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A Dog's Purpose

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Videos & Photos

  • Trailer for A Dog's Purpose
  • Clip: Maya tries to get Tino to chase a ball
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Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Lasse Hallström

Producer:

Gavin Polone, Alan Blomquist, Mark Sourian

Writer:

W. Bruce Cameron, Cathryn Michon, Audrey Wells

Release Date:

Jan 27, 2017

Runtime:

1hr 40m

Synopsis

A dog looks to discover his purpose in life over the course of several lifetimes and owners.

Cast

  • Josh Gad
  • Dennis Quaid
  • Peggy Lipton
  • Bryce Gheisar
  • KJ Apa
  • Juliet Rylance
  • Luke Kirby
  • Gabrielle Rose
  • Michael Bofshever
  • Britt Robertson

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.6
271.3K
27.6K
60.9K
RATINGS 4.2K FANS
3.6
  • Jun 10, 2024

    all i do is cry while watching movies about dogs

    561 Likes
    𝓂𝒾𝓁𝒶𝓃𝒶 𝜗𝜚
    𝓂𝒾𝓁𝒶𝓃𝒶 𝜗𝜚
    Jan 28, 2017

    Tonally inconsistent and shamelessly manipulative, A Dog's Purpose substitutes genuine emotion for endless tear-jerking, resulting in a surprisingly dark, at times deeply unpleasant viewing experience. The canine version of Collateral Beauty.

    519 Likes
    NickyD316
    NickyD316
    Nov 6, 2020

    once again a reminder that we don't deserve dogs :((

    460 Likes
    Allen
    Allen
  •
    Jan 20, 2022

    I definitely agree with the part of Bailey's life lessons where he suggests that you should lick the people you love.

    293 Likes
    Arjun Rajput
    Arjun Rajput
    Nov 10, 2019

    i love the film with many dog deaths in it, it’s exactly what i wanted to watch on a sunday afternoon

    255 Likes
    robyn
    robyn
    Apr 8, 2021

    i cried

    216 Likes
    Onur
    Onur
  •
    Jan 6, 2024

    everytime i see someone rate a dog movie low i wanna report them as animal abusers

    193 Likes
    kar 🥀
    kar 🥀
    Dec 1, 2024

    i’m going to be sick i miss my dog so much man. Lasse Hallström you will pay for your crimes. 😭

    179 Likes
    Happypumpkin18
    Happypumpkin18
    Jan 28, 2017

    To be completely honest "A Dog's Purpose" isn't necessarily a good movie, it's very manipulative at times, feels very tonally confused at points, and ends rather abruptly. But if you're a dog lover like I am that will hardly matter. I found this to be a sweet, heartwarming…

    142 Likes
    Connor Carey
    Connor Carey
See All Reviews on Letterboxd.com

Queue Community Reviews

95%
Community 12,193
❤️ LOVE
28%
👍 LIKE
67%
😐 MEH
4%
👎 DISLIKE
1%
Top Reviews
  • Ashleigh
    Ashleigh liked
    A Dog's Purpose

    only reason I’m not loving it is bc I could barely see my screen bc my eyes were so swollen from crying every 2 minutes😭

    1 😭 🔥 😂 18 3Y
    Haylen
    Haylen disliked
    A Dog's Purpose

    they abused animals on the set of this movie😡

    2 👀 😂 4 3Y
    autumn
    autumn loved
    A Dog's Purpose

    had me crying my eyes out way too much 🧍🏾

    2 🔥 😭 2 3Y
  • Jack Rivé
    Jack Rivé liked
    A Dog's Purpose

    If you need to cry WATCH THIS. your dog might like the movie also

    🔥 😭 🤔 3 2Y
    sophia nowicki
    sophia nowicki is "meh" on
    A Dog's Purpose

    not very memorable but very ssd

    2 🔥 1 2Y
    Nur Akhmedova
    Nur Akhmedova loved
    A Dog's Purpose

    Favorite movie which talks about the relationship between an animal and its owner, the story itself is very captivating and sometimes sad but the plot is really good and there are some very good actors included

    1 🔥 1 3Y
  • kristi
    kristi liked
    A Dog's Purpose

    dogs deserve to live forever

    🔥 2 1Y
    Emily Slyns
    Emily Slyns disliked
    A Dog's Purpose

    Saddest movie of all time.

