Also known as: Hachiko, A Dog’s Story
Stage 6 Films
Starring: Richard Gere, Joan Allen, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Directed by: Lasse Hallström
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!
Synopsis: An American remake of the Japanese film Hachiko monogatari, which was based on the true-life story of an Akita dog named Hachiko who would wait for the Professor (Richard Gere) who adopted him outside of the train station from which the man commuted every day.
Kitty Cameo: After Professor Wilson takes the dog with him from the train station he stops in a local bookstore to ask his friend Mary Anne (Davenia McFadden) if he can hang a “Found” flyer in her store’s window. He ventures to ask if she might want to adopt the puppy, seeing she is immediately attracted to him. A cat’s eyes appear, not looking happy.
Mary Anne addresses the cat as Antonia and asks what she thinks about having a new roommate.
Antonia makes it pretty clear she is not interested in sharing her home when she swipes angrily at Hachi. Apparently this was not scripted and Davenia McFadden, who was holding the puppy, got too close to the cat, resulting in an actual swipe at the puppy. The American Humane Association representative made sure the puppy was not hurt and allowed filming to continue.
Later in the film Antonia watches as Hachi once again arrives at the train station to wait.
Final Mewsings: Cat actors don’t like to be upstaged by cute puppies!
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