 Movie Review:
Lassie
Production Company : Samuel Goldwyn Films
Director : Charles Sturridge
Cast : Peter O'Toole, Jonathan Mason, Hester Odgers, Samantha Morton, Peter Dinklage, Steve Pemberton, John Lynch, Jemma Redgrave, Gregor Fisher
Rating : PG for mild language
By Gregg Tubbs
(UMC.org)—You may have heard the little prayer that goes, “Lord, help me to be the person my dog thinks I am.” Of course there are some days when I’d be satisfied to be the kind of person my dog is. With the arrival of an inspiring and beautifully realized new version of Lassie, a whole new generation can learn about love from Hollywood’s most famous dog. This classic about a boy and his dog has rediscovered its original gritty core and sharp social conscience.
This classic story about a boy, Joe (Jonathan Mason), and his dog, Lassie, has rediscovered its original gritty core and sharp social conscience. Copyright © 2006 Samuel Goldwyn Films |
Bypassing the Lassie of the Midwestern farm that so many of us grew up with on television, this new Lassie goes back to its roots and draws its inspiration from the 1943 original, Lassie Come Home, starring the young Elizabeth Taylor and Roddy McDowall. Like the original, this film is set in England at the dawn of the Second World War. While leading a fox hunt, the Duke of Rudling (Peter O’Toole) and his granddaughter, Cilla (Hester Odgers), wind up in the small Yorkshire mining town of Greenhall Bridge. Although the fox gives them the slip, Cilla spots something much more to her liking—a beautiful local collie. The Duke makes an offer to buy the dog from her owners, the poor Carraclough family. Much to the relief of nine year-old Joe Carraclough (Jonathan Mason), his father turns down the offer. Young Joe loves his dog Lassie and to lose her would be heartbreaking. But as we soon learn, the poor must often bear heartbreak.
The Duke (Peter O’Toole) makes the poor Carraclough family an offer to buy Lassie for his granddaughter, Cilla (Hester Odgers). Copyright © 2006 Samuel Goldwyn Films |
The next day, the impoverished Carracloughs get the news they most fear: the mine where father Sam (John Lynch) works is closing. Desperate for money, Sam and his wife Sarah (Samantha Morton) feel they have no choice but to sell Lassie to the Duke. In one of many scenes that will have you reaching for your hanky, Joe gets home from school and for the first time, his loyal Lassie is not waiting for him at the gate. Poor Joe is devastated, but also understands that his family comes first. He also realizes that with the wealthy Duke will provide Lassie with the best of care—something his poor family can no longer do.
The Duke and Cilla are delighted with their new canine, but their nasty kennel man Haynes despises Lassie, believing she is too “low born” to join the Duke’s fine pedigreed dogs. He even snobbishly remarks that the Carraclough’s were so low class that they didn’t even give the dog a proper name—simply calling her “Lass,” which means “girl.” He locks her in the kennel, but Lassie has plans of her own. She escapes and makes her way home, but Sam and Joe return her immediately, impressing the Duke with their honesty. To prevent another escape, they whisk Lassie off to the Duke’s distant summer estate in northern Scotland. But as we all know, no kennel or even hundreds of rugged Scottish miles can keep Lassie from the boy she loves.
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| Lassie unabashedly highlights timeless values like honesty, courage, loyalty and love. Copyright © 2006 Samuel Goldwyn Films |
In the end, Lassie holds few surprises, but succeeds by delivering its comfortable, expected elements with style, good humor and just the right amount of sentimentality. It’s the kind of film that unabashedly highlights timeless values like honesty, courage, loyalty and love. The good are rewarded, and the villain—in this case the cruel Haynes—gets his comeuppance. Although the film is told in the old-fashioned, straight-forward style of the original, it doesn’t gloss over the hardships of the poor, the haughty prejudice of the privileged or the sadness of separation and death. Peter O’Toole nearly steals the show as the wily but kind-hearted Duke, but no one on two legs can ever upstage the plucky little “Lass” with the heart of a lion.
Humans may have been created in God’s image, but that doesn’t mean God reserved all positive qualities exclusively for us. Anyone with a pet knows that God granted a generous amount of courage, loyalty and unquestioning love to these creatures, and we are truly blessed to share our world with them. Lassie opens in select cities across the country. I hope that it finds an ample enough audience for wide distribution, because this is one film that the whole family can really love.
Gregg Tubbs is a freelance writer living in Columbia, Md.
This review was developed by UMC.org, the official online ministry of The United Methodist Church
Study Questions
- Have you ever had a pet that you dearly loved? What made that pet so special to you?
- Do you believe a dog can love just like a person? Why or why not?
- Why do you think Cilla sympathizes so much with Lassie? Does she want to go home too?
- What do you think the film tells us about prejudice? What do the rich think about the poor? Is their opinion fair or based on false assumptions?
- How does the Duke differ from Haynes? The Duke likes to win, but does he always play fair?
- How would you feel if you had to give up a pet as Joe did? Could you do it for your family?
- Do you think God can work through animals? How do you see God at work in the actions of Lassie?
- Lassie has to endure some cruelty in the film at the hands of people, but does she also experience kindness? Who do you believe showed her kindness and why?
- What Christian values are illustrated in the actions of the Lassie, Toots and the other dogs? Do you believe God can use animals to teach us? Have you ever learned a lesson from an animal?
- The Bible contains several examples of animals that help fulfill God’s plan. Can you name a few?
Resources
Official Lassie Web site
Theatrical Trailer
QuickTime
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