This made-for-TV movie, currently being shown on one of the Hallmark channels, is a serious drama - but Be Warned! for there is no romantic love and there is no humor. This movie is not a light-hearted romp through the sunlit plains of human emotions.
It is a story that centers on a disabled veteran and his love for his dog, Duke, and its narrative finds true emotional power by separating and eventually reuniting the man and his dog. It is unflinching in showing the wreckage of the man's life caused by his military service, his PTSD and his injury. Kudos to the filmmakers: the veterinary medicine in the movie is highly realistic, and the eventual reunion of some family members is treated realistically and with restraint. There are various side-stories (a bid to buy the animal clinic, a daughter's marriage, and an attempt to find employment) that do not distract too much from the central drama.
My wife cried like a blubbering baby at one point in the movie and rejoiced at the end of it. That is an important measure of a film's success, and you may react to "Duke" in the same way, especially if you love dogs.
It is a story that centers on a disabled veteran and his love for his dog, Duke, and its narrative finds true emotional power by separating and eventually reuniting the man and his dog. It is unflinching in showing the wreckage of the man's life caused by his military service, his PTSD and his injury. Kudos to the filmmakers: the veterinary medicine in the movie is highly realistic, and the eventual reunion of some family members is treated realistically and with restraint. There are various side-stories (a bid to buy the animal clinic, a daughter's marriage, and an attempt to find employment) that do not distract too much from the central drama.
My wife cried like a blubbering baby at one point in the movie and rejoiced at the end of it. That is an important measure of a film's success, and you may react to "Duke" in the same way, especially if you love dogs.