Such a frustrating disappointment

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

I was hooked into this low budget film after the boat accident. I also have a lab and was impressed with how well trained "Yellow" was. But I gave it a 2 rating based on it completely jumping the shark at the end. Not only will watching a dog fall 127 feet traumatize your kids, the suspension of disbelief that the dog actually survived with only a broken/hurt leg is asking too much. And to end the film begging viewers to believe "Yellow" swam off the island and walked 149 miles back home is pathetic. Quite frankly, I would have given it a higher rating if it had taken the Old Yeller route instead with the same moral of "the dog makes the ultimate sacrifice by trying to protect the boy who would not have survived to that point if not for the dog." But then, children wouldn't watch it a 2nd time in today's world. For the record, I watched Old Yeller at least a few x every year growing up, and understood why it affected people both positively and negatively (which is what good films should inspire to do).

Very few films have ever been made that touch the hearts of people from young children to senior citizens. At 60 yrs old, I've seen virtually all of the boy and dog TV Shows & movies from the original Lassie series (1954) to Old Yeller (1957) on through present day. This film beats them all. Don't look for foul language, nudity, or extreme violence that are so prevalent in movies today. This film didn't need them. It is perfect just as it is, standing on it's own with a great story line, acting, cinematography and scoring. Excellently written. Angus does exactly what a 16 year old kid would do that has reasonable knowledge in survival skills and is lost in the wilderness: He stays put for several days, then afraid he will not be found in that location, he leaves a message where he is headed, then heads off in that direction trying to find his way to the lighthouse he saw before their boat capsized. In the process, he makes several mistakes that any kid his age would make. He tries to stay strong, but has those moments when fear of not making it overtake him.Jesse Bradford plays the role of the lost 16-year-old boy with impeccable realism, from the wide shots to the extreme closeups that bring the viewer right into his eyes and emotions. The supporting actors, from his parents, to little brother, to rescuers are excellent. They don't attempt to steal the movie, but are incredible as supporting actors.The cinematography is second to none, sparing no expense to capture the beauty of British Columbia but never missing the intimate, personal actions and close-up emotions of Angus and Yellow Dog. The music score and ambient background sounds are amazing. If anyone wants to study how a movie of this genre should be scored, this is the movie to study. You can watch the entire movie and never even notice the music or the ambient background sounds. That is the real test of these two areas of film making. They are there to enhance, but not overtake the movie, and that is accomplished in this film.If you want to watch a film that will touch your heart and that you don't have to be embarrassed by it's content when you have children or parents or grandparents suddenly walk in, this is it.

Far from Home - The Adventures of Yellow DogDespite a rather ridiculous title ("The Adventures of Yellow Dog"?), this winning tale of a 14-year-old boy's bond with a yellow lab will warm your heart. Okay, I'm lying--but it will entertain the kiddies. It's a children's version of "Cast Away" after Jesse Bradford is stranded in a Canadian wilderness with his pet dog, left with only a few items for survival. Really, it's not as bad as it sounds.1995, PG (violence).*** / *****

There should be more of this kind of film. This is one that the family could watch and enjoy. I find the best movies need not to have all of the bad language to make them enjoyable. It may be that someday the film industry may get the message.