Starring
Patriot, Potomac, Primrose, Poppet & Phil. Directed by Dana
Nachman & Don Hardy. (2018/81 min).
AVAILABLE
ON DVD FROM
Review
by Fluffy the Fearlessđșđ¶
I
have a dysfunctional dog. Sure, I love Murphy, but he's always been an ass. Without getting into specifics, whenever I
see the joy others experience with their canine companions, I tend to
stare ruefully to the end of the leash at my own pathetic pooch - who
acts as though a neighborhood walk is a descent into hell - asking
why he can't be like other dogs. Worse yet, the little fleabag has never trusted me, even after ten years.
Well,
guess what, Murphy...that trust goes both ways. If I was ever in need
of a guide dog, I'm sure you'd lead me right in front of a commuter
train.
One thing that Murphy has going for him is he's the cutest dog who
ever lived. Don't bother arguing...it's been scientifically proven.
He may be a dick, but that Cute Factor has kept him alive through
years of tormenting the cats, pissing on furniture and his insistence
that regular dog food is beneath him.
Pick
of the Litter gets a lot of mileage from the Cute Factor, too. If
the presence of puppies turns you to putty, here's a taste of hog
heaven (or should I say 'dog' heaven?). But as a documentary - or
maybe more accurately, a reality show - it plays a lot like something you'd
find on Animal Planet.
The
film is about the selection process to find and train guide dogs for
the blind. Title cards inform us that only a small percentage of
potential service animals make the cut. Five of those dogs - labrador
littermates Patriot, Potomac,
Primrose, Poppet & Phil - are featured from birth through
graduation, a process that takes roughly 18 months. Not every animal
will go the distance, and in true reality show fashion, those eliminated get a 'career change' (demotion to regular housepets).
 |
| This bad dog snuck on without paying. |
We
also meet various trainers who obviously love what they do, yet admit
their emotional attachment to these animals makes it difficult to let
them go when the time comes, knowing they probably won't see them again. However, after
one dog gets cut from the program, the reunion with his former trainer - who
suffers from PTSD - provides the film's most heart-tugging moment.
While
there's sweetness in abundance, Pick of the Litter
doesn't delve much into actual training. As it is, the film is
mostly content to fawn over the animals themselves, which is engaging
up to a point. Despite their intelligence and congenial natures, none
of these dogs have very distinctive personalities, so their
individual stories aren't always that compelling. Murphy may be
insufferable, but at least he's got character.
Still,
the Cute Factor looms large here, which helps immensely since the
film plays more like a competition series than a documentary. That'll
probably suit many viewers just fine. But considering the
incorrigibility of my own dog, I would have liked to see
how others are trained to do such remarkable things.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
TRAILER
AUDIO
DESCRIPTION TRAILER
KITTY CONSENSUS:
NOT BAD. LIKE CAT CHOW.
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