Hachi, the dog, of course, steals this show, which I've now seen several times. Presumably there are at least three dogs involved playing the puppy, the mature Hachi, and old Hachi. They are all fantastic. What strikes me every time, though, is Richard Gere's performance. I've not been a big fan of Gere's over the years, since seeing American Gigolo when it was first released. But he is so natural in this film and so clearly having real fun with Hachi, that it is a totally winning performance. Two small points in the Plot Summary: Carl did not teach Hachi to fetch. Rather, as Ken said, Hachi would fetch when it meant something, so the only time he fetched the ball was when he was trying to keep Parker from going to work, mysteriously knowing what was going to happen. Secondly, describing Joan Allen as a bossy, jealous wife kind of misses the point. Many couples decide against having a dog because one of them objects, and in fact she is won over when she sees how happy Hachi makes her husband.
Review of Hachi: A Dog's Tale
