A run-of-the-mill making-of doc is the sole EXTRA. And unless you’re made of stone, you will too. Then, one day, his master doesn’t come home (I’m not giving anything away, it’s in the trailer) and Hachi just waits…and waits. Based on a true story, Hachi is the tale of a professor who adopts a lost Akita puppy who sits outside the train station every night, loyally waiting for him to come home. After all, films directed by Lasse Hallström ( Chocolat) and starring Richard Gere generally don’t bypass theaters and basically go straight to DVD if they’re half decent. At first glance, there was little reason to expect Hachi: A Dog’s Tale‘s inclusion on that list. What all of these movies about man’s best friend have in common is that they’re guaranteed to turn on the most stubborn waterworks. Based on the 1987 Japanese film Hachi-ko, as well as on a true story, Hachi: A Dogs Tale stars. Since then, there have been heart-tuggers aimed at art-house crowds (1952’s Umberto D.), action-flick aficionados (2007’s I Am Legend), and mainstream multiplexers (2008’s Marley & Me). Find where to watch Hachi: A Dogs Tale in Australia.
Hollywood’s been hip to this for ages, going back as far as 1943’s Lassie Come Home - a perennial that defies you not to reach for the Kleenex. We fellas may appear to be emotionally bulletproof sitting through female-friendly weepies like Steel Magnolias and Beaches, but throw a dog into the mix and the floodgates tend to bust wide open. Bill Murray knew that much in Stripes when he asked his platoon to raise their hands if they cried when Old Yeller died. Even the manliest moviegoer likes to have a good cry from time to time.