The Art of Racing in the Rain is enjoyable. The film is narrated from the perspective of a dog. At first, I didn’t think much of it. That is to say I wasn’t keen on the idea of it. It didn’t take long for me to get over that hang up. There were obvious jokes based on canine behavior and those jokes were made here. And the on the other hand, there are genuinely sincere moments that are handled with a dignity that one may not expect. I’ve always loved words and collected maxims or words of wisdom, and this film has a number of lines that resonate with many of my experiences. Even coming from a dog, these are good things to hear. A perspective on life experience that many may not consider.
The narrative is that of a man’s life. This man’s experience with family, pursuing and living his dream, and then some very unpleasant interactions with his in-laws. Again, this narrative is from the perspective and understanding of a dog. That has the intrinsic value of making some moments more comical and others more disheartening. All said, there’s a delicate balance struck that works well in the telling of this story. On that note they employed a running gag that could have easily gone too far but I think they used it just right.
The Art of Racing in the Rain is adapted from the novel of the same name from author and film producer Garth Stein, and was a New York Times best seller for 156 weeks. I like this movie more than I anticipated. My eyes watered but I managed to not weep openly in public so, that in and of itself is a win for Tim. Go watch this film, you’ll be a better person for it...probably.
