A Dog of
This fourth
cinematic adaptation of a classic French children's story features what must surely
be the most bizarre anachronism ever committed to celluloid. A four-year-old Belgian girl, in the 19th
century, spontaneously belts out a modified rendition of "Cheer Up,
Charlie," from 1971's Willy Wonka
and the Chocolate Factory! Huh? Oh
well, most anyone over the age of 10 will probably have already tuned out, but
hang in there: the young leads grow up into better actors, the titular dog
moves into the background, and Jack Warden's cartoonish Grandpa is supplanted
by fatherly Jon Voight, sporting yet another bad wig and wacky accent. The best thing about this story of a young
pauper who aspires to being an artist is that it may make children take an
interest in Peter Paul Rubens and art history.
The worst? That would be the
overblown, gratuitously tearjerking ending (think Ghost meets It's a Wonderful
Life, minus Jimmy Stewart or Demi Moore).
You gotta love the disclaimer at the end of the credits, though, warning
us that Bouvier dogs like the one in the movie "are not a breed for
everyone."