A Dog of Flanders (1999)

Gorgeous scenery and decent child actors (at least for Nello) make this better than a lot of live action children's movies, but it's no Old Yeller or even a Fly Away Home. It doesn't have the period depth that the book had, and at times the characters seem to have societal views out of the 1990's (such as Alois saying that "Money doesn't make people happy," even though at that time people without money (to summarize one of Samuel Johnson's essays) had no leisure time to find happiness, as they were too busy furnishing themselves with what they needed merely to survive). I would have preferred they kept a little truer--allowing children to make comparisons between their society and past societies lets them use their minds to make their own decisions, something a lot of children's movies don't allow (you listening, Eisner?).There are some good things, though. The relationship between Alois and Nello is less platonic than any of the other versions, making the father's reaction (fear that Alois will end up marrying Nello) more realistic--in the dubbed Japanese anime version released a year or so ago, I couldn't help thinking they seemed more like brother and sister than potential lovers. In this version, they seem only a few couple years away from sexual awakening--they finally seem like the young adolescents they're supposed to be.Spoilers: Probably the biggest change in this version is the ending. Oh, sure, they still go through the motions of Nello's death, but he has a new age vision of his funeral and then returns to his body. Now here's the quandary--is it okay to do something like that? Sure, many literary and film critics have panned Oui'da's story and its ending as being fundamentally flawed--basically, just a glorified tear-jerker that is a sort of children's version of Dicken's A Christmas Carol. But it is also a religious story (in some way Nello and/or Patrasche are supposed to represent Jesus (the dog was whipped, after all), and Reuben's was famous for his religious paintings), so removing the death sort of removes the soul of the piece and renders it more palpable to our current PC/ACLU/Amnesty International public consciousness. It should be noted, though, that Kevin Brodie hints at the ending during the lovely Gypsy scene: when the fortune teller reveals that they have known each other in past lives (i.e. the earlier movie incarnations that were true to the original ending), she says something like, "You will finally find happiness in this life."

I don't know why they named this "A Dog Of Flanders" because the dog doesn't really have the lead in this movie. I think they used it to make people think it was a "Lassie Come Home" kind of movie. Yes, the dog is 'whipped' by a cruel master in the beginning and he does stay by the side of the little boy throughout the story but he doesn't do anything so outstanding that the movie should be named around his character. SPOILERS Be that as it may - I cried with this film and really didn't want to rent it because all animal/child stories can make me cry. I hate to see any animal or child mistreated and I figured that might happen. The little boy is orphaned by his dying mother and raised by his Grandfather in a poverty shack with a landlord who is your typical Simon Legree. The dead mother was a talented artist and the boy inherits the gift. He works to become a famous artist and falls under the wing of a rich art/patron/teacher who keeps running off to Rome. There are false accusations against the boy over the burning of a barn, the landlord tosses him out of the shack after his Grandpa dies, the dog does cause the accidental death of his original cruel master when the cruel master tries to take him away from the boy. The end is sort of hokey but caught me off guard because I really thought the kid died. By the end of the film I was crying like a baby and applauding the movie itself. I recommend it if you're in the mood for a good 'break my heart' movie.

This heartwarming film is based on the 19th century children's novel by Ouida Sebestyen. It has been made into a movie several times, starting in 1914 with a woman playing the starring role of the boy Nello. In the 1959 version David Ladd played Nello.Now in 1999 two wonderful boys play Nello. First, Jesse James plays the young Nello at about 7 years of age. He plays the orphan lad to perfection, tugging at our hearts with his waif looks and shaggy blonde hair. Jesse's previous acting experience includes the movie "Message in a Bottle" and a series of Tommy Hilfiger ads.Later, the older Nello, aged 12, is played by Jeremy James Kissner. His previous movie was a part in "Great Expectations" in 1998. Again, Kissner plays the orphan boy perfectly. See him and the dog, after whom the novel and the movie are named, earning their living delivering milk in a little cart pulled by the dog. This was how that breed of dog, Bouvier de Flanders, earned their keep in the 19th century.In the style of the Victorian dramas, the poor neglected orphan boy finally wins the prize. Its the getting there that's the interesting part of the story.Interesting side bar: Jack Warden plays Nello's grandpa. Warden played this role nearly 30 years ago, as the grandpa to Charlie, in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - another story of a poor boy who wins his reward after much effort.Watch for these two boys in more movies. There's lots of parts calling for comely blondes with haunting eyes. These boys really make you want to take them home, feed them, give them a hot bath, new clothes, and take them into your heart. Its a long tradition starting with Freddie Bartholomew in the 1930's.

People love the original story for its ending. The Hollywood style ending made this 99 version of 'A Dog of Flanders' just for kids movie. I didn't cry this time because the story was too Hollywood. Japanese TV series are much better.