    1 😭 1 3Y
    Nathan
    Nathan liked
    A Dog's Purpose

    Made my gf cry

    😭 2 2Y
View More Popular A Dog's Purpose Reviews on Queue

Atom Users Reviews

4.4
573
279
82
17
18
POPULAR TAGS
#heartwarming
#tearjerker
#great
#cute
#sad
#fun

Reviews

  • FS
    Franko Santana
    #epic
    #great
    #sad

    Very touching movie

    JD
    Jake Dellinger
    #tearjerker

    It was a very sad, but up lifting movie. Every time I cried they always lifted my spirits with some comedy.

    JG
    Juana Gonsalves
    #great

    I loved it!!!

  • KL
    Kevin Le
    #<3
    #original

    very heartfelt movie. makes you want a dog

    HL
    Hombre Lee
    #great
    #sad
    #fun

    loved this movie, funny, sad, and a new way to look at a pets death.

    GW
    Geralyn Williams
    #great
    #insightful
    #sad

    Great movie and it wasn't your typical movie! Completelyly out of the box idea! Five stars!

  • AA
    Aldo Albarracin
    #insightful
    #surprising
    #fun

    I LOVED IT! IT WAS AMAZING ❤️❤️❤️❤️

    DE
    Daniel Eastman
    #great
    #sad

    Good story! Sad at parts but finishes with happiness😀

    MM
    mayra mendez
    #great
    #sad
    #tearjerker

    this movie had every one in the theater in tears, beautiful movie!!!!

Read all 969 customer reviews

Metacritic

43
metacritic
Based on 32 Critics
6.3

USER SCORE (143)

Generally favorable reviews based on 143 Reviews
12
Jan 25, 2017

Lasse Hallström's gooey film exists only to offer comforting reassurances about dogs' natural servility.

View full review
Metacritic review by Keith Watson
Keith Watson
Slant Magazine
50
Jan 25, 2017

So what is a dog’s purpose? To provide gentle, forgettable entertainment for moviegoers who lament that “they” don’t make “nice” movies anymore, apparently. For the rest of us, it’s more like a 100-minute nap.

View full review
Metacritic review by Katie Rife
Katie Rife
The A.V. Club
63
Jan 25, 2017

Between Josh Gad’s charmingly earnest voice-over performance and more of the arthouse gloss that Hallström has drizzled on everything from “The Hundred-Foot Journey” to “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale,” it’s a weepie that can be tough to resist.

View full review
Metacritic review by Tom Russo
Tom Russo
Boston Globe
See All Critic Reviews on Metacritic.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Is A Dog's Purpose (2017) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as PG (Parental Guidance Suggested). It's generally considered a family-friendly movie.
How long is A Dog's Purpose (2017)?
The movie is 1hr 40min long.
What's A Dog's Purpose (2017) about?
A dog looks to discover his purpose in life over the course of several lifetimes and owners.
Who's the cast of A Dog's Purpose (2017)?
  • Josh Gad as Voice of Bailey/Buddy/Tino/Ellie
  • Dennis Quaid as Adult Ethan
  • Peggy Lipton as Adult Hannah
  • Bryce Gheisar as Ethan - 8 Years Old
  • KJ Apa as Teen Ethan
  • Juliet Rylance as Ethan's Mom
  • Luke Kirby as Ethan's Dad
  • Gabrielle Rose as Grandma Fran
  • Michael Bofshever as Grandpa Bill
  • Britt Robertson as Teen Hannah
Who's the director behind A Dog's Purpose (2017)?
Lasse Hallström directed A Dog's Purpose (2017).
Who produced A Dog's Purpose (2017)?
Gavin Polone, Alan Blomquist and Mark Sourian produced A Dog's Purpose (2017).