissioned, so he and mother Sarah (Enduring Love's Samantha Morton) know they have to sell Lassie to The Duke of Rudling (Peter O'Toole) to get by. After escaping digging her way out, getting out of the truck over some sheep and jumping over the fence, the Duke's servant Hynes (Psychoville's Steve Pemberton) is getting more frustrated. Eventually the Duke is moving to the Highlands of Scotland for the holidays, but soon enough the brave dog makes her escape with the help of the Duke's granddaughter, and she is making her way all the way back to Yorkshire. Along the way Lassie faces a few challenges, including a near gunshot by a field owner, and two dogcatchers who hold her captive, getting the attention of a concerned woman, but don't worry, she gets out of the window and continues. She also meets dwarf tinker Rowlie (The Station Agent's Peter Dinklage) with his little Terrier dog Toots, and he is kind enough to provide her with some food, and she performs a little in his street show. Tragedy strikes for Rowlie when two nasty thieves, one being Buckle (Only Fools and Horses' Nicholas Lyndhurst), attack and Toots loses her life, but Lassie did save the life of her new friend. She continues down her own road to Yorkshire, and eventually reaches her village just in time for the Christmas period, and after collapsing in the snow, Joe finds her and tries to nurse Lassie back to health. Thankfully, she pulls through and the next thing you know before the end, the Duke deliberately denies her identity, fires Hynes, and gives Sam a job at the kennels, and Lassie has puppies. Also starring Hester Odgers as Cilla, Jemma Redgrave as Daisy, Gregor Fisher as Mapes, Trainspotting's Kelly Macdonald as Jeanie, Gandhi's Edward Fox as Hulton and Harry Potter's Robert Hardy as Judge Murray. This remake is certainly brighter, a little more colourful and an impressive cast of British (and one American) star, but the only problem is that Lassie isn't seen as much, so although I much prefer the original, this is an okay period adventure. Good!

Outstanding movie! Story well told. If anyone in Europe has seen this film, do you know whether that was an Irish or Scottish blessing that the owner of the dog Toots said while his dog was dying. Something like "If life has blessings to spare, may God grant them to you now." Does anyone know the exact words? Thanks much. Highly recommend this movie to families. I had originally thought that the movie was based on the Timmy and Lassie series on television here in the USA. I was surprised because I didn't know the original story and I'm so glad that I took the time to see the film. The characters are played by excellent actors and the sound track is very inspirational as well.

The worst thing that can be said about this excellent film is that it is a "family movie" as that term may turn off many cinema buffs from seeing a film that is first rate from practically all aspects. It is brilliantly directed by Charles Sturridge ("Brideshead Revisited") and features several cream of the crop actors starting with the marvelous Peter O'Toole. It is also a superb adaptation of Eric Knight's wartime novel, "Lassie Come Home." (Unfortunately, the viewer would not know this until the end of the credits.) The photography is absolutely breathtaking with scenes of the Scottish Highlands that I haven't seen equaled. There is also a grittiness and realism to the film that was impossible to capture in a 1943 version filmed on the back lots of MGM. Rather than a mere remake, this film is classic in its own right and deserves a wider audience than I suspect it has found thus far. High fives all the way.

This wonderful adaptation of Eric Knight's "Lassie Come Home" is not only the best film version but also the best British Family film since the early seventies (Lionel Jefferies' wonderful duo of "The Railway Children" (1970) and "The Amazing Mr Blunden" (1972)). It is blessed with a great cast without a dud performance between them. Particularly worthy of mention are the two wonderful child actors Jonathan Mason and Hester Odgers as well as a charming performance from Peter O'Toole as the crusty Duke who thankfully does not turn out to be the cliché villain that he initially appears. Along with gorgeous photography by Howard Atherton and a script by director Charles Sturridge that mixes enough grit into the story to stop it from becoming too twee, this truly great family film should have become better known than it is. For those of us that have been lucky to discover it, it is an instant classic.

What a movie! And What a dog! There are some brutal scenes, so I don't think kids under 8 should see this movie without an adult. It was very touching, and I was sobbing all the way throughout it. The acting was great. Especially Peter O'Toole as the Duke and Jonathan Mason as little Joe, amazed me. However, the dog totally steals the movie, just like it's supposed to. I think everybody can understand the pain Joe is going through when they have to sell Lassie. Even if you hate dogs, you will love this one! Yes, Lassie is a dog everyone will love, children as well as parents! It's a great movie for every family! PS: If you're going to see this movie, don't forget tissues!

