Short answer: A Dog’s Purpose is a 2017 family film (directed by Lasse Hallström, based on W. Bruce Cameron’s 2010 novel) about a dog who is reincarnated through several lifetimes searching for the meaning of his existence and ultimately reuniting with his first owner. Sequels: A Dog’s Journey (2019) and A Dog’s Way Home (2019).
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- Director: Lasse Hallström. Based on W. Bruce Cameron’s 2010 novel.
- Premise: same dog soul reincarnated through several different dog lives.
- Sequels: A Dog’s Journey (2019), A Dog’s Way Home (2019, different storyline).
- Pre-release controversy: a leaked behind-the-scenes video raised animal welfare concerns; AHA later cleared the production.
- Family-friendly but sad in places – the film involves multiple dog deaths/reincarnations.
Worth knowing for parents: the film’s gentle treatment of reincarnation is often used by families to talk about pet loss with children. Each death is treated as a transition rather than a finality.
Bruce Cameron’s book series (A Dog’s Purpose, A Dog’s Journey, A Dog’s Way Home) reads similarly. The novels go deeper than the films.
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