We have talked quite a bit on the show about my love for books, and one that I have read and enjoyed is “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein. This 2010 book was announced to be made into a film with Milo Ventimiglia (This is Us) and Kevin Costner as the voice of his golden retriever, Enzo, and I was very excited. It has finally made it to the big screen, and I was able to screen it ahead of time.
Ventimiglia plays Denny Swift, a Formula One driver who decides to buy himself a dog, and Enzo believes that he is exactly where he is supposed to be to help Denny and their growing family after seeing a documentary about the Mongolian belief that all good dogs will return to the world as humans. Adding to the mix is “Mamma Mia” star Amanda Seyfried as well as Gary Cole, Martin Donovan, and Kathy Baker.
There is just enough racing in this film to help understand Denny’s passion for what he does as well as tying those lessons to the life lessons for the cast in general. In those scenes (especially one with a bright red Ferrari), they are shot so well that I wanted to be a passenger in that car as it sped around the track. This is definitely a film that works all of its emotions, so it may be a smart move to bring some tissues when checking this one out, and it is well worth it!