The *idea* was sound, but the plot needed much more work. It looked like an author's rough sketch transformed into a film. There were some clear "main" ideas, ideas that were surrounded by sketches that sometimes worked, sometimes confused, and sometimes flopped. Such as the neighbor boy. He lives "just up the road", but it is six months before he comes to meet the dogs--dogs that he has been dying to see. I *think* it's six months, the dogs start out as pups in the spring and are grown up by the fall, and the boy meets the dogs when they are adults. Then there's the love scene at the high school(?). He was supposed to pick her up "on Saturday night." Judging from the activities between that scene and the love scene, much more time has passed than just a few days! The movie is full of such gaffs. What this movie desperatly needed was an experienced writer that could take the main ideas and work them into something more cohesive, something that could project more emotion into the story. As it is, you don't feel much for the people and dogs because you are too busy trying to make the movie make more sence. An editor who had some experience would have helped too, part of the movie's problems were due to bad editing. There were a couple of quick scenes that made no sence whatsoever, as if there was something removed but not completely. A re-make would be welcome.
