“Hachi, A Dog’s Tale” recounts the true story of Hachi-ko, a Japanese Akita, re-imagined in an American setting. The original Hachi, who lived from 1923 to 1934, became a national icon in Japan beginning in 1925 when he was parted from his significant other, a college professor who died unexpectedly at work, early in life, from a heart attack. Hachi, for the first two years of his life, had always greeted the professor at the Tokyo railroad station upon the man’s return home from work each day. For the remaining nine years of his life, Hachi continued to wait at the railroad station for the return of the man with whom he had formed an extraordinary bond. Hachi became a symbol of Japanese devotion to cause, and a monument was created in his memory at the railroad station.

One needs to disregard the first five minutes of this film’s fanciful and wholly inaccurate portrayal of Hachi’s imagined journey from Japan to Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Neither Hachi’s crating nor documentation as portrayed in the film would have cleared customs either in Japan or in the US, and the failure to have human oversight monitoring transfers between modes of transportation would not likely occur under animal transportation regulations in the US. That said, the remainder of the film goes straight to the heart in convincing and penetrating fashion.

Richard Gere successfully plays somewhat against type here, as a warm and loving family man (Parker) who falls in love with the Akita puppy who finds him on the station platform. The dogs who portray Hachi are thoroughly engaging, and the supporting cast in their performances convey a warmth and sympathy for Hachi that is both beautiful and addictive. I did not anticipate just how far the film would raise the portrayal of Hachi’s unconditional love.

Most of the many reviews of the film on Blockbuster and Netflix admit to it being a tearjerker, and for most dog lovers it surely will prove to be so. On one level, it is the tragedy of death separating two souls one would have believed destined to grow old together, that brings a lump to the throat. On another level, it is Hachi’s own choice to return to the railroad station day after day to wait for Parker that brings a tear. The real heartache for me was not what some might consider to be just a demonstration of great loyalty by Hachi to Parker, but rather Hachi’s unquenchable hope, born and maintained by unconditional love, that Parker would return if only he waited long enough. Hope and anticipation sustained Hachi over the years against the pain of waiting, and that, for me, is the great message of the story. The film experience gave me a deeper appreciation of my dogs and for the life I have had thus far with them.

The theme of a person holding out hope that their significant others will wait for as long as it takes for them to return from being trapped away from home has been a popular theme in stories of adversity and romantic fiction. In reality, it seems rare to find such unconditional love in humankind. This film reminds us that it is not just humans who can experience the rewards and heartbreak of unconditional love, but animals as well. Indeed, the life of the original Hachi suggests that dogs, rather than many humans, may have the truer capacity for unconditional love.

This film went straight to DVD without a theater release, which, considering its merits, might seem to be a surprise. However, it engages the viewer in a way not often seen in theater films, and perhaps experiencing this film apart from a crowd is less intense than inadvertently finding oneself sharing the experience with a crowd. For many people, including many kids, the story may come across as very sad. While the loss of a loved one is sad, this story encourages one to see creatures, dogs in particular, in a different and deeper way than one might have previously, to know that hope and love are stronger than grief. The story will very likely stay with you long after you’ve turned off the DVD player.