de_niro_2001 I didn't think they made films like this any more. If you've seen Lassie Come Home you'll be familiar with the story but that doesn't detract from the pleasure of this new version. It is a somewhat idealised portrayal of the 1930s but still very good. Steve Pemberton makes Hynes a hissable and comic villain, better than Pat O'Malley in the original version. John Lynch is excellent as is Peter O'Toole. The Glasgow scenes are obviously Dublin although they have included a bus in authentic Glasgow Corporation livery. The streets of 1930s Glasgow also look a bit odd without trams! The scene where poor wee Toots gets killed brought a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes. I own a border terrier so maybe that made it personal. Nicholas Lyndhurst's reputation has been forever tarnished. Rowlie is a small man with a big wonderful heart and a lovely talent for entertaining children and I really felt for him. It is good though how everything ends up so nicely for Lassie and the Carracloughs. If you ever want to have a good cry a recommend this film.

ArizWldcat I cannot praise this wonderful film highly enough! There are so few movies these days that you can enjoy with your whole family. This may be a little slow for really young children, (perhaps under 6 would be too young), but my pre-teen and teenage girls loved it. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, and those of us who are Anglophiles will recognize a lot of British actors. Peter O'Toole, Samantah Morton,Peter Dinklage (I know...not British...but he does a great accent) and John Lynch head a stellar cast of well known (at least to me) faces. I have never read the original book, but I understand that this film is very faithful to it. The beautiful scenery of Scotland and York made me feel as if I were right there. I have always been a sucker for dog movies, and this one is one of the best I've ever seen. I should have brought my Kleenex! The children in the movie are very good as well; not too cutesy, just serious actors.

jimreed Outstanding movie! Story well told.If anyone in Europe has seen this film, do you know whether that was an Irish or Scottish blessing that the owner of the dog Toots said while his dog was dying. Something like "If life has blessings to spare, may God grant them to you now." Does anyone know the exact words? Thanks much. Highly recommend this movie to families. I had originally thought that the movie was based on the Timmy and Lassie series on television here in the USA. I was surprised because I didn't know the original story and I'm so glad that I took the time to see the film. The characters are played by excellent actors and the sound track is very inspirational as well.

fertilecelluloid This is a superb, authentic adaptation of Eric Knight's novel "Lassie Come Home". It avoids unnecessary, forced sentimentality to tell a straightforward tale of a dog's dedication to "home" (and Master). Structurally, stories like this are potentially problematic because the central plot threads divide once the heroine (Lassie in this case) escapes from bondage and begins her incredible journey. The trick is to make all the characters interesting enough so that when their lives are intercut with Lassie's progression, we don't lose interest in their plights. Thankfully, director/writer Charles Sturridge creates fascinating, complex characters all round and casts every role beautifully. Jonathan Mason is pitch perfect as Joe, the little boy whose devotion to Lassie equals the dog's devotion to him. Hester Odgers is magical as Cilla, the smart, sensitive granddaughter of eccentric aristocrat The Duke. And Peter O'Toole, as The Duke, strikes a perfect chord in every scene and gradually reveals his true, noble heart. John Lynch and Samantha Morton are entirely convincing as the struggling, working class couple who face an uncertain future and are forced to sell Lassie to make ends meet.The uncredited "Mason" plays Lassie, and what a moving, emotion-laden performance it is. It's not often that a male plays a female so utterly convincingly. Every scene the dog is in is riveting, and there isn't a moment that we don't sympathize with her ordeal.One of the film's most touching chapters is the one in which Lassie joins a traveling puppeteer (Peter Dinklage) on the road, performing in shows with another loyal dog. Dinklage, who previously appeared in the wonderful "The Station Agent", is thoroughly fantastic as the pint-sized puppeteer with a heart of gold. How this chapter plays out (in a misty forest) is quite traumatic and dramatic, and is an example of director Sturridge's firm control of the material. Interestingly, the tone of this sequence recalled Todd Browning for me, and was just off-kilter enough to still be suitable for the kiddies while keeping the oldies satisfied.I must also mention the stellar work here of cinematographer Howard Atherton. His understated style perfectly captures the period (pre-WW2) and breathes rich cinematic oxygen into the nasty sequence in the forest while making the montages of Lassie's difficult trek soar. Score by Adrian Johnston is suitably old-fashioned while echoing contemporary scores such as Mark Isham's musical masterpiece for "Fly Away Home", a film this one parallels tonally.A great film in every sense of the word, and one that doesn't resort to flashy tricks or bombastic style. It is a work of great discipline.