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Hotel for Dogs

Tuesday April 28, 2009

B
Audience: 4th - 6th Grades
MPAA Rating: Rated PG for brief mild thematic elements, language and some crude humor
Profanity: Some brief schoolyard language
Nudity/Sex: Brief kisses
Alcohol/Drugs: None
Violence/Scariness: Mild peril, references to loss of parents
Diversity Issues: A strength of the movie is relationships between diverse characters
Movie Release Date: January 16, 2008
DVD Release Date: April 28, 2009

Cute kids + cuter dogs = one doggone cute movie.

Emma Roberts (niece of Julia) stars in the movie based on the popular book by Lois Duncan about an orphaned brother and sister who rescue stray dogs.

Andi (Roberts) and Bruce (Jake T. Austin) have bounced around from foster home to foster home since their parents died. No one wants them because they insist on staying together. They are currently living with nasty would-be rock stars (Lisa Kudrow and Kevin Dillon), who padlock the kitchen cupboards, as their sympathetic social worker Bernie (a terrific Don Cheadle) tries to find them a better situation. They do their best to take care of their beloved dog Friday, even if it means lying, cheating, and stealing.

When Friday runs into an abandoned hotel and meets up with some stray dogs, the kids decide to turn it into doggie heaven. Bruce, a mechanical whiz, rigs up machines to handle the dogs' needs (eating, exercise, and going to the bathroom) and their fondest desires (racing to see who's at the door, riding in cars, howling at the moon). With the help of some new friends from the pet store and the neighborhood, they round up all of the local strays, creating their own family of humans and canines. And that is when things start to get out of hand.

It goes on a little too long, but the kids are appealing, the contraptions are very funny, the dogs are adorable, and the affection, loyalty, and resilience of the characters is touching and inspiring. It's a family treat.

Parents should know this film has potty humor and some schoolyard language, mild peril, kids lie, cheat, and steal (but understand and accept the consequences), reference to "hot girls," police chase, reference to loss of parents and mean foster parents, and references to dogs being put down.

Family discussion: How did the kids' situation make them more interested in taking care of the dogs? What can you do to help anyone - human or animal - feel like part of a family? How did the kids decide when it was worth getting punished to do what they thought was right?

If you like this, try: "Because of Winn-Dixie" and "Snow Day"

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Comments
libricans
January 18, 2009 5:57 AM

It is more fascinating pet movie again, have you seen this movie called Hotel for Dogs it was a pleasure watching movie with some good young talented teens, oh boy I must say some talented dogs too. The boy who is playing the part of a brother does did a grate job in the movie he’s knowledge is used in practical so any young teen might love to be as him.

MusicHyper
January 26, 2009 8:09 PM
http://everhype.com/hyper/thebitch?X=M949

This is a decent kids movie with a good story and a creative angle. I'm usually not too crazy about any film about dogs as I loath them, but this was mildly enjoyable.

I Hyped Hotel For Dogs on Everhype and gave it 87% which I think is fairly accurate.

reggie
October 26, 2009 7:52 AM

Hotel for Dogs is a best movie specially for kids who like dogs very much . I also watch Hotel for dogs movie more than 20 times .I love this movie very much....

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