Now, Cathryn and Cameron are married, they have a dog named Tucker, A Dogs Purpose and its sequel book are bestsellers, and the story is becoming a movie so that dog lovers around the world can share in the love and the heartbreak of having and losing a dog. And as a final emotional kicker, one of the incarnations of the main dog in the story is named…Ellie. Cue sniffles.
The one thing many of us can agree on is that Nicholas Sparks is pretty much the master of tearjerker stories. The movies made from his tales of love and loss, love and hard choices, love and amnesia, and love and other sad difficult stuff are the ultimate go-tos when you need to cry your eyes out and feel all your feelings. But there might be a new contender in the sad movies realm: A Dogs Purpose. And as the title might suggest, its not about romantic love, but about the life-altering love between a pet and its person. But just how sad is A Dogs Purpose?
I think its safe to say youll want to double up on hankies for this one. A Dogs Purpose tells the tale of one dogs very long and exciting life (or lives) from the perspective of the dog itself, and it was based off of a book of the same name by W. Bruce Cameron. For many of us, even hearing “this is a movie about a dog” is enough to know that well probably cry, because, as Cameron said in an interview with CBS news, “When you adopt a dog, you have a lot of very good days and one very bad day.”
And even the backstory about how Cameron came up with the story is enough to make you blame a whole pile of onions for your watery eyes. According to that interview with CBS, Cameron actually wrote A Dogs Purpose to help the woman he was in love with, Cathryn, get over the death of her own beloved dog, Ellie. “One day,” Cameron said, Cathryn “turned to me and she said, ‘I can never have another dog. I just can’t do it.’” So he wrote her a whole book to help her grieve and lift her spirits. “With the book, I wanted both to comfort Cathryn and to convince her that the number one thing her dog would want is for her to get another dog,” Cameron said.
So yeah, I guess if you dont fall for treacly emotional beats, if Old Yeller did nothing to you, if dog movies just arent your thing, then maybe you wont think A Dogs Purpose is that sad. But for everyone else, well be bawling our eyes out. More like this
If you want to see for yourself how the book and movie compare, I’m doing a giveaway for a copy of each (ends 5/30/17). Big thanks to Universal Studios for sponsoring this giveaway and providing me with a copy of the book and movie to review. You can also read my book review of A Dog’s Purpose.
The movie had a much faster pace than the book, but it kept the spirit of the book and was a pretty faithful adaption. The ending of the movie is slightly different (for more details see the review below). I would say the movie ending was a lighter, happier version of what happens in the book. It was a cute movie. I enjoyed that it was not your typical dog movie. There were lots of “aw!” and “puppy!” reactions from my kids while we watched it. It was a funny, heart-warming movie that I’m sure my kids will ask to watch again.
“Marley and Me combined with Tuesdays With Morrie. ” —Kirkus Reviews “I loved the book and I could not put it down. It really made me think about the purpose of life. At the end, I cried.” —Temple Grandin, New York Times bestselling author “Anyone who has ever loved a dog needs to read this wise, touching, often hilarious book.” —Dr. Marty Becker, Resident Veterinarian on Good Morning America “This quickly paced, touching novel will charm all animal fans, especially those who loved Garth Steins The Art of Racing in the Rain and Vicki Myrons Dewey, the best-selling saga of a library cat.” —Booklist “This book gives you a glimpse into the heart and mind of a dog–and will change your view of our furry friends forever.” —Guideposts “By turns funny, heartwarming, and touching without being overly sentimental, Camerons novel successfully illuminates the breadth of the American dogscape.” —Library Journal (starred review) “An amazing book. I laughed and smiled and cried. Wise… and sure to open the hearts of all who read it. Bailey has much to teach us about a dogs love of liberty.”—Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Color Purple
A Dog’s Purpose—the #1 New York Times bestseller—is now a major motion picture! Based on the beloved bestselling novel by W. Bruce Cameron, A Dog’s Purpose, from director Lasse Hallström (The Cider House Rules, Dear John, The 100-Foot Journey), shares the soulful and surprising story of one devoted dog (voiced by Josh Gad) who finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he teaches to laugh and love. The family film told from the dog’s perspective also stars Britt Robertson, KJ Apa, John Ortiz, Peggy Lipton, Juliet Rylance, Luke Kirby, Pooch Hall and Dennis Quaid. A Dog’s Purpose is produced by Gavin Polone (Zombieland, TV’s Gilmore Girls). The film from Amblin Entertainment and Walden Media will be distributed by Universal Pictures. Screenplay by W. Bruce Cameron & Cathryn Michon and Audrey Wells and Maya Forbes & Wally Wolodarsky. Heartwarming, insightful, and often laugh-out-loud funny, A Dogs Purpose is not only the emotional and hilarious story of a dogs many lives, but also a dogs-eye commentary on human relationships and the unbreakable bonds between man and mans best friend. This moving and beautifully crafted story teaches us that love never dies, that our true friends are always with us, and that every creature on earth is born with a purpose. Baileys story continues in A Dogs Journey, the charming New York Times and USA Today bestselling direct sequel to A Dogs Purpose.A Dogs Purpose Series #1 A Dog’s Purpose #2 A Dog’s Journey #3 A Dogs PromiseBooks for Young Readers Ellies Story: A Dog’s Purpose Puppy Tale Bailey’s Story: A Dog’s Purpose Puppy Tale Mollys Story: A Dogs Purpose Puppy Tale Maxs Story: A Dog’s Purpose Puppy Tale Tobys Story: A Dogs Purpose Puppy Tale Shelbys Story: A Dogs Way Home Novel The Rudy McCann Series The Midnight Plan of the Repo Man Repo MadnessOther Novels A Dogs Way Home The Dog Master The Dogs of Christmas Emory’s Gift This edition of the book is the deluxe, tall rack mass market paperback.