HACHIKO

We started watching this movie on DVD during our get-together at Lopez farms in Cavite in November of last year. But we were unable to finish the movie because at the time, we were just killing time before going home to keep away from the heavy traffic along Coastal Road. We forgot to continue watching the movie until last week when HBO began advertising Hachiko as one of its featured movies this coming February and so rather than wait for its screening, my kids and I decided to look for the DVD and watch the movie ourselves one lazy Sunday afternoon…

Hachiko is a very heart-warming but TRUE story about a dog who shows undying loyalty to his master. It narrates how Richard Gere, a professor, finds a lost dog at a train station. The next day, his wife compels him to search for its owners since they don’t want to take care of the puppy (but it’s such a cute pup!) So he tries to locate the owners but to no avail so they eventually end up keeping the dog. The succeeding scenes showed how dog and master developed a strong bond with each other with Hachiko going daily with Gere to the train station and returning each afternoon to the station to greet his master returning from work.

The pair continued on with this daily routine until one day when Richard Gere suffered a heart attack and didn’t come home…Hachiko waited at the train station until Gere’s son-in-law came to collect him. The next scene showed a funeral service being given for Gere and yet the dog continues with his routine going daily to the station and being cared for by numerous friends he has made along the way (the meat vendor at the street corner, the hotdog seller outside the station, even the ticket seller looks out for his welfare) The family eventually sold the house and Hachi is sent to live with Gere’s daughter. But when they left the gate open one time, Hachi escapes and goes back to the train station where he continues to wait for his master to come home. Gere's daughter and son-in-law soon arrive to take him home once again. One day, however, seeing how restless Hachi seems inside their garden, she decides to set Hachi free and he dutifully returns to the station to wait. He does the same routine for nine more years gaining the attention of the locals who usually see him there waiting at his usual spot. His story even caught the attention of media and the people around the vicinity of the station were interviewed about him.

Ten years later, Gere’s wife is shown with Ken (Gere’s Japanese friend) visiting his gravesite. At the station, she is astonished to find Hachi old, weak…but still waiting patiently for his master to return – to me this is the most tear jerking part of the movie! She talks to the dog and waits with him for the next train to arrive. A few more scenes later, Hachi is shown going to his usual spot and sleeping for one last time at the station… there he is met by the spirit of his master and they are reunited once again to be together – for eternity!

This is truly a must-see movie for the entire family – for it teaches values on faith, devotion, and undying love… definitely not just for dog-lovers!

[photo grabbed from IMDB]