This next movie brings to life the true story of a small dog in Edinburgh, Scotland. For this project, I’m focusing on the story itself, including dialogue, character development, any subplots, how a story presents itself, the speed at which it moves, if it slows down unnecessarily, etc.
A Brief Summary
(Taken from D23)
When old Jock, a shepherd, is dismissed from service because of age, the little Skye terrier, Bobby, his constant companion, goes with him. And when old Jock dies of exposure a few days later, it is Bobby who travels unseen under the coffin as his friend is taken to be buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard, and keeps vigil over the grave. Nothing the caretaker, James Brown, can do prevents the little dog from getting back into the kirkyard, and eventually he stops trying as Bobby wins his heart, as well as the hearts of the poor children in the tenements nearby. The day comes when Bobby is picked up for lack of a dog license. Mr. and Mrs. Brown, and a band of children come to pay the fine, telling the Lord Provost Bobby’s story. He not only gives Bobby a license with his own hands, he also grants him the Freedom of the City, an honor bestowed only on the brave and faithful.
What works
- There was a brief narration at the beginning to introduce this as a true story about a dog in Scotland which helped set the tone for the rest of the movie.
- Jock’s conversation w/ Mr. Traill (and his comment right after) about getting a doctor (or in Jock’s case, not wanting a doctor) is so heartbreaking. It’s one of his big final scenes in the movie and it was so beautifully done.
- It was very much a slow-moving plot with the focus of the movie more on the human characters’ development than on Bobby himself. I appreciated seeing how the growth played out throughout the story.
- Sgt. McClaine (who was a bit of a stuffed shirt) and the 1st court judge (who was a little too eager/defensive for how little screen time he had) were both two good side characters that helped move the story along and provided the needed conflict and tension that led into the final courtroom scene.
- The final courtroom scene (with the Lord Provost presiding) was just so good. All the continued entrances that occurred until the Browns, the children, and the reporter got in made for some entertaining viewing and added to the payoff that was the Lord Provost paying for Bobby’s license.
What may or may not work
- There’s a scene where Jock says “Aye, he’ll come for me” to his (now former) master Cauldbrae and Cauldbrae’s daughter Elsie. Then when Bobby appears: “Aye, ye come to me as if you belong to me. but you know well he’s yours, Elsie”. That bit of dialogue rubbed me the wrong way. I could tell that it was establishing that Jock didn’t own Bobby, but it seemed almost that Jock was belittling himself in the way that he said it.
- Cauldbrae’s treatment of Jock is a little off for someone who had served the Cauldbrae family well and was now being forced to leave.
- The reappearance of Jock’s former boss was weird, and the whole taking Bobby back & Bobby escaping again was eh. Especially considering the Cauldbrae family seems to give up after and are never seen again.
- the emphasizing of Old Jock being in a ‘too grand’ graveyard (with Greyfriars being the cemetery for notable Edinburgh residents) was very meh to me. It’s literally explained (to the audience, but still) that he was buried there because it was closest to where he died. Yet even the Cauldbrae family scrunches their nose at the fact that he was buried there.
- While there are several young children who interact with Bobby, there are two main children that are focused on: Tammy and Ailie. Tammy’s a decent kid and enjoyable to watch while Ailie was a bit meh for me and got more screentime than I thought she deserved.
- I will say that all of the children were adorable in the final 30 mins.
- The ending was cute, but it would have been nice to have had some text to say how long Bobby continued to sleep at his master’s grave before passing away (note: 14 years)
Honorable Mentions
- Elsie takes Bobby in the house when after Jock leaves, but puts him next to an OPEN WINDOW making a far too easy escape route for Bobby. It was one of those moments where I knew exactly what was going to happen and yet I couldn’t believe that I had actually watched it happen.
- Props to the reporter for noticing that Bobby might be a story during the first trial session.
- “Bobby’s a very independent dog” Tammy to Mr. Brown, of which truer words were never spoken during the course of this movie.
Side Questions
- “to do what I like with? and old Jock won’t mind it?” -I don’t like Elsie’s tone. She probably meant nothing by it, but what would she do with Bobby that Jock would say no to?
- When the children come and tell Traill that they had found Bobby, he doesn’t ask where Bobby had been. Why not? Why doesn’t Traill ask where he was found? Yes, the audience already knows and Traill finds out soon after, but still. Wouldn’t that be that natural question to ask when finding what was missing?
Would I watch this movie again?
- While the ending was good and the movie overall was decent, I probably wouldn’t watch it again for some time unless I was with someone who wanted to watch it or I was really in the mood.
If you’ve seen Greyfriars Bobby, what are some of your thoughts? Share in the comments below!
Rewind to the beginning of the Disney Film Project
Skip back to the previous film with Nikki, Wild Dog of the North
Fast Forward to the next film with Babes in Toyland
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