Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Bruce B

  
  A great family film but real tear jerker. If your a animal lover or have a dog you will cry your eyes out on this movie. About a dog who is faithful to his master even after his death. A must see, no tissues, you will need paper towels. 5 Stars

• Dean M

  
  This wonderful family film is one of the most treasured and heartwarming true stories ever told. In this story grows deeper, a beautiful friendship of a dog and his master unfolds embodying the true spirt of family and loyalty, while inspiring the hearts of an entire town. Beautifully… More
  This wonderful family film is one of the most treasured and heartwarming true stories ever told. In this story grows deeper, a beautiful friendship of a dog and his master unfolds embodying the true spirt of family and loyalty, while inspiring the hearts of an entire town. Beautifully shot and edited. At the end of the movie, I was in tears absolutely broken down crying my eyes out because I really love dogs. Richard Gere makes fantastic performance, he bonds really well with the dog and it never feel like watching an actor at all - it genuinely seems to be a movie with his own dog! This film generally adheres to the actual true story of a golden brown Akita dog in Japan in 1924. Highly recommendation! Remade of Japanese's 1987 movie, Hachiko Monogatari (aka The Tale of Hachiko).

• Mike S

  
  Very sad and touching story. It makes me proud to be a Swede whenever Lasse Hallström makes a movie of such beauty and high quality. But it's not just the directing and plot that's great, but also the acting in general. Richard Gere brings a really warm and heartfelt… More
  Very sad and touching story. It makes me proud to be a Swede whenever Lasse Hallström makes a movie of such beauty and high quality. But it's not just the directing and plot that's great, but also the acting in general. Richard Gere brings a really warm and heartfelt performance to the screen, and his bonding with the dog Hachiko is very authentic in its essence. The fact that it's based on a true story made it even more affecting. It's not often a movie makes me cry, but this one had me in tears during its last half hour. Anyone who is a dog lover ought to see and enjoy this wonderful film.

• familiar s

  
  I feared it would be just a simple story about a dog's love & loyalty towards his master, only stretched dramatically. However, when I read too many good reviews for it, I fell for it. But as fate would have it, it turned out to be exactly what I initially feared it would be,… More
  I feared it would be just a simple story about a dog's love & loyalty towards his master, only stretched dramatically. However, when I read too many good reviews for it, I fell for it. But as fate would have it, it turned out to be exactly what I initially feared it would be, and nothing incredible as the great responses made me expect how it would be. It gets monotonous & repetitious at points & certain stills are dragged, but I guess that was necessary since they wanted to make a full length feature film. Its biggest failure was its inability to make me feel for the characters. There's quite a bit of emotions put in there to show the bonding between Hachi & Richard Gere's character, but nothing extraordinary. Hardly any of it appealed to me. I guess I'd have liked it better had it been 20-25 minutes short film, but it definitely didn't work very well for me as a full length feature film. Maybe dog/pet lovers would appreciate this flick more than I ever could. 4.5/10.

• Roy G

  
  An immensely appealing drama about the extraordinary love and devotion of a dog for his beloved human companion. ...a warm and winning family movie about a scholar (Richard Gere) who discovers a lost Akita puppy on his way home from work.

• Film C

  
  OMG i absolutely loved this movie, its not a movie to e watch because of its fantastic storyline because there isnt much to the plot but its so emotional, sweet and tugs at the heart that its hard not to cry. It does truly teach you the meaning to loyalty which i love. its about a… More
  OMG i absolutely loved this movie, its not a movie to e watch because of its fantastic storyline because there isnt much to the plot but its so emotional, sweet and tugs at the heart that its hard not to cry. It does truly teach you the meaning to loyalty which i love. its about a professer (richard gere) that comes into possession of this little puppy who he eventually keeps, they make a special bond that no-one else come have and gives you a very true and emotional relationship between dog and man! When watching this i do advise you to have a bunch of tissues because once you start crying you really cannot stop it is soo sad and brilliant you'l be crying for ages!

• Mark H

  
  Affectionate tale about the strong bond between a dog and his master. This warm hearted drama is well acted, has a pretty score and beautiful cinematography, much of it from the dog's point of view. Several tender moments quietly illustrate how devoted a pet can be. Sadly… More
  Affectionate tale about the strong bond between a dog and his master. This warm hearted drama is well acted, has a pretty score and beautiful cinematography, much of it from the dog's point of view. Several tender moments quietly illustrate how devoted a pet can be. Sadly that's a pretty flimsy excuse to sustain a feature length film. In The U.S. the movie went direct to video and in fact, this sentimental drama would have played better as a hour long TV show. This greeting card will give warm fuzzies to dog lovers everywhere, but ultimately the story is just too slight. Director Lasse Hallström and actor Richard Gere also worked together 3 years earlier in <I>The Hoax</I>.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"A true story of faith, devotion and undying love."</i> A drama based on the true story of a college professor's bond with the abandoned dog he takes into his home. <center><font size=+2 face="Century… More
  <i>"A true story of faith, devotion and undying love."</i> A drama based on the true story of a college professor's bond with the abandoned dog he takes into his home. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> So you thought the end of Marley and Me was sad? Oh, you haven't seen nothing yet. Hachiko takes the opposite approach. Instead of the dog dying on the owner, the owner dies on the dog. This is actually based on a true story except it happened in the 1940s instead of in the present day. Richard Gere, well, it's Richard Gere, what more can be said? Richard Gere doesn't need to do too much to light up the screen. But the real star is (are) the dog(s) that portray(s) Hachiko. You don't expect so much emotion and facial expression to come from a canine and that is why the last twenty minutes or so of this movie is so gut wrenching. We feel for the dog as if it is human, perhaps feel even stronger for it because it is not human and doesn't know that its master isn't going to someday reappear. This is a very fun, lighthearted movie that at the last moment turns into a true tear jerker. It becomes so sad that it is quite disturbing. Keep that in mind if you are planning to show it to the kids.

