User reviews

Angel Dog is a gentle, loving, warm, furry, big, sloppy, lick-your-face movie!... one of the best I have watched for a long time, and although I am a middle-aged woman, I felt all the same wonderful feelings I experienced as a small child, when watching the classic Lassie.

The plot is not littered with the usual clichés... and I don't think I have EVER seen a film where the actors and animals were so natural and at one (surpasses even the great Lassie, K9, Turner and Hooch...!).

If you are a gentle soul, an animal lover, you will find this film perfection. The filming has a fresh, innocent quality - (extremely rare!) And the music stands out as special on it's own merit, whilst matching the mood perfectly.

This one is truly heart-warming, the characters are lovable, the animals are adorable! Loved it!

Jake (Jon Michael Davis) is a Texas businessman, in the computer industry, who has just been given terrible news. His wife and two children have died in a horrific car accident. Only the dog, Cooper, miraculously survived. Rescue workers took the darling black and white canine to a nearby vet, Dr. Caroline (Farah White). Daily, the animal doctor's office calls Jake to notify them about the day he will pick up Cooper, but he doesn't do so. Jake, you see, was persuaded to keep the wandering dog by his children and his present grief is so intense that he can barely move. Fortunately, the vet is patient, even though she is somewhat annoyed. Also, when Jake's mother in law comes for a visit, she helps Jake get the reasons to go on. Meanwhile, Caroline has her own troubles. Her father left long ago and she doesn't trust men and seldom dates. Also, her mother became an alcoholic and is presently in a nursing home. Although Dr. Caro goes often to visit her, the vet still harbors hard feelings about her mother's inability to move on and devote herself to her only child. Inevitably, Jake and Caroline meet, when Cooper is finally picked up. From this beginning, an awkward friendship develops. Then, too, Cooper helps Jake deal with his sorrow and loneliness, more than he ever expected. Trouble arrives. Caroline spies a poster of former owners looking for Cooper. Will they reclaim this "angel dog" who comforts and will Caroline help Jake face this crisis, if needed? Make no mistake, this is a sweet film, but very somber and slow. There is some humor that appears occasionally but its definitely not a smile-a-minute flick. Romance lovers, absolutely, will enjoy it, as will viewers who appreciate a wholesome movie for their loved ones. Davis and White do a nice job and the rest of the cast, unknowns, do well, too. Also, the Texas setting is an asset. So, if any of this sounds like your cup of tea, make an effort to find it. There will, however, be some who will not be patient enough to make it to the finish line.

This is a pleasant enough movie, most of the time. Sure, it is sad sometimes. Dr. Mason commented on how she gets emotional, and anyone who does will need plenty of Kleenex for this. But it is also a movie the whole family can watch.

Jake takes some getting used to but he's mostly likable.

Dr. Mason is pretty and shows us a whole range of emotions, but she mostly makes us like her.

Nita who works in the office, is so nice and wears the prettiest tops. And if you like one, she'll wear it again at least a couple of times.

Trey seems to be a nurse and he is funny. We do get to laugh from time to time.

Cooper is played by two dogs, according to the credits. He's quite well trained.

And Bobbie and Seth are a nice older couple. I can't say much about them because it's better to learn about them when the time comes.

The music is mostly pleasant, although there is a lot of music performed by Peter Himmelman, who sounds sort of like Bob Dylan. Not really what I like, but not too bad either. One song called "Shine" is quite catchy and if adult contemporary radio hadn't changed so much in recent years, it would fit right in there.

It's an okay movie if you just want to feel good.

I agree with what everyone else has said. Not the most polished film, but very heartwarming, and a good message. It makes me want to get a dog and I don't even like dogs. One thing that I did appreciate about it is that it doesn't rush the relationship or focus on the relationship. It realizes that a grieving person is best not to get into another relationship right away until they are fully healed. It could have used a little bit better writing or editing to make it better understood about the man's wife and kids and the accident, and then as others have said with the pacing through maybe better editing through the film as well, but all in all it is very much worth seeing.

This is a sad and depressing movie. I lost track of the number of people that died. The dialog lacks emotion and rarely deviates from monotone. I kept with it to the end to see if any characters would hint at a smile; alas, I've counted more smiles at funerals. There is some strange recurring theme about cleaning out a cat litter box which was puzzling. If you are looking for something with a happy ending, you may want to look elsewhere. If you are looking for something depressing this will not disappoint.

OK, this was cheap to buy and I wasn't expecting much. It could do with being a bit more uplifting and an axe to make it move along a bit quicker, but I was pleased in how it portrayed Cooper. The plot just take too long to get moving and the budget is on the cheap side. As for anyone who rates this as a bad film, I have certainly seen some much worse.

I have owned a collie and could appreciate the film. Having experienced some bad times in my life my collie was a great support so I could appreciate the plot. I would have preferred a simpler plot that led to them all heading off into the sunset together rather than hopping to different disasters as I think this would have spent more time with the dog an building a new life. Anyone into dog stories could also see Greyfriars bobby.

The basic idea behind the film is almost good, but the main script, the acting, and some of the storyline fell short of being acceptable. A family film? Only if you want to snuggle on the couch and fall asleep together.

