By Jasmine Alfaro
Staff Writer
Based on the bestselling novel by William Bruce Cameron, “A Dog’s Purpose” was released on Jan. 27 from Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks Studios.
The movie centers around a loyal dog, voiced by Josh Gad, and its journey to discover the purpose behind its existence by reincarnating into a different canine each time it dies. Over the course of five decades, the dog meets new owners, teaching them how to love and laugh.
One boy named Ethan, played by Bryce Gheisar, manages to have an unbreakable bond with the lovable mutt. However, once the boy becomes older and faces a turning point in his life, the dog returns to remind him of who he truly is.
Cameron’s inspiration for “A Dog’s Purpose” came from his history of reading books about dogs when he was younger, such as “Old Yeller.”
“[In those books], you’ve got this bond with this dog [but] the dog dies,” Cameron told his fans on his official website, “ I remember how much I hated that, I wanted to write a dog book that made you feel good about your relationship with dogs.”
He stated that the movie would not have been nearly as well-written without his wife, Cathryn Michon, who is a screenwriter and movie director.
The movie was adapted from its book predecessor, which was published in 2010. The book alone spent a year on the New York Times Bestseller List. It was also translated into 20 languages and distributed to 29 countries.
The various studios that produced the movie have high hopes for its success, especially because it is shot in different locations around the world.
The two-hour length movie aspires to highlight the importance of familial bonds and love for one’s best friends. Cameron hopes the audience will take in the movie’s lesson: that all living things have a purpose and searching for it is the most important thing they can do.
“‘A Dog’s Purpose’ will find its way into the hearts of families everywhere,” Michael Wright, CEO of DreamWorks Studios, told Sniff and Barkins, a widely known website dedicated to dogs.
