# Dog of Flanders, A (1999)

### reviewed by
John Turner

    A DOG OF FLANDERS (1999)
    Reviewed by Jon Turner
    Posted 8/29/99

    Rating:  **** out of *****

Review: A DOG OF FLANDERS is the story of an adorable little boy named Nello and his trials and tribulations in 19th century Flanders. Living with his Grandfather Jehan (Jack Warden) in poverty, Nello finds happiness in his life in spite of difficult times (they are renting a spare one-room cottage, and the greedy, malevolent landlord who owns it threatens to throw them `out of the house' if they don't pay the rent). Nello also has a rather creative talent for drawing some of the most beautiful pictures that I have ever seen, in either a movie or in real life. (His hero is Peter Paul Rubens, the great Flemish painter of the 17th century.)

Not that these are the only things that make Nello's life happy, however. He has a dog of Flanders, whom he names Patrasche, who is a heroic Rin-Tin-Tin of the 19th century, whom he rescues from his cruel, unkind master. In addition, he even has a best friend (and future sweetheart) in the lovely, wealthy Aloise, whose father strongly disapproves of her hanging out with `lower-class' Nello. (He thinks he's not good enough for her, and he would hate the idea of the two kids marrying.) But then, he was a poor guy himself before he married (as mentioned later on in the film).

One day, Nello encounters a mysterious, yet kindhearted artist named Michel La Grande (played wonderfully by Jon Voight), who tells the boy to keep drawing from his heart, and that perhaps one day he might land a career in being an artist. And every Christmas, there is a contest on which is the most beautiful painting of the year; the winner getting a lot of money. Eager to save his home (and his aging, dying Grandfather), Nello willingly decides to become an artist, asking Aloise to pose for him.

One night, the two travel to a circus, where they have their fortune told –one of the film's most delightful scenes– that great happiness is destined for them . She gives the kids a ring, whom Nello places on Aloise's hand. ;) Afterwards, the two kids have a rollickingly good time dancing around in front of circus performers.

Unfortunately, things are not all `la-dee-dah' in this tale. Aloise's father finally becomes so angry with Nello that he forbids him to ever see Aloise again. Bad enough that they can't see each other (although we know Nello and Aloise, don't we?), but that's only the start of Nello's troubles. Aloise's farm is burned down, and Nello is wrongfully accused (by the landord of his cottage) for starting the fire in order to take revenge on being forbidden to see Aloise. This decreases Nello's reputation around the town, save Aloise and her parents, and a kindly miller, William, who is very sweet to Nello every time he drops by.

Matters get much worse for Nello when his grandfather dies, and he has to pay for his funeral. But then things really get nasty when the landlord exiles Nello from his own home (for not paying his rental)–permanetly. This means that Nello and Patrasche have to starve and walk out in the cold, freezing wind. Worst of all, the painting that he has desperately been working on during all this time, `The Portrait of the Princess', fails to win the prize at the festival. Now Nello and Patrasche are REALLY depressed, and close to freezing to death. Will Nello be able to find any happiness in his life? Will Patrasche save the day? Will Nello make the fateful trip to join his mother and grandfather in Paradise?

A DOG OF FLANDERS is a delightful, heartwarming family film that is sure to entertain kids of all ages. Even older ones who consider themselves too `sophisticated' for kiddie fare will be surprised to hear that this film is for grown-ups, too. There have been other movies of this ilk (boy and dog), and while this one falls into that category, it is mostly a story about overcoming difficulties and finding a good home for yourself. Move over –or rather, roll over– OLD YELLER, this dog of Flanders is a heartwarming delight.

The cinematography, courtesy of Walther van den Ende is beautiful, and really adds to the powerful drama of the film. It also gives a feel of being in Flanders (the whole film was respectably shot in Flanders).

The music from Richard Friedman is also remarkable; an evocative, poignant score that recaptures music from the 19th Century. The opening song over the credits is very beautiful (I hope the soundtrack is available!), and there's a brief excerpt of `Cheer Up, Charlie' from WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (sung by Aloise, to Nello, in another delightful scene).

The cast is first-rate: Jesse James and Jeremy James Kissner, who play Nello, are some of the most endearing, adorable young stars I have ever seen in my whole life (so are the girls who play Aloise, Madyline Sweeten as the younger, and Farren Monet as the older). Not that they are the only good stars, however. Jack Warden is ideal as Jehan, eliciting just the right amount of humor and compassion required for the character. (The scenes involving him and Nello are heartwarming, touching ones.) Also, Bruce McGill is charming as the kindly miller William. He's another one of my favorite characters in the film. But Jon Voight, as I mentioned before, is the perfect choice for Michel. He brings a mysterious, yet gentle performance that makes us all feel good again when he reassures insecure Nello that he *can* win the contest.

But what makes this film fun to watch is how well-defined the characters are, and the pace of the story (best of all, it has a happy ending… though I will *not* give it away; sorry) is strong and powerful enough for us to identify with the characters. For the first time since the beginning of 1999, there comes a film which doesn't rely on popular formula stuff, such as big-budget special effects, commercial rock soundtracks, or any of that stuff. This one relies on telling a fully character-oriented story, with just the right amount of heart, humor, and drama. That, to me, is what makes A DOG OF FLANDERS all the more delightful.

Eleanor O'Sullivan of `The Home News & Tribune' noticed this, and was kind and generous enough to welcome it: `For want of a better word, a glow surrounds A DOG OF FLANDERS. Its heart is in the right place and it engages you. You can guess where the film is going because this is well-traveled territory, but with pros like Voight and appealing young performers like Kissner, an often-told story is well worth a revisit.' In addition, there were a couple of other enthusiasts, such as Chicago-Sun Times and the Washington Post (you should read their reviews; they're really positive).

Other critics, however, were not so kind. Stephen Holden of `The New York Times' had more than a share of beatings to lay upon A DOG OF FLANDERS via pen writing. He found the film to be a `sea of sugary bromides' and condemned Mr. Voight's character as `hopelessly wooden… adopts an accent even more indeterminate than the one he came up with for ANACONDA.' In addition, `Entertainment Weekly' slam-dunked the film, condemning it as `the worst family film of the year.' There have been so many other bad reviews like this, too.

My suggestion: disregard the critics. They just have a big problem with touching family films, and one should never pay attention to them. This DOG OF FLANDERS may only be a little `family' movie (It probably won't be a big hit in the style of TITANIC, but then again no other film has been since then), but that is not a bad thing in and of itself. This is a story that is sure to warm your heart, and that is what really matters about A DOG OF FLANDERS. It is also one of the better family films around this year. None of the other films I have seen this year (though they were good) have been so low-key and touching. If you're looking for family-style entertainment, look no further than this charming boy-and-dog yarn. Go see it while you still can, for as I mentioned, it might not be a big bow-wow at the box office for a long time. See it while you can. There is really no need to compare a multi-million dollar blockbuster such as STAR WARS: EPISODE I–THE PHANTOM MENACE or TARZAN, or even THE IRON GIANT with a tender, sweet little family movie.

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