Archive for June 18th, 2009
One of the all-time great dog stories is now a movie: “Hachiko” premieres at Seattle International Film Festival
Has anyone seen Hachiko: A Dog’s Story yet?
We haven’t, but we are familiar with the true story. A dog bonded with his human father so strongly that he went to the train station every day to meet the man coming home from work. Eventually, the man died, but the dog never stopped going to the train station to wait. He waited every day for 10 years. The people of the neighborhood in Tokyo where the story happened were so moved that they eventually put up a memorial statue to the dog.
It’s always been one of our favorite dog stories – what’s not to love?
The new movie, from Sony Pictures, is co-produced by Richard Gere, who also stars. The picture is directed by Lasse Hallstrom, the Swedish-born talent behind What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, The Shipping News, and Cider House Rules. Hallstrom is a great director, with 3 Oscar nominations and numerous other award wins and nominations to his credit.
From what we see from the reviews, the movie is fairly true to the real story, but the location has been moved from Japan to Rhode Island and updated somewhat for contemporary audiences.
Warning: bring plenty of Kleenex. From what we hear, the final moments of the film are absolutely devastating. Kids will love the movie, and their parents might be equally enchanted.
Hachiko: A Dog’s Story had its North American premiere on June 13 at the Seattle International Film Festival.
Add comment June 18, 2009
“A Healthy Harvest” – Michelle Obama hosts events celebrating the White House food garden
Here’s a tidbit of good news.
Yesterday, Michelle Obama hosted a “harvest party” at the organic vegetable garden at the White House.
She invited the students from Bancroft Elementary school in Washington, DC, to attend. You may remember, those are the students who helped the First Lady to break ground and plant the garden.
The children were served a healthy meal of salad, baked chicken, and brown rice. As a reward for finishing their salads, the children were treated to cupcakes garnished with berries from the garden for dessert.
Mrs. Obama used the event as a bully pulpit to address the diet-related health issues confronting millions of Americans. She pointed out that obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease are diet-related health problems that can be addressed through a healthy diet and exercise.
Michelle Obama also got her shots out for community gardens. She stated that many poorer Americans do not have access to fresh, locally grown produce. Community gardens can empower low-income people everywhere by giving them the space and the ability to take control of their own diets. And of course gardening is a great way to integrate exercise into your lifestyle.
(You should try gardening in Las Vegas. We remember seeing her turning a spade of soil in the White House garden and saying, “Oh, that’s hard!” After living in the desert of Nevada for several years, all of us were drooling over that rich, black, loamy soil we saw in her garden!)
Here’s a link to the White House press release.
Copyright 2009 The Hitchin’ Spot, LLC d/b/a Dog-Wa
1 comment June 18, 2009
