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88 of 90 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hachiko: Furry Fun and Tears, August 11, 2009
From Tokyo, where the film has just opened: In Japan, most people know about Hachiko, especially in Tokyo; his statue is a popular meeting place in the Shibuya shopping area. The true story of Hachiko is just as well known here in Japan. In this review, I assume that you know the basic story outline. Still, if you wish to avoid what you may consider a spoiler concerning a turning point in the story, then avoid reading after this paragraph, as I discuss a central plot point--but not one which really gives too much away, any more than it spoils the movie "Titanic" to know that at some point, they hit an iceberg. Still, I wanted to warn you just in case--someone who never heard of the Titanic before might enjoy the whole iceberg twist.
The story: a faithful dog comes to meet his master at the train station every evening when he returns home, and when the master, a college professor, dies at his school and does not return, Hachiko continues to come and wait at the station every day for nine years to wait for his master's return. The very thought of such a loyal, sweet animal being so, well, doggedly committed to finding his master is bound to bring tears to most people's eyes--and it didn't fail here, with there being a considerable amount of sniffling and eye-dabbing in the theater. "Not a dry eye in the house" comes to mind. If you like schmaltzy tearjerkers and cute fuzzy dogs, then this is your kind of movie.
The basic story remains the same as the actual one, but builds up a new human dram around the dog story--which succeeds in not detracting from the central story at the same time. You never stray far from the dog, it's clear that Hachi is the protagonist and at most we spend three minutes away from him at any one time. Nevertheless, the characters are fairly well developed for what they are--supporting roles. Joan Allen does a good job as the wife reluctant to allow another dog in the family after the last one left them. Jason Alexander has a bit of fun as the self-centered station manager, and recognizable character actor Erick Avari does an excellent job as a hot dog and coffee vendor outside the station. Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa did surprisingly well as the Japanese expert at the college. But the dog is the star, and does a good job of keeping our attention.
I contrast this with a movie from last year in Japan, "The Tale of Mari & 3 Puppies," about a Shiba Inu dog owned by a family when a large earthquake hits the region. The movie, billed primarily as a dog movie, mostly focused on the family and featured more than a little over-acting from the supporting cast, and failed to show us the cute doggies so much. In "Hachi," it's the reverse--you get lots of dog time, but also a nicely-rounded drama with good acting all around.
A few things were overdone, but not to bad effect. At the movie's outset, we see Hachi as having been sent, unattended in a bamboo cage, all the way from Japan--not just Japan, but from a Buddhist temple in Japan--only to be lost on the last leg of his journey when he falls off of a handcart at Gere's train station. That (a) the person pulling the cart could be so careless and (b) that whatever local person paid so much money to have the dog shipped and then never inquire as to what happened to him, well, is kind of pushing it. It feels as if Gere wanted to put in a nice Buddhist reference and have Hachiko's tale be a bit more dramatic. You kind of roll your eyes at all this, but it doesn't get in the way of the story. None of the overdone bits go so far as to really distract from the story, and they do work well at the emotional level. In the end, what you have is a fun little drama about an adorable, faithful dog with a tearful ending; the movie does very well being what it is supposed to be.
A bit of background: the story of Hachiko is not completely without controversy. There are some who claim that the story was deliberately popularized in fascist pre-war Japan as a means of inculcating loyalty to the emperor and to the state--the idea being that Hachiko's utter faithfulness up to the bitter end was a model that the government wanted the people to follow in supporting the state. Of course, Gere's film does not come close to this; there is even a specific reference to loyalty as pertaining to those one loves. Other detractors of the story contend that Hachiko was not being faithful to his owner, but had simply become addicted to the treats given to him by shops and vendors near the station (interestingly also included in the new film).
A small note: Hachiko, both in reality and in most of the film, was an Akita, but in this movie, Hachiko the puppy was played by a Shiba Inu, a smaller, related breed whose main difference is in their size and temperament. Despite being regarded as a "goof" in the IMDB database, this was an intentional choice by the film's producers, who decided that a Shiba puppy would be easier to handle, easier to train for what was needed--so says a book released in Japan concerning the film.
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47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The bonds of memory, November 29, 2009
"Hachiko: A Dog's Tale" is directed by Lasse Hallstrom (The Cider House Rules), and is based loosely on the real life story of a dog, named Hachiko, who was born in Odate, Japan in 1923. His master, Dr. Eisaburg Ueno, was a professor at the University of Tokyo who died in 1925. Hachiko returned to the Shibuya train station the next day, and every day for the next nine years until he died in 1934. Today, outside the Shibuya train station, where Hachiko waited, is a bronze statue of Hachiko.
In this particular movie we have a similar story, only the dog is in transport to the United States, where he escapes, and ends up in Parker Wilson's (Richard Gere) possession. Parker eventually decides to keep the dog since the owner cannot be found. Hachiko, or Hachi, as he is usually called here, at one point breaks free of his yard, and follows Parker to the train station. Eventually Hachi is allowed to accompany Paker to the train station everyday. But at one point Parker never returns to the train station, since he has died at the university.
The movie then becomes a tale of a loyalty that reaches far into the bonds of memory. Hachiko never realizes that his master has died, and even though he never sees his master again, he never forgets him. What is Hachi's purpose now that his master has died? His purpose seems to be to wait for his master who will never return. It is at once moving and heartrending, as it is a tragedy of sorts, and one that is only resolved once Hachiko also dies. This is a beautifully told tale that makes one think about the things that are important for us to go on living, even after those that we have loved have died.
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38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Loyal Dog's Tale: Simple Story Well Told, September 3, 2009
This is a story everyone in Japan knows. Based on the true story of a dog called "Chuken-Hachiko (meaning "A loyal dog Hachiko") that lived in Shibuya, Tokyo, "Hachiko: A Dog's Tale" is a moving tale about friendship and loyalty between a man and a dog.
In "Hachiko: A Dog's Tale" Richard Gere plays Parker Wilson, a college professor teaching music. One evening Parker finds a lost puppy at the station of fictional east coast town Bedridge, where he lives with his wife Cate (Joan Allen) and daughter Andy (Sarah Roemer). (The film was actually shot in Rhode Island.) No one at the station knows why the puppy is there, so the professor takes the dog home and keeps him. The puppy's name is Hachi, which means "eight" in Japanese.
Hachi grows up and it becomes his custom to wait for the professor at the station every day at 5 pm. Hachi becomes a fixture of the station and a favorite of the commuters. When they think their happy times last forever, however, something happens, and Hachi has to wait Parker much longer than he used to do.
Richard Gere (who also co-produced the film) turns in a solid performance as usual, as a family man who reluctantly takes care of a lost puppy, but the real star of the film is, not surprising, Hachi himself as the faithful dog. Among the supports, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Parker's friend, Jason Alexander as the station master and Erick Avari as a hot dog vendor are memorable, but unfortunately female supports including Joan Allen, Sarah Roemer and Davenia McFadden are a bit wasted in this comparatively short film.
"Hachiko: A Dog's Tale" is an American remake of "Hachiko monogatari" (1987) directed by Seijirô Kôyama. The Japanese film's story is inspired by the true story of an Akita dog Hachiko (1923-35) and the professor of Tokyo Imperial University (today's The University of Tokyo) Hidesabur Ueno (1871-1925). Those who have visited Tokyo may remember the bronze stature of the dog at JR Shibuya station where Hachi was once seen.
Helmed by the director Lasse Hallström ("What's Eating Gilbert Grape" "My Life as a Dog"), the film is a good example of a simple story well told. It is not a big story, but its emotional power is undeniable.
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