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In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The acting in this movie is really good.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This wonderful adaptation of Eric Knight's "Lassie Come Home" is not only the best film version but also the best British Family film since the early seventies (Lionel Jefferies' wonderful duo of "The Railway Children" (1970) and "The Amazing Mr Blunden" (1972)). It is blessed with a great cast without a dud performance between them. Particularly worthy of mention are the two wonderful child actors Jonathan Mason and Hester Odgers as well as a charming performance from Peter O'Toole as the crusty Duke who thankfully does not turn out to be the cliché villain that he initially appears. Along with gorgeous photography by Howard Atherton and a script by director Charles Sturridge that mixes enough grit into the story to stop it from becoming too twee, this truly great family film should have become better known than it is. For those of us that have been lucky to discover it, it is an instant classic.

Lassie Come Home was a wonderful family film, and I was interested to see if this updated remake trying to draw in a new generation would be as good, from director Charles Sturridge (FairyTale: A True Story). Basically it follows pretty much the same storyline as the original 1943 film, miner's son Joe Carraclough (Jonathan Mason) has his best friend female Rough Collie dog Lassie (male dog Mason) to keep him happy. After Joe's father Sam (Sliding Doors' John Lynch) loses his job when the mines are decommissioned, so he and mother Sarah (Enduring Love's Samantha Morton) know they have to sell Lassie to The Duke of Rudling (Peter O'Toole) to get by. After escaping digging her way out, getting out of the truck over some sheep and jumping over the fence, the Duke's servant Hynes (Psychoville's Steve Pemberton) is getting more frustrated. Eventually the Duke is moving to the Highlands of Scotland for the holidays, but soon enough the brave dog makes her escape with the help of the Duke's granddaughter, and she is making her way all the way back to Yorkshire. Along the way Lassie faces a few challenges, including a near gunshot by a field owner, and two dogcatchers who hold her captive, getting the attention of a concerned woman, but don't worry, she gets out of the window and continues. She also meets dwarf tinker Rowlie (The Station Agent's Peter Dinklage) with his little Terrier dog Toots, and he is kind enough to provide her with some food, and she performs a little in his street show. Tragedy strikes for Rowlie when two nasty thieves, one being Buckle (Only Fools and Horses' Nicholas Lyndhurst), attack and Toots loses her life, but Lassie did save the life of her new friend. She continues down her own road to Yorkshire, and eventually reaches her village just in time for the Christmas period, and after collapsing in the snow, Joe finds her and tries to nurse Lassie back to health. Thankfully, she pulls through and the next thing you know before the end, the Duke deliberately denies her identity, fires Hynes, and gives Sam a job at the kennels, and Lassie has puppies. Also starring Hester Odgers as Cilla, Jemma Redgrave as Daisy, Gregor Fisher as Mapes, Trainspotting's Kelly Macdonald as Jeanie, Gandhi's Edward Fox as Hulton and Harry Potter's Robert Hardy as Judge Murray. This remake is certainly brighter, a little more colourful and an impressive cast of British (and one American) star, but the only problem is that Lassie isn't seen as much, so although I much prefer the original, this is an okay period adventure. Good!

In this day and age of noisy family/children movies starring flatulent Ogres and whatnot, comes this quiet little family film about love, loyalty, honest, and family. It is a wonderful movie with wonderful performances by all. Not hokie and over the top like many other animal movies. This movie has all the elegance and grace of the best British pastoral movies of our time. Lassie and her boy are from a poor family living in a town in the English country-side. Sarah is from a rich, royal family. The families rarely intermingle and the glaring differences in their surroundings startle and add to the movie. Neither the poor nor the rich are stereotyped, but instead, treated like the multifaceted real people that these kinds of people truly are. Peter O'Toole is nominated this year for an academy award for his role in Venus, but just as well could have been nominated for his excellent portrayal of the Duke in this movie. I cannot say enough about this children's movie that has real emotions and real people instead of CGI characters and little heart. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good CGI movie (Toy Story, Finding Nemo, etc...), but a children's movie with a heart and soul is hard to find. Go rent it. Make your kids watch it and talk to them about what they learned. If they don't learn anything from this movie, then it may be time to slow them down, ween them off the mindless drivel, and start filling their hearts and souls rather than their merely their funny bones.

This inspired adventure will warm your heart and provide your children with an introduction to the inequities of class-based society. Set in early 20th century England, a struggling working class family faces destitution when the local coal mine shuts down, leaving no work in town. Their young son's primary source of joy is his dog Lassie, but they can scarcely afford to feed him. When the granddaughter of nearby duke fancies Lassie, a deal is struck to exchange the dog for cash. How will Lassie respond to this form of trade? What effect will the dog have on these two families representing either extreme of peerage? Find out, and enjoy a couple of delightful subplots along the way. Meet an opportunistic upper-class "wannabe," an amiable puppeteer with a traveling sideshow, and even catch a glimpse of the era's dating scene.Like most children's films, the performances lean toward the pedestrian, but the cast is engaging nonetheless. The cinematography is breathtaking, and the story is fully realized. Don't miss it!