Before proceeding with the story line I have a timely comment. “Dogs are a connection. Dogs are a beacon of loyalty and family. Dogs are a man’s best friend. How could you not love dogs? Along the way many of you have met two of Sun City’s (very) large and gentle friends, a Great Pyrenees named Phoenix, and a St. Bernard named Wrigley. They stand out not only for size but temperament as well among the many incredible dogs living in our community. And let us not forget Crush, the awesome service dog who tended to our late friend Stu. Also, pictured is our beloved dog Molly, who some of you know. So if you are a dog lover this film is for you. If you don’t like dogs, shame on you. That being said, if you like auto racing (listen up Fred), there is some spectacular footage, with or without the dogs.
Parker stars as Enzo, voiced over by Kevin Costner, who does a masterful job of communicating the dog’s thoughts throughout the film. Enzo is named after Enzo Ferrari, as his master Denny Swift, played by Milo Ventimiglia is a race car driver, who is particularly skillful on rain swept tracks. Denny takes Enzo with him everywhere he goes, including the track where the dog grows to love the sport.
The Art of Racing in the Rain
Entertainment Rating: ★★★
Rating: PG: Family fare all the way
Possible Oscar Nominations: Best Animal, Parker an amazing golden retriever who is the star of the show, Film Editing
As the years go by Denny gets married to Eve, played by Amanda Seyfried, and they have a little girl named Zoe. Enzo becomes an integral part of their life and, as with most families there are some serious ‘bumps” along the way. The real voice of reason throughout is Enzo, who knows most of the answers, but unfortunately can’t communicate them, except by his thoughts expressed eloquently by Kevin Costner. There are sad moments as the story progresses, but the finality will leave you moved. As the story comes to a close, Enzo gets his greatest wish fulfilled as he rides in a race car with Denny, speeding around the track at 200 plus miles an hour, in a bright red Ferrari, with the convertible top down no less. Quite a ride to say the least.
As I left the theater I talked to at least three people who expressed the same sentiments. “At last” a real story with no swearing, sex, special effects, or muscle bound heroes, just real people going through life like we all do. That in itself makes this worth watching, and to have it topped off with an amazing dog like Enzo, it’s hard to beat.
Note:
While flipping channels recently I came across two great movies, both of which I have seen on more than one occasion (as you most likely have) but always fun to watch. If by any chance you haven’t seen either or both, I highly recommend them. The first was Back to the Future starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd. (1985, PG-13) and American Graffiti starring Richard Dreyfuss and Ronnie Howard. (1973, PG-13) I’m not sure which of them was more entertaining, although the music throughout American Graffiti (courtesy of Wolfman Jack) was hard to beat.
