Lassie (2005)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Charles Sturridge

Writers:

Eric Knight (novel)
Charles Sturridge (writer)

Release Date:

1 September 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family

Tagline:

More Than A Hero. A Legend.

Plot:

A family in financial crisis is forced to sell Lassie, their beloved dog. Hundreds of miles away from her true family, Lassie escapes and sets out on a journey home.

Plot Keywords:

Lassie | Dog | Scottish Highlands | Dogcatcher | Christmas

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Peter O'Toole	...	The Duke
Samantha Morton	...	Sarah Carraclough
John Lynch	...	Sam Carraclough
Peter Dinklage	...	Rowlie
Gerry O'Brien	...	Watson
Steve Pemberton	...	Hynes
Eamonn Hunt	...	Alf Patterson
Edward Fox	...	Hulton
Jim Roche	...	Miner
John Standing	...	French
Gregor Fisher	...	Mapes
Jonathan Mason	...	Joe Carraclough
Brian Pettifer	...	O'Donnell
Paul Meade	...	Policeman
Jamie Lee	...	Tom

MPAA:

Rated PG for some mild violent content and language.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA | France | Ireland | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:PG | Ireland:PG | Australia:PG | Iceland:L | Finland:K-7 | Portugal:M/6 | Sweden:Btl | Singapore:PG | USA:PG | Peru:PT

Filming Locations:

County Wicklow, Ireland

Company:

Odyssey Entertainment

Trivia:

One thread that connects all the Lassie projects is Lassie herself. Every one of the long string of Lassie productions has featured a collie directly descended from the original canine star, a dog named Pal. The new film was made with 8-year-old Lassie the ninth, and three other non-related collies, whose biggest challenge were in scenes swimming across Loch Ness on her way home. "They weren't bred to be water dogs, who have more webbing between their feet and more fat on their body to insulate them for the water," said trainer Carol Riggins, who has steered the Lassie stable through Lassies seven, eight and nine. "Collies don't have that. When you put them in the water, as soon as they get wet to the skin you have to take them out and you have to blow dry them before you can do the rest of the scene. When they get in the water they get cold and their muscles don't work as well."

Goofs:

Continuity: There are seven puppies in the litter, but eight can be seen in the walk in the countryside.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2006-09-02)" (2006)

Good movie, but should've stayed true to the book

I've read the book Lassie Come-Home probably more times than I've read any other book, so I know the story well. I've also seen the original Lassie Come-Home movie several times, and it stayed pretty true to the book. This movie is good too, and I enjoyed watching it. The scenery is great, and the music is awesome. But I think it should've stayed closer to the original story. Some things were added, and others were left out. I think a lot of the things that were added fit, but others totally changed the story and kinda messed it up. I felt like Lassie's journey seemed way too short, and she didn't even meet half the people that she did in the book. It just didn't make the journey seem totally real. Also, Joe is way too young. The boy who played him was only 9 when the movie was made, and the Joe in the book was 12. The kid is cute, but I still think Roddy McDowall did a better job of playing Joe and looked about the right age.

If you enjoy animal movies and have never read the book, I'm sure you'll enjoy this movie. If you have read the book, you'll probably still enjoy it, but don't expect it to be real close to the book. If you want to watch a movie that stays true to the original story, watch Lassie Come-Home from 1943.