The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019)
This is a delightful, humorous and touching film directed by Simon Curtis from a screenplay by Mark Bomback from the novel by Garth Stein.
The movie has no name stars, save Kevin Costner, who voices the thoughts of one of the star characters: a Labrador Retriever. The only other actor of note was Kathy Baker, who turns in a good portrayal as the mother-in-law.
Denny Swift is a race car driver who has a close relationship with his dog, Enzo. Enzo is proud to be owned by his master, and revels in their time together. He believes that when he dies he will be re-incarnated as a human being. Enzo watches a lot of TV and auto races. Eventually Denny meets and marries Eve, and Enzo finds himself competing for attention from Denny, until Eve and Enzo finally bond. A similar situation occurs when a daughter named Zoe is born.
Denny's career keeps improving and their family grows in closeness, until several dramatic events occur that change the dynamic, and put Denny at odds with his in-laws. The film builds to a climax after which we are treated to a very gratifying conclusion.
All the actors do fine work, both together and in ensemble, to the point where we forget that they're acting. Despite the unusual narrating of the dog's thoughts, it's a believable story. It's nice to see a well put together PG film, and to realize most movies used to be made this way-- a very pleasing 109 minutes.
Doc's rating: 8/10