One needs to keep in mind that when a person loses an entire family, the rebound takes a long time to return to normal. Kids who watch this show are wanting to see a cute dog jumping around, causing happiness. This show does not have any signs of that as the audience is incapable of building a bond with the family before they die. There are no moments of sharing between the father and the family until reflection brings it into the picture AFTER the vet.

The script did not follow the criteria of suspense, emotion, or anything other than a tedious "day in the life" of a mourner and a very persistent doctor who has a difficult time drawing a line between professionalism and personal preference.

Great storyline well written this one does not leave you flat it keeps you glued to the tube. This is one you cant take a popcorn break for make sure you have plenty at the get go!!And make sure you have the dog sitting next to you they will get lots of attention from you as you watch this amazing well thought out story.I couldn't leave it. I do0nt think you will either. For a small production company filming in San Antonio Tx, this is far from being a low budget movie.The acting and script are first class big budget type stuff. So excellent things do come in small packages.See this movie tonight with your favorite dog.You will not be sorry. I sure wasn't. I was so pleasantly surprised,so was my dog.

I have seen some of the reviews on here. But i have to say that it's not nearly as bad as they make it seem. One idiot even calls the dog a demon. And says that the dog is responsible for the tragedies. Which is total bs. It is a really good movie. And i enjoyed it.

Although it does seem to have some slow parts as well. And some of the acting isn't the best. It's obviously not an amazing blockbuster. But i did enjoy the story. And the dog was great. How anyone could call a dog a demon is beyond me. I have a dog. And he has helped me a lot during my stress and grief. So this movie really hits home to me. I definitely recommend this movie to anyone who likes dogs and darker more serious stories.

It's not often that I get hooked on a movie but I'm a sucker for films with strong character development and Angel Dog has plenty of that. It is similar to "As Good as it Gets" in that it is a dog that brings out the best in people. And like "As Good," this film focuses on people. The story moves along quickly thanks to the fine script and direction. The motivations of each character are realistic; there are no dead spots in this film. There are no car chases, terrorist, explosions or gun fire, but still, I could not pull myself away from this film once I started it. Yes, I am a crazy animal lover, but it was the quick pacing and wonderful characters that kept me glued to the screen. There is even a surprising and throat-choking O. Henry moment in the film. It's obvious that this is a low-budget film, but it also is proof that you don't need a big budget to make a good movie, one that puts to shame 95 percent of all the bigger budget films in terms of script quality, direction and editing. It's a feel-good film I could watch over and over again.

Sometimes it's hard to find a movie that you can take home and watch with everyone and be assured that the content is both interesting and appropriate. Angel Dog does these two things very well. I found myself very attached to the characters right away and interested in the outcome. I will admit I was already crying 5 minutes into the movie. Better to cry at the beginning than the end though right ? There are some interesting twists and turns as we learn the role of the dog in the lives of all the characters as well as the characters' associations with one another. The locations it is shot in (Texas Hill Country) are also beautiful and make a good backdrop to the story. Thumbs up to a great family movie !

I was looking for a good family movie to watch and I came across this one on the internet about a dog that came into this family's life as a stray. So, I went to the video store and looked it up and found it to rent. I took it home for us all to watch and Im so glad I did. I must say, for a low budget movie it is one of the best movies I have watched in a long time. I vote this movie two thumbs up! Way up!!!! I wish there more good family movies including animals to watch. I found this movie to be very uplifting. I just can't say enough about this movie. It was a excellent! My family and I enjoyed it so much! Don't waste anymore time people, go rent this movie and watch it tonight. You will be glad you did. :)

Just watched this no-big-cast-no-big-budget movie. I love dogs, so I like this movie. It's simple and warm. For dog lovers, this movie was worth to watch. For those dog haters, please spare some time to watch It because you will ffind that dogs are loyal friends. This film didn't involve much people. But its music was beautiful. Shooting locations were beautiful too. It made you like watching a home video, felt comfortable and heartwarming. Sorry, I sounded like a five-year-old kid. Please pardon me. But I just hope people would watch this movie by chances like me. No expectation, no disappointment. Just watch it and enjoy it.

I get really angry when I see a really decent movie being starred so low!This is one of the best TV movies I've seen in a long time!Its funny, its sad, its cute, its real!Actors did an amazing job in all of the roles and even though the message is simple, the movie is really likable and Im glad I've seen it (it first appeared as a child movie...) Im sure if you are one of those who don't necessarily care about big Hollywood scripts, effects and, lately, science fiction or vampires, will enjoy it as much as I did. I give it a ten, because it delivered in every way for me! If there was eleven i would give 12 ;) I have to write one more line even though I've said it all 3 lines ago :)

Liked it. A really heartwarming film. Of course, probably most of all for animal/pet and especially dog friends. But I must say right sway that the movie is also about people relationship, yes, it even in a sweet joking way has people talk about these two kinds of relationships...

The movie is also about mourning, about losing loved ones. And about finding new hope.

It is really sad at times. After all, it starts with a guy losing his wife and two kids in a car accident.

Among close relatives of mine, there has also been a car accident with a life lost and a surviving dog involved who had to be rescued, so the story touched me really deeply on that level. (in this case,t he other owner survived and there was a crazily sweet reunion after he got well enough).

So.... it IS a family movie but not a light one.

But a good one.

With much love and people doing the right thing!!!!!!! Yes, I lvoed that too.