Customer Reviews

Love Leads The Way

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a heartwarming movie, it's a well-made movie, it's an important movie. Anybody who agrees this should be on dvd, say you found this review "helpful"

It was in the late 1970's when I read about Mr. Morris and "Buddy," the first Seeing Eye dog in the United States. I think it was from a Reader's Digest condensed book, as I was a subscriber at the time.
Anyway, I had a beautiful German shepherd then that ended up being my companion for the best 12 years of my life. Highly intelligent and almost intuitively attentive, she was my faithful buddy, so I easily warmed to Mr. Morris's story about his "Buddy," and the hardships he endured at not only being blind, but having to contend with a society that, at that time (in 1928), had no concept of the value a dog could be for a sightless person.

I was in Alaska when this movie came out, and my mother and daughter quickly brought it to my attention, as the "Buddy" in the film looked remarkably like my shepherd.
I probably fell in love with the film for that reason, as much as I did for the story.

This is a sweet little Disney film that any family member can enjoy, and sure to bring a tear to the eye of anyone with a soft heart. It was released around 1984 and has a very talented cast: Timothy Bottoms, Patricia Neal, Arthur Hill, Eva Marie Saint, Glynnis O'Conner, Susan Dey, Ernest Borgnine, Ralph Bellamy, and a beautiful German Sheppard named Pilot as Buddy.

As I remember, the movie followed the book fairly well.
Mr. Morris (played by Timothy Bottoms) was a very self reliant person. A salesman by profession, he lost his sight in a sparring accident at the local gym.
Hearing about an article in a magazine about dogs that could be taught to assist the blind, he immediately wrote to Switzerland, where the program was being developed, so that he could be a part of it.
He was not a dog person initially; but he possessed a fervent desire, and the means, to pursue any avenue that would help him regain a sense of independence that depending on humans could not provide.
Buddy was a tool for him, not a sentient being.
But as time and trials shared together passed, he grew to love his faithful companion.
It was a long and difficult task to convince the public and pass legislation that would allow Seeing Eye dogs to do the job that they were trained to do, anywhere in public.
Buddy became a pioneering ambassador for all Seeing Eye dogs that would follow. Were it not for her and the persistence of Mr. Morris, and those that supported them, we may not have an incredible Seeing Eye program in the United States to this day.

Special dogs, such as these, are now allowed into our hospitals where they provide non-judgmental comfort to our convalescing population

Today, it is not uncommon to see dogs, as well as other species, in the role of assistance for handicapped people in this country. They provide an essential need with the kind of steadfast constancy that no human can match. For the duration of their all too short lives, they selflessly serve their master with faithful obedience asking only the reward of a kind tone of voice and a gentle touch from a hand.

All Americans, who now enjoy the right to have their four legged helpers with them in public places and on conveyances, owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Morris and Buddy, and the founders of the Seeing Eye.

I highly recommend this movie to any dog lover, all children, and anyone with a historical interest as to how the Seeing Eye came to these shores.

Whenever I hear the tune, "Someone to Watch Over Me," I think of this film, and all of my faithful buddy's who shared their lives with me through the years.
I would love to see a DVD release of this movie so I could watch it more often.

Love Leads the Way is a wonderful inspirational movie. I have it in VHS format and have shared it with all of my family and many of my friends. It has prompted several of my friends to become involved in guide dog training. I would like to request this movie be made in DVD format so many more have an opportunity to view it - as it's getting very difficult to show VHS format today.

