If you haven’t seen the heartwarming family film, BELONG TO US, I recommend that you do! It is Dove recommended for ages 12 and up, so keep that in mind.
Belong to Us
BELONG TO US is the heartwarming tale that tells the powerful journey of a rescue dog named Duke. Duke, a lost German shepherd, sparks a second chance for a fractured family. Travis, a single father, is struggling to connect with his baseball star son, Decklin and spirited young daughter, Paige.
After escaping an underground dog-fighting ring, Duke wanders into the family’s backyard and befriends Paige, who convinces her dad and brother to band together and rescue the dog. In the process, Duke helps the family mend their broken relationships and find new hope as they welcome the lovable dog into their lives.
The film stars Ryan O’Nan, Joseph Lee Anderson and Anita Cordell. This Dove-Approved film (ages 12+) is available on DVD, Digital HD and On Demand.
Official Trailer
Film review
BELONG TO US is a movie with a lot of different layers. On the surface, it seems like it is a movie about a little girl who finds a dog and brings it home. The little girl doesn’t have a mother and her father is distant, so she bonds with the dog in typical “dog movie” style. And this might be what a child would take away from the film if he or she were watching it alone. I don’t recommend that you let them watch it on their own because there is a lot more to this film, and you need to be there to talk about it with your child when the movie ends.
BELONG TO US deals with multi-generational families, parents projecting their missed dreams on their children, parents putting work above family. It deals with issues like dog fighting and drugs. Since I don’t want to give you spoilers, I won’t go into details about how these events occur. However, I will say that this movie is not one for the entire family. There is a reason it is Dove-approved for ages 12 and up and not all ages. Parents: There is at least one instance of swearing and an instance of flipping the bird.
I do think that by watching this movie with your older children, you can talk about the things you may not have had the opportunity to talk about before. I especially think that discussing your child’s dreams of their future is important. Sometimes we don’t even realize that our missed opportunities affect how we see our kids’ futures. They’re their own person, and their dreams are their own. Let them live them!
I’d be tearing up watching this movie, for sure!