This inspired adventure will warm your heart and provide your children with an introduction to the inequities of class-based society. Set in early 20th century England, a struggling working class family faces destitution when the local coal mine shuts down, leaving no work in town. Their young son's primary source of joy is his dog Lassie, but they can scarcely afford to feed him. When the granddaughter of nearby duke fancies Lassie, a deal is struck to exchange the dog for cash. How will Lassie respond to this form of trade? What effect will the dog have on these two families representing either extreme of peerage? Find out, and enjoy a couple of delightful subplots along the way. Meet an opportunistic upper-class "wannabe," an amiable puppeteer with a traveling sideshow, and even catch a glimpse of the era's dating scene. Like most children's films, the performances lean toward the pedestrian, but the cast is engaging nonetheless. The cinematography is breathtaking, and the story is fully realized. Don't miss it!

This movie gets TOP Marks, in my opinion. I recommend it on a DVD Buy list - you won't regret it. One thing about this movie was that it went back to the original "Lassie Come Home" story-line and story locations (rural England vice suburbia United States). I loved the scenes and cinematography for that value alone. The worst thing about movies that are remade are that everyone expects them to be the same as the original. The original "Lassie" movie that the 2005 edition emulates was "Lassie Come Home", starring Elizabeth Taylor and Roddy McDowall( c 1943). Set in pre-WWII Yorkshire, they tell a tail about an out-of-work miner having to sell his family dog to the local land baron and the dog's journey back home after being relocated. The 1943 movie was spectacular given the available effects of the time (as were the follow-on movies, Courage of Lassie and Son of Lassie) and this movie, in my opinion does justice to the original and stands on its own right as a great movie. Its unfortunate that this movie has been so under-exposed that folks have thought the television series (1954, with Timmy falling-in-the-well and the subsequent US location filmed movies of the late 90s and early 2Ks). ~~ The 2005 edition, filmed on locations in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man (Yorkshire having become too industrialized to support the wide-open screen shots in the terrain desired), and the actors and actresses are built on United Kingdom talents, rather than importing US actors and forcing the movie-goer to listen to vague renderings of what we would consider "english" accents (totally ignoring that Yorkshire and Scotland have two entirely different population groups and accents). I didn't consider the acting to be particularly wooden or abysmal as suggested by some, but the story isn't about the humans, so their part in the movie could be silent anyway. The story is about the dog. Some of the scenes seemed to serve little purpose other than to say "animal cruelty isn't accepted, not even by animal control officers". The burgeoning romance between the two adults who want to adopt the wayward dog just feel like "filler" and had no real value without some sort of follow-through or closure. ~~ I believe the efforts taken to make the movie appealing to the younger generation (children, who can still read a book) who haven't a clue about the TV series or the older movies, were exemplary. This would be a difficult movie to film and keep the story line close to the book "Lassie Come Home" in today's high-tech demanding computer-movie world. True, the dogs' scenes were scripted and appeared to be more staged than in the old movies, but that's largely due to the older movies not having to cope with huge amounts of extra processes and props that are part of today's production location. Anyone who's trained dogs knows its not easy to get the dog to go exactly where you want it to, time after time after time, until the director and producer feel the scene is perfect. ~~ This is a 21st Century Salute to the 1943 movie, and stands on its own as a superb movie, given the story-line and movie-goers desires. At best, it highlights in this No-Pets-Allowed world of disposable cellphones and over-run animal shelters, that owning then discarding a dog is traumatic for the people and the dog. At worst, its a movie that adults and children will love to watch, go home crying about, and then will help them be nice people - for at least a few days.

