Customer Reviews

Hills of Home [VHS]

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

 

 

This is the type of movie you walk away from thinking, "They sure don't make family films like this anymore". And you know what? They don't!

Released in 1948, "Hills of Home" takes the world's favorite collie and places her in the hills of Scotland in a small farming town. Lassie has a phobia of water, and is turned away by a shepherd, only to be taken in by a country doctor, played by Edmund Gwenn, who is bound and determined to help his new friend overcome her fear.

The script is the right combination of wit, drama, and action. The cast is top notch, including Tom Drake as an apprentice of Gwenn's, whose father refuses his studies to be a doctor, and a young Janet Leigh (in of her first film roles) as the girl of Drake's affection.

The scenic work is beautiful, the costumes are lush, and since it's an MGM film, you know that nothing was spared in creating a true classic film treasure.

A Scottish country doctor needs the help of a dog to help him in his rounds. He gets a collie but the dog is afraid of water. Edmund Gwenn plays the doctor and of course Lassie plays the collie. The story has a number of subplots that keep the story going. Will the doctors protege pursue a career as a physician despite his fathers wishes? Can Lassie overcome her fear of water to save the day? If you liked All Creatures Great and Small, you will love this movie. I highly recommend it.

This is a wonderful family film, but if you are expecting the emphasis to be on Lassie and her adventures, then you will likely be somewhat disappointed. Instead, the emphasis is on Dr. William MacLure (Edmund Gwenn), the elderly physician to a rural Scottish area in the 19th century. Donald Crisp plays Drumsheugh, MacClure's closest friend and a good advisor. These two actors, along with Tom Drake, who plays MacClures's assistant, were in several Lassie films during the 1940's playing different roles each time.

MacClure is one of those doctors from a bygone era that makes housecalls in the middle of the night and accepts payment in goods as well as money. At one point in the film, he is sitting at a table in a restaurant having tea as patient after patient comes up to him and practically forces payment upon him. MacClure loves his work, and payment is a secondary issue with him. One person, though, decides to cheat MacClure and gives him Lassie as payment, with MacClure believing that she is a sheep dog. MacClure figures she will be a good companion and messenger dog, so it doesn't matter so much that she turns out not to be a sheep dog. However, it does matter that she is afraid of water since the glen in which they live has heavy snow and rain at times, and crossing streams when getting to patients is a necessity. At first MacClure, angry at being deceived, decides to give Lassie away. However, he changes his mind and decides to teach the dog not to be afraid of water. This doesn't work out so well, as Lassie is willing to do just about anything short of swimming. MacClure gives up on this effort, but still he keeps Lassie. In spite of his complaints about her usefulness as a working dog, she is becoming a pet to him. This is something MacClure is not about to admit since his whole life has been about service to others. He has always denied himself anything he deems as a luxury, and this would certainly include having an animal whose only purpose is companionship.

The rest of the film is about the good doctor facing the various medical crises that impact the residents of the glen. During this time, dog and master bond and become fast friends. MacClure is aware that his days as a doctor are coming to an end, and thus he has picked a young man of the village (Tom Drake) to travel to Edinburgh to study medicine and become his replacement upon graduation. Towards the end of the young man's time at medical school, MacClure is called out one snowy winter night on one of his house calls. He is knocked unconscious and will freeze to death in the snow unless Lassie is able to overcome her fear of the water and swim across the stream to bring help to the doctor.

This is going to be one of those films you either love or hate. If you are ever in the mood for an old-fashioned rather slow-moving story that will really tug at your heartstrings, this movie really fits the bill. Warner's has put some of the other 1940's MGM Lassie titles out on DVD,and needs to do the same for this film.

Not everyone will love this movie, but I had been looking for it for a while and was very happy to find it here at such a reasonable price. Great condition. As for the story, the treatment of Lassie is sad in parts, but ultimately it is a feel-good story about love and kindness to others. My girls (six- and nine-years-old) love old movies and dogs and they really enjoy it.

I haven't watch it yet, the reason for three stars I got it at the thrift store for 50cents. And so far the reviews has been good. So hopefully I will like it.