Dance with the White Dog

Review of To Dance with the White Dog

Director & Writer &Title:

Glenn Jordan, Terry Kay, To Dance with the White Dog

Setting:

To Dance with the White Dog is based on the book by Terry Kay, which is set in Georgia in the period between 1950 and 1960, and it expresses an old man's life in the rural South. This movie is the last film that Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy made together before Tandy died. It through a simple story of Sam, expresses the subjects of love, death, aging and family bonds. The movie To Dance with the White Dog also is an award-winning Hallmark movie. Hume Cronyn won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special, and the movie was nominated for a further eight Emmys.

Summary:

Sam Peek suddenly loses his wife of 57 years to a heart attack, and though he is 81 years old, he is determined to continue living alone at home in the neighborhood of his two daughters though they want to protect him and try to manage his life. There is a classic, often comic conflict between the stubborn, independent old father and his worried, controlling children. As his daughters worried about how their old father would continue with his day-to-day activities on the farm to take care of his pecan trees, Sam told them about his white dog that is not visible to anyone else but him. The white dog stays with him right up to the end. It dances with Sam, and saves Sam's life many times. Just before Sam dies, Sam tells his youngest son that he believed the white dog was Cora who had come back to watch over him. Of course, we viewers have believed that all along, as well.

Actors:

Moreover, there are many charming characters. Actors, through fantastic performances depict this sad and touching story, especially Hume Cronyn (Sam) and Jessica Tandy (Cora). They use their vivid and sensitive performances to show their deep love, which strongly influences audiences. Other actors also use their skillful performances promoting the development of plot and exploring the subject of the movie.

Direction & Recommendation:

This movie is aesthetic and authentic. The development of the plot is easy to follow, neither too fast, nor too slow. Furthermore, the subject of the movie is easy to understand by audiences though actors' simple and real dialogue and vivid performances. In addition, the movie's subject forces people to think about the relationships between them and their families and also helps them understand love, death and aging, versus becoming more and more numb and indifferent. It's a meaningful movie. I believe people can learn a lot from it; it's a movie worth to be seeing.