Hachi: A Dog's Tale | |
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Japanese theatrical release poster
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Directed by | Lasse Hallström |
Produced by |
Richard Gere Bill Johnson Vicki Shigekuni Wong |
Screenplay by | Stephen P. Lindsey |
Based on |
Hachi-kō by Kaneto Shindô |
Starring |
Richard Gere Joan Allen Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Sarah Roemer Jason Alexander Erick Avari |
Music by | Jan A. P. Kaczmarek |
Cinematography | Ron Fortunato |
Edited by | Kristina Boden |
Production
company |
Hachiko, LLC
Grand Army Entertainment, LLC Opperman Viner Chrystyn Entertainment Scion Films Inferno Production |
Distributed by | Stage 6 Films |
Release date
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Running time
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93 minutes |
Country | United States United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Budget | $16 million |
Box office | $46.7 million |
Hachi: A Dog's Tale is a 2009 British-American drama film. Based on the true story of a faithful Akita Inu, the titular Hachikō, it is directed by Lasse Hallström, written by Stephen P. Lindsey, Kaneto Shindo and stars Richard Gere, Joan Allen and Sarah Roemer. The subject is a remake of the 1987 Japanese film, Hachikō Monogatari (ハチ公物語?), literally "The Tale of Hachiko".
Hachi: A Dog's Tale premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival on June 13, 2009, and its first theatrical release was in Japan on August 8. Sony Pictures Entertainment decided to forgo a U.S. theatrical release. The film was given a UK theatrical release on March 12, 2010, courtesy of Entertainment Film Distributors, and opened in over 25 countries throughout 2009 and 2010. The film's foreign box office returns total $46.7 million as of January 2011.
Hachi is a story of love and devotion between a dog and a man. The story is told by Ronnie, the grandson of the man. He has to give an oral presentation about a personal hero. Ronnie's subject is his grandfather's dog, Hachikō. Despite his classmates laughing he tells how his grandfather, Professor Parker Wilson finds a lost puppy sent from Japan at the train station and ends up taking it home with the intention of returning the animal to its owner. He names the Akita puppy Hachikō, after Ken, a Japanese professor, translates a symbol on his collar as 'Hachi'—Japanese for the number 8—signifying good fortune. Even though they didn't find his owner and his wife, Cate, doesn't think they should keep him, they do.