Synopsis
Kris Kristofferson narrates the story in flashback, telling the story of his younger self (JosephAshton) during the Depression. The young boy dreams of owning a hunting dog, and afterslaving away on odd jobs for two years, he finally acquires two: “Old Dan” and “Little Ann.”Together they become an unbeatable team, and have various adventures in a setting that is bothbucolic and poverty-stricken. The film is handsomely mounted and genuinely performed (with,interestingly, Dav… Matthews doing a credible job as Ashton’s father). There is that golden-huednostalgia to the film that is, perhaps, inevitable. This being a movie about dogs, you can probablyguess what looms at the film’s conclusion. Parents, if you’re thinking of watching this one withthe kids, be prepared for some serious tears. You have been warned.
Audio
There isn’t a lot by way of surround effects here, which is a little surprising, given the ruralsetting and all the opportunites that this provides. Still, the overall result isn’t bad. The music,which plays a pretty active role, is given a decent surround mix, and the dialogue is free ofdistortion or buzz.
Video
Though there are some isolate shots that are quite grainy, these are very much the exceptionto the rule. For the most part, the image is very satisfactory, being nicely sharp and free of edgeenhancement halos. The colours are good, and both fullscreen and 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreenaspect ratios are provided.
Special Features
The extras are limited. Beyond some other Disney trailers, there are two short featurettes.“Lights, Camera, Animals” looks at working with the animal actors, and “The Roots of aClassic” is an all-too-brief profile of author Wilson Rawls. The menu is scored.
Closing Thoughts
This is hardly a surprise, but it isn’t a disgrace either, and is guaranteed to disarm anyonewho has ever owned a dog.
Special Features List
- “The Roots of a Classic” Featurette
- “Lights, Camera, Animals” Featurette
- Trailers
