I am a firm believer that a book is always better than its movie. I’ve learned that movies tend to leave out certain details and personally, I think the actors chosen to portray the different characters never look how I picture them. Usually, after reading the book then watching the movie, I am thoroughly disappointed. Last night, I watched A Dog’s Purpose, and much to my surprise, it surpassed my expectations.

The movie follows a dog that continues to be reborn within different breeds. The dog starts his journey by being called Bailey, a best friend to a good kid with a troubled home life and an alcoholic dad. This is the dog’s favorite life. Then, he becomes a police dog, and in the next life, he is owned by a lonely college student. The dog’s final life begins where he is subjected to abusive neglect by a dysfunctional couple. He escapes and is reunited with his original owner from a past life.

A Dog’s Purpose is meant to be an ode to man’s best friend and shows the vital role that a dog can play in a person’s life. Throughout the film, the same question is asked over and over again- what is the purpose of life? With each life that the dog lives, there is a new purpose that he is given to live out. In one, he has to rescue people in need, and in another, he tries as hard as he can to bring happiness to a small boy. By the end of the movie, the question is answered and relays an important theme to the movie.

“Have fun, obviously. Whenever possible, find someone to save and save them. Lick the ones you love. Don’t get all sad faced about what happened and scrunchy-faced about what could. Just be here now. Be. Here. Now. That’s a dog’s purpose.”

The purpose of not only a dog’s life, but also our own, is to live in the moment and be happy. Sometimes throughout our stressful daily lives, we forget the meaning of why we are here. This movie reminded me of the importance of life. I can definitely agree in saying that I get wrapped up in life’s stresses. I get stressed by school grades, friendships, and even ballet. But sometimes, it is better to take a step back and think about our purpose. Our purpose is not to live anticipating our future. Our purpose is to live now and live in the moment.

Despite the movie’s important lesson, there is controversy over a certain scene in the movie. A Dog’s Purpose has been in the news lately for footage leaked from the filming. It shows a panicked dog struggling with a trainer who is trying to force the canine into a water tank, meant to simulate a churning river.

Overall, I really enjoyed the movie. It has a great lesson and broke the classic thought of books being better than movies. If you’re looking for a sappy, cute, and charming movie about a dog, A Dog’s Purpose is definitely one to check out.