• Carlos M

  
  This is a very interesting story based on true-life events, it shouldn't try so hard to be a tearjerker, it could be touching just by itself.

• Emmanuel T

  
  Hachi : A Dog's Story is based on a true story about a college professor who finds an abandoned dog at a train station. He takes it home, despite his wife being uncomfortable with it-at least at first. The man then starts to grow an intimate friendship with the dog. Hachi is an… More
  Hachi : A Dog's Story is based on a true story about a college professor who finds an abandoned dog at a train station. He takes it home, despite his wife being uncomfortable with it-at least at first. The man then starts to grow an intimate friendship with the dog. Hachi is an admittedly adorable dog, and any dog lover will sure be sure to smile as soon as they see him. But unfortunately, being cute is just about the only thing this film has to offer. The entire story is simply about a man who becomes great friends with a dog, and this story stays until the very end. At times, there is some concentration on the people around him. Some people think he's become a bit "loony" because of his obsession with his best friend. And His wife becomes isolated from him. His daughter also informs him that she is having a child, and that excites him. However, it focuses very little on any other issues but the dog itself-until the final heartbreaking moment in which will not be spoiled in this review. If you are the type of person who has an undying love for dogs, than this might just be a good choice for you (bring a box of tissues.) But if you are someone who is looking for a good story, than you should walk away from this one.

• Mark A

  
  An intense love story starring Richard Gere as Professor Parker Wilson and the lovely Joan Allen as his wife. The love story is not about these two people, however. It is the love that develops between Parker and Hachi, the Akita pup he finds at the train station. Based on a true… More
  An intense love story starring Richard Gere as Professor Parker Wilson and the lovely Joan Allen as his wife. The love story is not about these two people, however. It is the love that develops between Parker and Hachi, the Akita pup he finds at the train station. Based on a true story, the filmmakers transported the story from Japan to America, but the essential details are unchanged. The dog, for someone who doesn't care a lot for dogs, won the heart of this reviewer. That was one beautiful, smart, loyal, and determined dog. This reviewer had a constant lump in his throat watching this beautiful tale, and there is no shame i that. The film was obviously designed to evoke that kind of response and it worked only too well. A lovely score accented the story and the simple set designs allowed the story to star here. Only caution this reviewer would offer is to be prepared to handle the powerful emotions that may overwhelm the youngest viewers. Otherwise, this one is a keeper!

• Sol C

  
  Cute film. The film reminded me of Marley and Me. The pacing was a bit off. Richard Gere, Joan Allen, and Jason Alexander did a good job actingwise. I thought this was better than A Dog Year.

• Chihoe H

  
  Please prepare a tissue box for this movie. Based on a true story of Hachiko the Akita, this will make you go "Marley who?" This film also boasts an impressive cast, but never got a wide release to make much of an impact. Even though it comes across as a made-for-TV movie… More
  Please prepare a tissue box for this movie. Based on a true story of Hachiko the Akita, this will make you go "Marley who?" This film also boasts an impressive cast, but never got a wide release to make much of an impact. Even though it comes across as a made-for-TV movie and too formulaic, this is worth the watch.

• Andreia C

  
  god, I cry everytime I see it ='(

• Wu C

  
  Emotionally heart wrenching. You might want to turn it off after an hr, because it can be a little too much....especially if you're a dog owner.

• R?o?d?r?i?g?o? R

  
  It gets tedious at times, but it captivates you with the history of dog and owner, is exciting and sad

• Sarah P

  
  This is the saddest movie I've ever seen. Of course it's incredibly sweet, but I guess it just made me think of my own dog. I loved it!

• Leo L

  
  A highly captivating movie that centralizes upon the companionship between a college professor and his dog. Found as a puppy at a train station, Parker Wilson is caught between choices: leaving the puppy with a train official, taking him to a dog pound, or just bringing the puppy… More
  A highly captivating movie that centralizes upon the companionship between a college professor and his dog. Found as a puppy at a train station, Parker Wilson is caught between choices: leaving the puppy with a train official, taking him to a dog pound, or just bringing the puppy home with him for the night. Choosing the latter, he takes, and settles, him in his home. Soon, he becomes a part of the Wilson family and follows his master to the train station every morning and waits for his return every evening. Their bond strengthens over time, and the death of his beloved master leaves Hachi devoted in waiting at the train station every day. Great cast- Richard Gere, Joan Allen, Sarah Roemer, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Erick Avari, and Jason Alexander. Worthy! Powerfully driven & a definitely a tearjerker.

• Barry L

  
  Not often im brought to tears by a film but this bugger did it. What an absolutely beautiful film. Gere was immense as usual but this was so touching I defy anyone with or without a heart not to well up....again another true story.....wonderful.

• Quinto W

  
  This is some serious dogporn. While I admire the story, which is based on actual facts, and it comes off as a beautiful little film about bonding, friendship and loyalty, it is also too oversimplistic and calculating; you know every happy moment is only meant to be repaid with another… More
  This is some serious dogporn. While I admire the story, which is based on actual facts, and it comes off as a beautiful little film about bonding, friendship and loyalty, it is also too oversimplistic and calculating; you know every happy moment is only meant to be repaid with another one twenty times sadder. It also reminded me of "Jurassic Bark", one of Futurama's most soul-crushing episodes.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings