•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   

Based on the true story of a dog whose unwavering loyalty to his bygone master has him return to the train station promptly every day for nine years, “Hachiko: A Dog’s Story,” is a predictable and sappy, but surprisingly tender, movie.

The heartstrings begin to tug when university music professor Parker Wilson (played by a subtle Richard Gere) forms an enduring friendship with a Japanese Akita puppy he finds at a train station.

He names the puppy Hachi (a Japanese naming system which refers to the puppy’s place in the litter, in this case eight) and the two quickly become the best of friends.

Wilson often converses with his new four-legged friend and goes so far as to give the dog a shiatsu massage in one scene.

One day Wilson leaves for work and Hachi escorts him to the train station, leaving only after making sure his master has hopped safely aboard the train. From then on, at exactly 5 p.m. every day Hachi returns to the station to meet his master at the same spot.

This continues for two years until one day the professor dies suddenly of a heart attack while teaching class.

For nearly a decade, Hachi returns every day at 5 p.m., waiting through snow and rain for Wilson’s return.

The dog lives with the professor’s daughter and her husband for a period of time after his master’s death, before eventually settling in an abandoned train near the station.

Hachi survives on the kindness of strangers at the station, in particular an Indian hot-dog vendor, Jasjeet (portrayed by Eric Avari), who regularly feeds him.

Despite the film’s sentimental storyline, it’s difficult not to marvel at the devotion of the real Hachi and the nine-year vigil he keeps in honor of his master.

Director Lasse Hallstrom and screenwriter Stephen P. Lindsey give the tale a bit of an American twist but stay true to the heart of the story and mold the western version of the film i nto a touching tribute to the unparalleled friendship and allegiance between creatures of different breeds.

While allowing for more than a few tearjerker moments — the final half-hour of the movie is mostly Hachi scampering around the station waiting for his master —, Hallstrom lets Hachi’s faithfulness tell its own story.

Jasjeet and Carl, the station manager (Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander), who appears to be consistently on the verge of a hissy-fit, add color to the movie without being caricatures. Joan Allen as Wilson’s wife and Sarah Roermer as his daughter Andy turn in decent performances.

While Gere is obviously capable of doing more (see “Primal Fear,” “An Officer and a Gentleman,” “Final Analysis”), he sustains himself and works as a buffer to the story instead of stealing from the tale of loyalty.

Hallestrom knows that the original story is inspiring enough that all the film needed was a simple retelling.


‘Hachiko’
Sony Pictures
Directed by Lasse Hallstrom
Written by Stephen P. Lindsey
Starring Richard Gere, Joan Allen, Sarah Roemer, Erick Avari and Jason Alexander
Produced by Richard Gere, Bill Johnson and Vicki Shigekuni Wong
104 minutes