Hachi: A Dog's Tale

Hachi: A Dog's Tale is a 2009 British-American drama film. Based on the true story of a faithful Akita Inu, the titular Hachikō, it is directed by Lasse Hallström, written by Stephen P. Lindsey, Kaneto Shindo and stars Richard Gere, Joan Allen and Sarah Roemer. The subject is a remake of the 1987 Japanese film, Hachikō Monogatari (ハチ公物語), literally "The Tale of Hachiko".

Hachi: A Dog's Tale premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival on June 13, 2009, and its first theatrical release was in Japan on August 8. Sony Pictures Entertainment decided to forgo a U.S. theatrical release. The film was given a UK theatrical release on March 12, 2010, courtesy of Entertainment Film Distributors, and opened in over 25 countries throughout 2009 and 2010. Total foreign box office was $46.7 million as of January 2011.^[1]

Plot

Students are giving oral presentations about personal heroes. Ronnie's subject is his grandfather's dog, Hachikō.

Years earlier, a puppy is sent from Japan to the United States, but escapes when his cage falls at an American train station. Professor Parker Wilson finds the dog, and after Carl (the station manager) does not want to lock the dog up in the office overnight, Parker takes it home with the intention of returning the animal to its owner. His wife, Cate, does not want them to keep the puppy. Later that night, Parker learns that the dog is an Akita. The following morning, he takes him to work, where Ken, a Japanese professor, transliterates the symbol on the collar as 'Hachi'—Japanese for the number 8—signifying good fortune. Parker decides to call the dog Hachikō. Parker attempts to play fetch with Hachi, but Hachi refuses. Cate receives a call from someone wishing to adopt the puppy, but having seen how close her husband is with Hachi, she declines.

Parker continues to be mystified by Hachi's refusal to do dog-like activities like chase and fetch. One morning, Parker leaves for work and Hachi follows him to the train station; he refuses to leave until Parker walks him home. Later in the afternoon, Hachi walks to the station, to wait patiently for Parker to come home. Parker relents and walks Hachi to the station every morning. After Parker's train departs, Hachi walks home, returning in the afternoon to see his master's train arrive and go home together. They continue to do this every day.

One day Parker gets ready to leave and Hachi barks at him and refuses to join him. When Parker does leave, Hachi chases him while holding his ball. Parker is surprised but pleased that Hachi is finally willing to play fetch with him. Not wishing to be late, Parker catches his train despite Hachi's barking. Later that day Parker is teaching, when he suddenly suffers a brain aneurysm and dies.

At the train station, Hachi waits patiently as the train arrives, but there is no sign of Parker. He remains, lying in the snow, for several hours, until Parker's son-in-law Michael (Robbie Collier Sublett) comes to collect him. The next day, Hachi returns to the station and waits. As time passes, Cate sells the house and Hachi is sent to live with her daughter Andy (Sarah Roemer), Michael, and their baby Ronnie. However, at the first opportunity, Hachi escapes and finds his way back to the station, where he sits at his usual spot. Andy arrives and takes him home, but after seeing how depressed the dog is she lets him out to return to the station.

Hachi waits for his owner every day, while sleeping in the rail yard at night. He is befriended by Carl, Jasjeet (a hot dog cart vendor who used to give Professor Wilson his coffee every morning) and other regulars around the station. Hachi's loyalty is profiled in the local newspaper, and after seeing the article Ken visits Hachi and offers money to Jasjeet to pay for any expenses for the dog, but Jasjeet declines it saying everyone in the station square will take care of Hachi. Cate comes back to visit Parker's grave on the tenth anniversary of his death where she meets Ken. Walking past the station, she is stunned to see a now-elderly Hachi maintaining his vigil. Overcome with grief, Cate sits and waits for the next train with him. At home, Cate tells the now ten-year-old Ronnie about Hachi. Meanwhile, Hachi continues his daily walk to the same spot in front of the train station. One night a train arrives off-schedule, while Hachi was about to sleep, he follows the train and then sits on his usual spot waiting for his owner, which was his final day when he recollects his life with his master. He then imagines Parker coming out of the station and the two greeting each other. In reality it was Hachi dying and reuniting with his beloved master in heaven. Hachi is last seen lying on the snow, alone and still.

Back in his classroom, Ronnie, forms his conclusion why Hachi will forever be his hero. Ronnie's story which has clearly moved the class, with some students holding back tears, even those who had laughed at the beginning. After school, Ronnie is met coming off the school bus by his dad and his own puppy, also named Hachi. Ronnie and Hachi walk down the same tracks where Parker and Hachi had spent so much time together.

The closing cards reveal information about the real Hachikō, who was born in Ōdate in 1923. After the death of his owner, Hidesaburō Ueno, in 1925, Hachikō returned to the Shibuya train station the next day and every day after that for the next nine years. The final card reveals that the real Hachikō died in March 1935. A photo of a bronze statue of Hachi is situated in front of the Shibuya train station at his sitting spot which was the last image shown before the credits roll.

