The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019)

[Wayne_j]

Title: The Art of Racing in the Rain

Genre: All

Director: Simon Curtis

Cast: Milo Ventimiglia, Kevin Costner, Amanda Seyfried, Martin Donovan, Ian Lake

Release: 2019-08-09

Plot: Enzo, a family dog with a near-human soul and a philosopher's mind, evaluates his life through the lessons learned by his human owner, the race-car driver Denny Swift.

 

[Wayne_j]

Trailer just released:

 

[Johnny Angell]

Racing in the Rain is a marvelous book and I listened to the audio book when I “read” it. If I had been asked, I would have told the producers to use the book reader (it’s told from the dog’s point of view) for the narrator. Anyway, to have the dog narrate is true to the book.

I don’t remember a romance and wedding in the book or a pregnancy, nor does my wife. I suspect substantial liberties are being taken. If the movie can capture the depth of feeling and the authenticity of a novel narrated by a dog (which always rings true in the book) then this will be a good movie.

BTW, in the novel, Enzo’s (the dog) owner always rings true. Through rough times he doesn’t let down his dog.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I LOVED the book (almost as much as the Bruce Cameron books: A Dog's Purpose, A Dog's Journey).

If the movie can be as faithful to the book as the Cameron movies have been, we should be in for a real treat.

The trailer gives the impression that there's gonna be some good acting in the film (maybe even on the part of the humans!). A smart bit of casting to tap a Golden Retriever to play the lead.

Can't wait!

 

[Mike Frezon]

People like Dogs in their Movies

 

[Johnny Angell]

People like Dogs in their Movies

I read the article and it has a very stupid statement in it. According to the article, liberals will assume a race care driver is a sexist bigot. I don’t care for auto racing and I’m a liberal, but I have no such dislike of the drivers. The novel talks about racing a lot and did it with such skill that I followed it with interest.

 

[Mike Frezon]

The novel talks about racing a lot and did it with such skill that I followed it with interest.

I agree with that wholeheartedly, Johnny.

I have zero interest in auto racing and yet even though there was quite a bit of reference to it, it never took me out of the book. I hope the movie doesn't dwell on the car racing stuff too much.

 

[Mark Booth]

We caught a matinee this afternoon. Loved, LOVED, LOVED this film! Is it a bit manipulative? Yep. Is it simply told? Yep. But the film still overwhelmed me with happiness, sadness, love and joy! If you can watch this film and keep your eyes dry and your heart empty then you must be dead. I wanted to watch it all again the moment it was over.

The Booth Bijou gives 'The Art of Racing in the Rain' a very enthusiastic 5 out of 5 stars. I can't wait to see it again and show it in the Booth Bijou Garage Theater.

Mark

 

[Mike Frezon]

Peg and I are heading to a matinee tomorrow afternoon.

To say we are looking forward to this film is an understatement!

 

[Johnny Angell]

Peg and I are heading to a matinee tomorrow afternoon.

To say we are looking forward to this film is an understatement!

Have you read the book? I’d be interested to know how much it differs and whether it lives up to the novel (which was fabulous).

 

[Mark Booth]

I read the article and it has a very stupid statement in it. According to the article, liberals will assume a race care driver is a sexist bigot. I don’t care for auto racing and I’m a liberal, but I have no such dislike of the drivers. The novel talks about racing a lot and did it with such skill that I followed it with interest.

I lean liberal and I like auto racing. In fact, many of my friends race their own cars on weekends (autocross and track events). Some of them are liberal and some are conservative and none of them (to my knowledge) are sexist bigots. My one friend that is a Formula 1 fanatic leans WAY more left than me.

I agree with that wholeheartedly, Johnny.

I have zero interest in auto racing and yet even though there was quite a bit of reference to it, it never took me out of the book. I hope the movie doesn't dwell on the car racing stuff too much.

The racing scenes in the film are not only minimally spread throughout the film, each racing scene is very brief.

This is a film about the human condition... birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, conflict, and mortality. Its only negative (if it can even be called a negative) is that it is a story that is told plainly and simply. The characters have plenty of depth but the story weaves an easy to understand and follow path. I haven't read the book so I do not know if the book delved more deeply into various plot points.

