This Christmas movie is set in 1931 and is about a girl from Pittsburgh whose father has to send her to live with her “aunt” (really an old girlfriend) in a small town that has a local ordinance against dogs. Naturally the girl winds up with an adorable dog and makes friends with a family that provides a “dog orphanage” just outside the town limits. The mayor’s brother is the dogcatcher and rides around in a motorcycle sidecar while his assistant drives the motorcycle. There’s a lot of mild danger and adventure and plenty of cute little kids and dogs.
This is a family-friendly movie, very sweet and heart-warming and inspirational, but the Depression-era setting is portrayed in an appropriately dark and gritty manner. The cast, all of whom were unfamiliar to me except for character actors John Billingsley and Richard Riehle, does a good job, and the period detail is good with one exception: I don’t think the football term “Hail Mary pass” had been coined in 1931. That’s a pretty minor quibble, though. Overall, this is a mild but enjoyable film and worth watching if you're looking for a Christmas movie you might not have seen.
3 comments:
I would rather slit my throat than watch this. Sorry.
Is that you, Steve?
Don't be sorry for not wanting to watch this movie.
Be sorry for leaving such a rude message after our host's friendly Holiday post.
The Hail Mary pass got its name when Roger Staubach threw a long bomb at the end of a game and later said he just flung it up and said a Hail Mary when he released it. This was well after 1931.
Post a Comment