My childhood had
a series of movies that were staple meals for every month, and Homeward
Bound was one of them. The story of a trio deciding to embark on a long
journey home by themselves against all odds, guided only by their own senses.
This trio consisted of two dogs and a cat, and the fun in the movie lies in
their amazing journey, which was filled with numerous adventures, wonderful
discoveries, and moments of maturity.
The movie was
the directorial debut of one-time movie editor Duwayne Dunham, and credit goes
to how he was able to craft this story around these animals with minimal human
presence. The movie had two stories running simultaneously: one of a family
trying to bond together and the other of these animals trying to get back to
their owners.
The director did
a magnificent job of merging the two while keeping the main focus on the
animals, without falling short in creating a connection between the movie and
the viewer.
The movie’s plot
revolves around the determination of a Golden Retriever named Shadow. Shadow
lives in a home with his owner, Peter. He shares that home with a cat named
Sassy, whose owner is Peter’s younger sister, Hope. The youngest of the family,
Jamie, owns the American Bulldog, Chance.
The family is
going on vacation and drops the animals off at a farm. Shadow, not
understanding why his owner was sad and leaving him, feels he needs to find
Peter after waiting for days for his return. He runs away from the farm,
accompanied by Sassy and Chance, and they begin their journey home.
The movie is
very much made for children, but an adult of any age can watch and still love
it—or even appreciate it more than a child might.
The movie’s plot
is based on a book titled The Incredible Journey (1961) by Scottish
author Sheila Burnford. The book was loosely adapted by Walt Disney into a
movie in 1963, also titled The Incredible Journey, before this adaptation
of Homeward Bound.
I haven’t seen
the 1963 version, so I won’t be commenting on the differences between the
movies. But judging by the critic and audience ratings for both on Rotten
Tomatoes, I can see that both were well-received, with similar scores.
Whether the
movie was a financial success for Disney, I don’t know. What I do know is that
Disney tried to milk this movie by making a second part. They hired the same
cast, but this journey was from San Francisco, and the adventure was more
intense and dangerous—which is odd compared to what they faced in the first
movie. The second part didn’t have the same connection with the audience as
this one did. It was dull and very unfulfilling. I won’t be watching that movie
again.
Go see this
movie again—you’ll be glad you did.
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