First of all, and this is supremely important when it comes to the recently landed on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download formats, being a dog lover will send your passion for The Art of Racing in the Rain through the roof. Not saying that if one doesn’t care for dogs, is allergic to dogs or is a cat person who sees no reason for dogs to exist except to annoy felines, that you will not enjoy the Milo Ventimiglia and Amanda Seyfried, Simon Curtis-directed drama.
Ventimiglia is Denny Swift, a race car driver who has found moderate success and just seems to flirt with racing greatness. Life changes when he fatefully sees a “puppies for sale sign, stops and picks Enzo out of the littler. From the get-go, Enzo was a racing dog. We know that through actions affectionately laid out in the solid Mark Bomback screenplay (adapted from the bestselling Garth Stein novel), as well as the narration provided by Oscar winner Kevin Costner. The Dancing with Wolves superstar could not have been a better choice to provide the vocal sentiment for the soul at the center of this Racing universe. Not only are the tonal qualities of Costner’s voice a seamless fit, but that gruff, yet well-spoken public persona that the actor possesses translates to an adorable Golden Retriever. Like Streisand says, “it’s like butter.”
It is also through Enzo, that Denny meets Eve (Seyfried). They fall in love, get married and welcome the most delightful little girl, Zoe (Ryan Kiera Armstrong). With Enzo in tow, there are a Fab Four.
What Racing in the Rain does so well is story wise it mirrors what it would be like to experience the titular activity. It’s unpredictable. Often, the story had us veering right when it seemed absolutely sure that it would turn left. It slips and slides, but never loses its emotional steering. In fact, its command of culling those emotive heartstrings from the viewer is strong and at the same time steers clear of something that is a true pet peeve of mine in films such as this. Curtis’ latest never takes its audiences’ collective intelligence and attachment to the individuals, both animal in human, that are going through some exceptional challenges throughout.
By having a dog serve as the narrator, the heart and soul guide of the Swift family journey, provides several things that endear us to what occurs onscreen. That unconditional love that a pup possesses for its caretakers could not have been a more heartwarming place to start for this emotional race to the finish. No spoilers here, but definitely have tissues on hand. The thing is, when it comes to the human’s best friend and our millennia-long connection that has only deepened with time the bumps and bruises and even all-out knockouts that life throws at us, they soften the lows and elevate the highs. We also can learn a lot from our dogs. They are only focused on what is in front of them and as seen in The Art of Racing in the Rain, a lot of that is required of Denny, on and off the track. With that in firm command, those highs and lows could not be more strongly surfed.
For more on the film itself, don’t miss my in-depth review from the theatrical run of The Art of Racing in the Rain.
Leading off the bonus features is A Journey to Screen. Love it when films detail how exactly a popular (or even lesser known) book makes its way from the author’s mind to the director’s screen. Curtis and many involved in the production gives some priceless insight into the process and also throw in some information that should make you adore the full Enzo experience even further.
Don’t miss our exclusive interview with Simon Curtis for The Art of Racing in the Rain. Then, diving into Directing the Art, a nice featurette that shines a spotlight on the esteemed director as he further explores his experience bringing the blockbuster book to life.
One of the more enjoyable featurettes to grace an animal movie in some time arrives with Enzo Cam. It is exactly as it sounds and includes almost five-minutes of POV shots from the film, and others that didn’t make the cut, of our movie’s MVP doing his thing.
The film is as much a racecar flick as it is about dogs, marriage, kids … you get the picture. Behind the Wheel is an insightful bonus feature that explores how Curtis and his team captured the racing scenes so enthrallingly. This is one entertaining and enlightening featurette.
Want more footage of Enzo being the big Hollywood hot shot he is now? Check out The Dog Stays in the Picture, which gets the award for best featurette moniker on this Blu-Ray! More footage of the dog stealing the flick!
Enzo’s First Ride combines two of the most compelling aspects of the movie in one bonus feature—racing and the pup. It’s a fascinating look at canines and racecars and how not out of left field this story was for Stein to craft.
Can’t get enough of Curtis? Us too, don’t miss the commentary track by the helmer on subsequent viewings. It’s like a masterclass of filmmaking the vision he offers.
Film Grade: B+
Bonus Features: B+