Dog Movies
Call me sentimental but JEEZ, I want another dog movie that is touching, teaches a life lesson, and is fun! Recently, I have found my mind wondering to all the old pooch movies I use to watch as a kid. As a dog owner and a frequent dog sitter, some of my favorite movies were Oliver and Company, The Adventures of Milo and Otis, and all the Homeward Bound movies. However, one of the sad things I realized about all these movies is they were released in the 1980s and the 1990s. I know people are often against remaking classics but come on people, someone needs to come out with a new animal movie that does not involve talking animals with CGI graphics, corny action movies, or poorly scripted stories. I want a dog movie that I would be proud to show my nieces and nephews that they could embrace as theirs for their generation.
I think the genre of movies that these animal movies fit into are important for children because they hold important life lessons. First, animals with human characteristics help children understand the value of life in other animals and not just in humans. This is an incredibly complicated idea to get across to children without tangible examples or a clear thought process. Movies provide a great medium for individuals to observe, think, and process their thoughts over a period of hours. Second, all of these movies are usually built around classic themes of friendship, self-sacrifice, or responsibility. These kind of lessons are critical to a child’s development and has long-term value with respect to their ethical development. And, as a final awesome benefit, it may encourage them to become dog lovers who would make fantastic dogsitters for all of us in the future!
As a dog lover, what was your favorite pooch movie growing up?