‘The Art of Racing in the Rain’ is more than just another tear-filled dog movie

Posted on August 16, 2019

By MARK VIOLA

Why does it feel like the people who make dog movies believe they get paid by the tear? Both “A Dog’s Purpose” and “A Dog’s Journey” had children sobbing in the theater when I saw those movies. But, also consider some of the most famous dog-related films in history, such as “Ol’ Yellar” and “Where the Red Fern Grows.” Although the “Benji” movies mostly avoided this, I do remember being scarred as a child by 1989’s “Benji the Hunted.”

Now we have “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” based on the novel by Garth Stein, adapted by Mark Bomback (“War for the Planet of the Apes”) and directed by Simon Curtis (“Woman in Gold”).

Like “A Dog’s Purpose” and its sequel, this film tells a story narrated by its lead dog character, but Enzo (voiced by Kevin Costner, “Yellowstone”) is much more human than Bailey was in those other films.

After first seeing Enzo as an older dog, we jump back in time to see him being adopted by Danny Swift (Milo Ventimiglia, “This Is Us”), a race car driver who has never been able to make the leap to the big leagues. From there, we follow Enzo and Danny as the latter attempts to make his dreams come true and eventually starts a family with Eve (Amanda Seyfried, “Les Misérables”).

It’s hard not to compare this to “A Dog’s Purpose,” so let me instead contrast the two. While Josh Gad tried his best to sound like an excited puppy when Bailey was young and never seemed to lose that young innocence through various reincarnations, Costner is basically playing himself. Narrating from a time when Enzo is an older dog who has lost a lot of his get-up-and-go, there’s an almost world-weariness to his voice-over, although you never doubt for a moment Enzo’s love for his human companions.

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