Movie Review: Lassie Come Home
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What Parents Should Know
Parents should know that while this boy-and-his-dog classic
is full of good morals and helpful lessons, there's also
tremendous peril that may disturb younger and more sensitive
viewers. For instance, two men attack Rowlie, beat him, and
kill Toots. Lassie gets shot at and attacked by dogs, and even
injures her leg in an escape.
Families can talk about how to care for pets. How does Joe show his love for Lassie? How does Priscilla show her love for the dog? How do you decide to do something that's difficult for you?
Common Sense Media Review
There are few loves more tangible to a child than the love
of a good pet. In LASSIE COME HOME, viewers are treated to the
classic tale of how a very good pet reciprocates that love
100-fold.
Joe Carraclough ( Roddy McDowall) is a young boy who knows a few things: His family is poor but loving, and his trusty dog Lassie will show up at his school at 4 o'clock to pick him up. When school gets out one day and Lassie doesn't appear, Joe is forced to face the harsh economic reality of England in the 1940s; Joe's parents couldn't afford to keep her anymore and sold Lassie to a rich man who shows dogs. Joe's parents are as heartbroken as he is, though they try to hide it: "Lassie cost a lot to feed," laments his mom (Elsa Lanchester). "These are poor times, Joe."
Whether they can afford to pay for Lassie or not doesn't seem to matter to the dog herself. After several attempts to return home, Lassie's new owner and granddaughter ( Elizabeth Taylor, appearing in just her second film) take her to Scotland, hundreds of miles away. Can Lassie get away? Can she make it home to Joe one more time? And if she does, can he stay?
Anyone who's ever known the love of a good dog -- especially a big dog -- will swoon over this Lassie. And kids will no doubt see past some of the movie's old-timey qualities (at the beginning, the filmmakers announce this "picturization" of the well-loved book by Eric Knight, and that Knight was a soldier in the war, presumably World War I or World War II) and get into the drama that unfolds. They're even likely to cry at the end.
People who love this movie may also enjoy Lassie in Lassie , Son of Lassie, and The Courage of Lassie, or latter-day dog-quest movies, including the Benji series of films and Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey .
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
