Supposedly based on a true story this takes place in Scotland. Lassie's owner 'Jock' Gray (Donald Crisp) is killed by two thieves. Lassie will not rest unless she's sleeping by his grave. Unfortunately the laws in Scotland do not allow dogs in the graveyard and any dog that does not have an owner must be destroyed. Residents of the town try to save Lassie from being put to sleep against the nasty old judges.
OK--the plot is ridiculous and everybody talks down to the audience but what do you expect from a kids movie? Those problems aside, this is a great movie. It has incredible color photography and some of the backgrounds are just breath taking. Every single shot is in rich strong color and looks just beautiful. It also has a very impressive score that matches the movie beautifully. The acting is as OK as it could be and is mostly done by a competent group of character actors or unknowns. But this film belongs to Lassie. She looks just beautiful all through the film and there are incredible closeups of her. Also she does some impressive stunts for any dog. My one complaint is that she whines WAY too much. Yes, it fits the film but got on my nerves after a while. It's also pretty obvious that some of her whining was overdubbed! Still, this is a really beautiful film with a cute dog, beautiful color and a great score. Highly recommended for kids AND adults!
