One of the most familiar faces on big and, more recently, smaller screens, Kevin Costner’s acting career has been founded on powerful roles. From Elliot Ness in The Untouchables to regular returns to the western, his everyman quality, coupled with portraying unexpected heroes, has never let him down, even when his star seems to be on the wane. But voice acting? While many other actors have ventured into the booth, he’s only ever been in front of the mic once, and the result arrives on Netflix in the UK this weekend. In The Art Of Racing In The Rain (2019), he’s the voice of an adorable Golden Retriever.
Enzo (Costner) is adopted as a puppy by aspiring Formula One driver, Denny (Milo Ventimiglia) and, as he grows, the dog watches over the highs and lows of his master’s career. But this is no ordinary dog. He’s the narrator of his and Denny’s story, and feels so close to him that he wants to be reincarnated as a human. Denny also believes that some of his driving techniques from the track can be applied to his own journey through life. The relationship between man and dog seems to change when Denny meets and falls in love with Eve (Amanda Seyfried) and their family is complete when baby Zoe arrives. There’s more change ahead when Eve falls ill and Enzo provides the constancy that the family needs to stay together.
It’s a three-hanky movie, one that mixes Marley And Me with motor racing, aiming single-mindedly for your tear ducts by telling the story through the eyes of the beloved dog. The combination of Enzo’s POV, Costner’s warm, gravelly tones and the emotional story means you might need more than a mere three. It’s hard to say “no” to a cute puppy, so that first lump in the throat comes early. And, despite a less-than-warm reception from critics, audiences took Enzo and his family to their hearts, welcoming them with 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. For anybody who feels the slightest affection for animals, it’s a must-see and, if they happen to buy into the whole idea of following your dreams, it’s irresistible.
Fans of the film were given a taste of what to expect earlier in the same year with the release of A Dog’s Way Home (2019), an adventure drama with strong echoes of the original Lassie movie. The main difference was that the dog at the centre of the story, a German Shepherd cross called Bella (voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard), could speak directly to the audience while she’s separated from her owner and travelling the 400 miles to find her home again. A heartwarming tale from the get-go, it was also directed by Charles Martin Smith, best known for starring alongside Kevin Costner as Oscar the accountant in The Untouchables (1987).
Few storylines are as laden with emotions as those involving a dog and its owner. The set-ups may change – a much-loved pet, a military dog, a therapy companion – but what’s important is the strength of the bond between them and the lessons that come with it. But it’s not every talking dog movie that takes this approach. Strays (2023) most certainly didn’t. There was nothing cute about these four dogs trekking across America to take revenge on one especially cruel former owner.
Director Josh Greenbaum chose the voices to perfection for his cheerfully bad taste comedy, with Will Ferrell as sweet natured Border Terrier Reggie, who is abandoned by his unpleasant owner, and Jamie Foxx as the fast talking, streetwise Bug, the Boston Terrier who befriends him. Along with Australian Shepherd Maggie (voiced by Isla Fisher) and a gentle Great Dane called Hunter (the voice of Randall Park), he radicalises the naïve little mutt. An antidote to The Art Of Racing In The Rain if ever there was one, it’s still for dog lovers, hilariously up-ending the usual one man and his dog cliché.
If we needed any more proof that the film industry loves dogs, with or without voices, we only have to look as far as Cannes and its annual Palme Dog. Since 2001, it’s been awarded for the best performance by a single or group of dogs (live or animated) in the festival’s line-up. Terrier Uggie became a star in his own right after winning the coveted dog collar in 2011 for The Artist, as well as a regular on the red carpet during the film’s award campaign. It culminated in five Oscars the following year. English Bulldog, Nellie, won in 2015 for her uniquely expressive face in Paterson. She played a male, Marvin, who hated his adopted owner, the Paterson of the title, and the feeling was mutual. The antipathy between the dog and its reluctant master (Adam Driver) produced some of the film’s most deliciously funny moments – and were definitely worth a round of a-paws!
The Art Of Racing In The Rain is on Netflix in the UK now and on Prime Video in the US.
Strays is on Netflix in the UK and on Prime Video in the US.