With its class divisions and social differences, the have not's and the I want mores, this is the story of Lassie the Rough Collie, originally bred for herding in the harsh Scottish climates, she, like her owners have become innocent victims of the times. Set in the beautiful Yorkshire valleys and lush green fields, as well as the ever - mesmerising Scottish Highlands, with true filming locations in England and Scotland, plus County Wicklow and the Grand Masonic Lodge, Dublin in Ireland and the Isle of Man. This is a visual splendour of the vast wilderness and the beautiful panoramic landscapes, that when set against the tiny figure of the star herself only projects her impossible plight. Cinematography is by one Howard Atherton, and being a member of the British Society of Cinematographers too, has us transfixed at the stunning lands and lakes that are Lassies barriers and wedges that divide heart from home. Done with a gracious style of indifference and tender loving, Lassies adventure homeward bound is a story of human tragedies also, for the people that she stumbles upon, she brings course and effect, Lassie touches us all, her ever trusting, and weary, nature, she can become as close to you as only you wish to be close to her. With a cast of greats and new faces alike such as Peter O'Toole (1932 - ), as the sinister, cunning and malevolent Duke, with him are the likes of Scottish actor and comic Gregor Fisher, Jonathan Mason as young Joe, Peter Dinklage as the travelling Rowlie the street entertainer. We also see John Lynch as Joe's father along side Samantha Morton the wife and mother, and a bit part from the comedy actor Nicholas Lyndhurst, playing the evil Buckle, not forgetting the acting talents of Steve Pemberton, Robert Hardy and Edward Fox too. This all blends in extremely well too, set against the period sets, locations and costumes of the pre Second World War era. With the style of story telling, which was first written in 1943 by Eric Knight (1897 - 1943), that brings us to a state of trepidation, doubt and sorrow for our heroine, then at the right moment will have us adulated for her sheer guts and determination. Lassie is a family movie, and for sentimentalists alike, with its theme of finding ones home and knowing where the heart really belongs, with its subplots of human soul searching that are parallel to Lassies plight too, this is a fine story, told in both wondrous countryside and stately homes to back streets. This is a tale of knowing ones place in life, and wanting to be there, and the rewards of achievement when one reaches the end of the road. Heartlands Truly Moving Picture Awards, USA, gave Lassie top accolade for its very moving emotional impact and to quote their philosophy for picking such movies, "Truly Moving Pictures are films that explore the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life". I'll second that, will you?

This is a superb, authentic adaptation of Eric Knight's novel "Lassie Come Home". It avoids unnecessary, forced sentimentality to tell a straightforward tale of a dog's dedication to "home" (and Master). Structurally, stories like this are potentially problematic because the central plot threads divide once the heroine (Lassie in this case) escapes from bondage and begins her incredible journey. The trick is to make all the characters interesting enough so that when their lives are intercut with Lassie's progression, we don't lose interest in their plights. Thankfully, director/writer Charles Sturridge creates fascinating, complex characters all round and casts every role beautifully. Jonathan Mason is pitch perfect as Joe, the little boy whose devotion to Lassie equals the dog's devotion to him. Hester Odgers is magical as Cilla, the smart, sensitive granddaughter of eccentric aristocrat The Duke. And Peter O'Toole, as The Duke, strikes a perfect chord in every scene and gradually reveals his true, noble heart. John Lynch and Samantha Morton are entirely convincing as the struggling, working class couple who face an uncertain future and are forced to sell Lassie to make ends meet. The uncredited "Mason" plays Lassie, and what a moving, emotion-laden performance it is. It's not often that a male plays a female so utterly convincingly. Every scene the dog is in is riveting, and there isn't a moment that we don't sympathize with her ordeal. One of the film's most touching chapters is the one in which Lassie joins a traveling puppeteer (Peter Dinklage) on the road, performing in shows with another loyal dog. Dinklage, who previously appeared in the wonderful "The Station Agent", is thoroughly fantastic as the pint-sized puppeteer with a heart of gold. How this chapter plays out (in a misty forest) is quite traumatic and dramatic, and is an example of director Sturridge's firm control of the material. Interestingly, the tone of this sequence recalled Todd Browning for me, and was just off-kilter enough to still be suitable for the kiddies while keeping the oldies satisfied. I must also mention the stellar work here of cinematographer Howard Atherton. His understated style perfectly captures the period (pre-WW2) and breathes rich cinematic oxygen into the nasty sequence in the forest while making the montages of Lassie's difficult trek soar. Score by Adrian Johnston is suitably old-fashioned while echoing contemporary scores such as Mark Isham's musical masterpiece for "Fly Away Home", a film this one parallels tonally. A great film in every sense of the word, and one that doesn't resort to flashy tricks or bombastic style. It is a work of great discipline.

I was disappointed in the movie, based on the expectations set by some of the reviews. The pace was sloooowwww, the performance by the lead kid was poor, and the story was not engaging. Peter O'toole was awesome, most of the other adult performances were solid (the dwarf was great), and Lassie's performance looked too staged (director's fault). Cinematography was beautiful. I'm a bit surprised by the number of very positive comments for this film, especially from American kids. Today's kids generally want a much faster pace and more drama or comedy. Other than offering a story about a famous dog and beautiful cinematography, it seems to lack the elements which attract kids. There is a large and underserved market for wholesome kids' films, though.