Cast

• Chico, Layla and Forrest - Hachi
• Richard Gere - Professor Parker Wilson, Cate's husband, Andy's father, Michael's father-in-law and Ronnie's maternal grandfather
• Joan Allen - Cate Wilson, Parker's wife, Andy's mother, Michael's mother-in-law and Ronnie's maternal grandmother
• Sarah Roemer - Andy Wilson, Parker and Cate's daughter, Michael's wife and Ronnie's mother
• Robbie Collier Sublett - Michael, Parker and Cate's son-in-law, Andy's husband and Ronnie's father
• Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa - Ken Fujiyoshi
• Jason Alexander - Carl Boilins
• Erick Avari - Jasjeet, an Indian hot dog cart vendor
• Davenia McFadden - Mary Anne
• Kevin DeCoste - Ronnie, Michael and Andy's son and Parker and Cate's grandson
• Tora Hallström - Heather

Production

The majority of filming took place in Bristol, and Woonsocket, both in the U.S. state of Rhode Island.^[2] The newspaper reporter, Teddy, states he is from the Woonsocket Call, the daily newspaper published in Woonsocket. This is the only spoken reference to the actual location where filming took place. Additional locations included the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, Rhode Island, along the Providence and Worcester Railroad Mechanical, and the Columbus Theater located in Providence, Rhode Island. A second production unit filmed scenes on-location in Japan. Footage was shot at the now closed, Reynolds Elementary School, Bristol, Rhode Island.

Reception

The film received mostly positive reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, reported that 62% of critics gave the film positive reviews with an average rating of 5.8/10.^[3]

Additional information

On May 19, 2012, a ceremony took place at the train depot at Woonsocket Depot Square, Woonsocket, Rhode Island, where Hachi was filmed, unveiling a permanent bronze statue of the legendary Japanese dog Hachiko. This is an exact replica of the bronze statue of Hachiko which resides in front of Shibuya Station in Japan. The train depot at One Depot Square is also now known as Hachiko Place. This statue dedication ceremony was part of the Cherry Blossom Festival held in three Rhode Island towns, Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Woonsocket. Many dignitaries, including the Mayor of Woonsocket and the Consul General of Japan attended the ceremony. Two cherry blossom trees were planted by the statue. A visiting guest, who drove up from New Jersey, brought along his Akita-mix Hachi, who was invited to participate at the ribbon-cutting ceremony as a "real-life standin for Hachiko".

In Chapter 6 of the book "Animal Stars: Behind the Scenes with Your Favorite Animal Actors",^[4] trainer Mark Harden describes how he and his team trained the three Akitas - Leyla, Chico and Forrest, who played the role of Hachi in the movie. Harden adopted Chico after the movie was completed.

The Blackstone Valley Heritage Corridor and the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council have created a handout with useful info for people who want to take a tour of the movie locations for "Hachi" ^[5]

According to the movie's closing cards the real Haichko died in March 1934, while the earlier movie, Hachikō Monogatari, and other sources state that he died in March 1935 (9 years and 9 months after Professor Ueno's death).

Score

The film score of Hachi was composed by Jan A. P. Kaczmarek.

Track list

1. "Japan" (03:26)
2. "New Home" (01:47)
3. "The Foot" (02:40)
4. "Dance Rehearsal" (02:15)
5. "Storm and the Rescue" (01:36)
6. "The Second Dance" (00:51)
7. "Under the Fence" (01:51)
8. "Treats from Cate" (01:52)
9. "Parker's Dance Played on Piano" (03:42)
10. "Parker and Hachi Walk to the Station" (02:04)
11. "Baby" (01:23)
12. "Marriage Bath" (03:27)
13. "Fetch" (02:12)
14. "To Train Together" (03:25)
15. "Packing Boxes" (02:15)
16. "Parker and Hachi" (03:28)
17. "Hachiko Runs Away" (04:27)
18. "Memory of the Storm" (01:36)
19. "Hachi Waiting for Parker Again" (02:51)
20. "Hachi's Last Trip to the Station" (02:06)
21. "Goodbye" (02:10)
22. "Hachi, Parker, Cate and Memories" (03:58)
23. "Hachi's Voice (Version 1)" (Bonus track) (00:14)
24. "Hachi's Voice (Version 2)" (Bonus track) (00:10)
25. "Hachi's Voice (Version 3)" (Bonus track) (00:11)
26. "Hachi's Voice (Version 4)" (Bonus track) (00:09)

References

External links

• Hachi: A Dog's Tale at the Internet Movie Database
• Hachi: A Dog's Tale at AllMovie
• Hachi: A Dog's Tale at Rotten Tomatoes