Mark

 

[Mike Frezon]

Have you read the book? I’d be interested to know how much it differs and whether it lives up to the novel (which was fabulous).

I have read the book and agree that it was fabulous. I've recommended it highly to several friends.

But I also have the uncanny ability to forget substantial sections of books/movies/etc. after time, Johnny. So I'm not sure how much help I'll be. It might all come rushing back to me after the film and I'm sure Peg will be able to help with what you're asking. She's got a mind like a steel trap!

 

[Johnny Angell]

I lean liberal and I like auto racing. In fact, many of my friends race their own cars on weekends (autocross and track events). Some of them are liberal and some are conservative and none of them (to my knowledge) are sexist bigots. My one friend that is a Formula 1 fanatic leans WAY more left than me.




The racing scenes in the film are not only minimally spread throughout the film, each racing scene is very brief.

This is a film about the human condition... birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, conflict, and mortality. Its only negative (if it can even be called a negative) is that it is a story that is told plainly and simply. The characters have plenty of depth but the story weaves an easy to understand and follow path. I haven't read the book so I do not know if the book delved more deeply into various plot points.

Mark

It is my memory that the racing scenes are longer in the novel, but then novels can do things that movies cannot. I got involved in those scenes even though I have little enthusiasm for racing. The novel really earns its title.

 

[Mike Frezon]

We caught a matinee this afternoon. Loved, LOVED, LOVED this film!

...

The Booth Bijou gives 'The Art of Racing in the Rain' a very enthusiastic 5 out of 5 stars.

Peg and I figure this to be one of the best movies we've seen at the theater in a very long time. BUT...we also feel like this is a film that was made specifically for us. It is a film about the human/animal bond (the common thread of all of Peg's books and other writings) and it is narrated by a senior Golden retriever (our specialty--we've adopted four senior Goldens in recent years).

As we enjoyed dinner after our matinee we could find very little negative to say about the film. We had both loved the book. As I suspected, the movie brought back the experience of the book to me. From what I remember, the film is quite faithful to Garth Stein's original work.

The thing Peg and I enjoyed the most about the film were all the beautiful Golden retrievers that were used to play Enzo. There was one beautiful shot of these gorgeous dogs after another. Enzo is written (and beautifully voiced by Kevin Costner) to have the human-type thoughts that dog-lovers always want to think that their canine best friends have.

The humans in the cast, Milo Ventimiglia, Amanda Seyfried, and the others were all quite good and believable in their roles.

It is an emotional film. I know quite a few people who don't like dog movies like this, A Dog's Purpose, Marley and Me and Old Yeller because, inevitably, the dogs always die and they are very sad. But as I tell people who lose a pet and want to share their grief, the reason we are so moved to tears when a pet dies (either in real life or in reel life) is only because we have such a strong emotional attachment of love to the animal. And isn't that a good thing?!? I think it is.

And that's why I will always support beautiful films like this which are smartly-written and well-acted and pull at the heart-strings.

About the auto racing. It's not too much--even for non-racing fans like me and Peg. The racing sequences only serve to provide a common bond for Denny and Enzo and to serve as a metaphor for life (and the story's plotline). And then there's the nice racing-based payoff at the end.

If you love dogs, see this film.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I enjoyed it when I saw it on its opening weekend.

 

[Mark Booth]

Coming to Blu-ray and digital on November 5, 2019. Nice!

No 4K Blu-ray in sight. Boo!

iTunes shows 4K HDR streaming version coming, currently priced at $14.99. THAT is what I'll initially put my money toward. Then I'll pick up the standard Blu-ray when it's dirt cheap somewhere.

Mark

 

[Mike Frezon]

Coming to Blu-ray and digital on November 5, 2019. Nice!

No 4K Blu-ray in sight. Boo!

Great news (except for the no 4k part of it...)!

Just pre-ordered the Blu from Amazon.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Great news (except for the no 4k part of it...)!

Just pre-ordered the Blu from Amazon.