Customer Reviews

To Dance with the White Dog [VHS]

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sometimes a work "made for TV" suffers from cast from B minus List, and cheesy-quicky idea borrowed from somewhere else -- like a huge meteo coming from the outer space -- but very often it produces a genuinely good one, and now here's one for you.

Sam and Cora is a typical American husband and wife, long lived in a country pecan farm in Georgia, with daughters near them and sons already got their own jobs. But now Sam is left alone, after a death of his wife, but he finds a new friend in a white dog which seems to come out of nowhere. But one strange thing is that though Sam can see her, touch her, feed her, and even dance with her, no one else doesn't seem to see this dog. Is it his illusion? Or something else?

Terry Kay's original book is treated with a subtle touch to realize a magic feeling in an ordinary life, and the relations between his worried family members and confident Sam himself are marvelously drawn with a snappy dialogues. Naturally, the acting from the two veterans is always first-rate, with Hume Cronyn as Sam (who got Emmy Award), and Jessica Tandy as Cora (nominated for Emmy but with a little more screen time, she could have won). And the fact that these actors were really married for a long time, and by the time of shooting this film Jessica tandy got a diagnosis as having cancer makes the whole picture more precious and gives a bitter-sweet taste to it.

The latter part of the film is, frankly speaking, I found a bit weak, the story being streched (especailly the episode about the river should be deleted, being out of tune), and the film tends to speak the things that should be left unsaid. The final result, however, is more than satisfactory, proving that those veteran actors are true American cinematic treasures. Recommended.

By the way, the original book has become suddenly a bestseller in Japan in 2001 and 2002, and more than 1.5 million copies have been sold. And to capitalize in the popularity, they quickly made a film of this book with all-Japanese cast.

When Sam's beloved wife Cora tells him she will always be there for him, she keeps her promise. After being married for 50 years, Cora has a heart attack and leaves Sam alone dealing with his own ailing health, or so he thinks.

When a beautiful white dog appears, everyone starts to worry. The white dog is only visible to Sam. Slowly the dog becomes visible to all the family members. When Sam is in trouble, the white dog is always there for him.

In a movie dealing with the issue of life and death, I found it insightful of the writers to describe death as a new adventure instead of an ending. Unlike the movie "Dad," this movie is not sad from the start to finish and is much more upbeat. The humor is laugh out loud throughout. His two daughters are always worrying about their dad and get themselves into quite a funny predicament. Life should be filled with humor and good times.

Death is sad because we feel sorry for ourselves and miss the relationship we had. The person leaving this life is starting on their new spiritual journey in eternity. Hume Cronyn gives an inspirational performance and seems to have brought much of his own wisdom to the character of Sam. Character is something that makes an actor good. It is conveyed through the acting and is never masked by it.

Watching this type of movie will help you to discover your own feelings and beliefs about real-life issues and it will deepen your awareness to those around you who need your love and attention. When it comes down to it, Sam has his family and his beliefs. His wisdom seems to guide him in life and he looks for the good in life.

When you seek out good in life, it keeps finding you!

~The Rebecca Review

Shortly after celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, Sam Peek loses his beloved wife Cora to a heart attack.

Told from the perspective of his son James, this heart touching story tells of Sam and his family. One day shortly after Cora's death, a snow white dog shows up on Sam's porch. Sam grudgingly feeds and eventually takes the dog in. The problem is, when he tells his children about the white dog, they think he is losing his mind because only Sam can see it. The dog stays with Sam and becomes his constant companion. Eventually, he realizes that the dog is really Cora, back to take care of him through his last days.

A heartwarming and sometimes humorous story of everlasting love. It never fails to bring a tear to my eys.

This is one of the best. When elderly widower Sam Peak befriends a stray white dog that no one else can see the family is sure he is becoming senile. Everyone that is but the maid who asserts that it must be a ghost dog and that no good can come of it. She's seen it before. The dog will surely lead Sam to his death. When a strong willed Sam decides to take the dog with him on an out of town trip to his high school reunion (without the knowledge of his two overprotective daughters), it sure looks like she might be right. But appearances can be deceiving.

This is a heart warming and perfectly portrayed movie of the strength and endurance of love beyond all bounds. Guaranteed to make you cry and smile at the same time.

This movie is deeply touching. The dog is gorgeous. The acting is high-quality. This is an embarrassingly short review, but there really is nothing more to say, except, "See this great film!"

This is quite an exceptional drama that will stay with you for a long time. It stars Hume Cronyn as Sam, a farmer, who's beloved wife of fifty years, Cora, has died. The couple were devoted to each other in life, and Cora's spirit, in the form of a beautiful white dog, returns to look after Sam and help him in his time of grief. The old man is greatly comforted by the dog, whom he alone can see, and as his own health ebbs, he faces his own death with anticipation, for he knows he will see his Cora again.

Was there ever a better acting couple than Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn? Their life experiences etched into every line of their gentle faces, and their real love evident in their eyes, their performances bring not only tears, but also a sense of awe for their profound talents. They play simple people with such charisma that you simply cannot take your eyes off of them. The script is guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings and send the hopeful message that death is not necessarily the end for those who truly love. A memorable film; heartily recommended.

I just happened to be perusing the "Drama" shelf at my local Blockbuster when I saw this movie that obviously looked as though this old man's beloved wife died and returned to him as a beautiful white dog. Naturally I thought of my other favorite reincarnated dog-person movie, "Fluke," which was made 2 years after this film. So I rented the Hallmark video and watched it. The story was original, touching, and moved quickly enough. It was sweet and mysterious but simple enough to understand. It wasn't at all a bore. I loved it. The old man was endearing, the dog was gorgeous, the children were annoyingly caring, it had romance and suspense and sadness. This movie was truly worth it. What a lovely film.

I spent the day watching Mission Impossible 2, I like action movies. When my wife wanted us to watch this movie I was not that interested at first, but she said it was short so I buckled under. That was the best thing I ever did! If our house catches fire this will be the first thing I rescue. We were so moved by the film that when it ended we knelt on the floor, hugging each other tightly and crying our eyes out. It reminded us so much of how much we love each other. If this movie does not tear at your heartstrings, then nothing will. I recommend this to everyone who has ever loved anyone.

If you enjoyed "Foxfire" or "The Dollmaker", you will love this too. If you have seen this already be sure to check the other two I mentioned. Susan Cooper is an outstanding writer to have written such great stories of how people cope with lifes events. Some wonderful and some heartbreaking, we learn to move on and embrace the best of what we have had and lost. Cronyn and Tandy are perfect for their roles and will draw you into this story as though it happened to you. This is one of the best Hallmark has to offer. I watched this and "Foxfire" with my mom a couple years after my dad passed away. I have to say they both had a profound affect on me. They will heighten your appreciation for your parents. I highly recommend it.

This was a wonderful family movie. Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy worked some magic in this film. A serene kind of familial wonder exists in this picture. You will walk away from this movie feeling good about the good in human kind. The movie shows very creatively that love can live on many years after the death of a loved one, and sometimes enriches ones spirituality. Jessica, you were a very special actress.

I also recommend "Driving Miss Daisy"

Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"