BEHIND THE SCENES & TRIVIA: David Permut and Jimmy Hawkins produced this movie made for the Disney Channel, which premiered on October 7, 1984. Hawkins and Henry Denker wrote the script based on a true story as told in the book, "First Lady of the Seeing Eye" by Morris Frank and Blake Clark. If you have kids or students that want to learn more after seeing the film, there is also a children's book titled "Morris and Buddy: The Story of the First Seeing Eye Dog". Directed by Delbert Mann. Music score composed by Fred Karlin except for the song, "Someone to Watch Over Me" by George Gershwin. Buddy was played by a German Shepherd named Pilot, and the behind the scenes dog trainer for the film was Ron Bledsoe. Filmed on location in Nashville, Tennessee and Leavenworth, Washington. Running time 99 minutes. Great supporting cast including Ernest Borgnine, Glynnis O'Conner, Susan Dey, Patricia Neal, Arthur Hill, Richard Speight Jr, and Ralph Bellamy. The Disney Studio also produced a "making of" special for the Disney Channel. Earlier in 1972, Disney had produced a 3 episode film called "Atta Girl, Kelly!" about a Seeing Eye dog. Would be a good candidate for DVD.

THE STORY: The story about 20 year old popular boy in town Morris Frank (Timothy Bottoms), an athletic young man who had a promising career in insurance sales, and planned to be married to his sweetheart. An accident in the late 1920's leaves him blind, and Frank begins to run into prejudice in his work, while he yearns for the independence he once knew. Eventually he becomes resentful of his dependence on others. He travels to Switzerland to learn more about a new program that trains dogs to help blind veterans. The program is run by an American named Dorothy Eustice (played by Eva Marie Saint). There Frank learns to work with Buddy, and returns to America. Upon arrival things are not working out as well as he imagined, since he is prohibited from taking his dog into many public places. Frank works to get the media to recognize the importance of Seeing Eye dogs, and fight for legislation allowing guide dogs in buses, stores and restaurants. Along the way, Frank has to deal with his anger and lack of trust in others, including Buddy. Frank became a pioneer in advocacy for access to persons with disabilities and he helped to establish a school for training working dogs in America named The Seeing Eye. A well made and inspirational drama.

My husband and I really like this movie and would love to own it, but we are waiting for it to come out on DVD. It is such a good story and so well done as a movie. There is a real shortage of movies with really good content and suitable for family viewing. I really want this movie in our collection, so this really needs to be put on DVD!

Though I do not own this on the video format, I have seen this movie on TV, but that was years ago. And I remember it so well. There may be some scenes that I may have forgotten and my memory may need jogging, but I do wish that the day will soon come for this movie to be released on DVD format. Seems like Disney takes their sweet time in releasing a number of their movies from VHS to DVD. Why this is, I do not know, but I do wish they'd 'get off the pot'.
Love Leads The Way is one of my favorite movies; the cast--outstanding. And because of the cast & story format--based (on the 1st. Seeing Eye Dog), I rate this movie 5 stars.

P. Gross

They just don't make movies like this anymore. It is a wonderful family film, epecially for anyone who loves dogs. It really needs to be on dvd as the quality on a VHS tape declines over the years.

This wonderful educational movie for all ages was very well done by Disney, but there is one thing wrong w. it. There is no Closed Captioning. Many people are hard of hearing and need CC to understand the language of the movie. If it goes to DVD this lack should definitely be corrected.

When an insurance salesman (Timothy Bottoms) is blinded in a boxing accident, his world is turned upside down as he has trouble functioning in his sightless world. All seem hopeless until he learns of an innovative European project that trains dogs as guides for the blind. He explores the idea and decides to train for a dog. He eventually gets a guide dog, but soon learns that he is barred from taking his needed companion into transit vehicles and public buildings and businesses. With a newfound friend, he must fight to make the country recognize that those rules are unfair to him and his guide.

As a friend of one who is sight impaired I had looked for this movie on DVD forever. I had an old VHS, but it is wearing out. I found this on DVD at movielead dot com and was very happy with it. The story is truly one of the most inspiring I have ever seen.

This film is a useful tool in classrooms when talking about seeing eye dogs and the laws regarding them. It is a very good film that I wish was available on DVD. SHAME ON THE SELLERS for hiking up the prices. $40-$100 for a VHS tape? That is really taking advantage. If it was something in the range of $10-$20 I'd buy one in a heartbeat.