The Art of Racing in the Rain is a 2019 American comedy-drama film directed by Simon Curtis and written by Mark Bomback, based on the 2008 novel of the same name by author Garth Stein. The film stars Milo Ventimiglia, Amanda Seyfried, Kevin Costner as the voice of Enzo and Parker as Enzo, the golden retriever.
| The Art of Racing in the Rain | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Simon Curtis |
| Screenplay by | Mark Bomback |
| Based on | The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Ross Emery |
| Edited by | Adam Recht |
| Music by | Dustin O'Halloran Volker Bertelmann |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox[1] |
Release date |
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Running time | 109 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $18–20 million[2][3] |
| Box office | $33.8 million[1] |
It was theatrically released on August 9, 2019 by 20th Century Fox. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed over $33 million worldwide.
Plot edit
In Seattle, elderly Golden Retriever Enzo, is dying. Too weak to move, he awaits Denny's return, his master and best friend. He picks him up, promising he will always be there for him. Enzo recalls a documentary on a Mongolian belief that dogs reincarnate into men. He knows his memories would vanish, but he vows to find Denny again. This leads to Enzo narrating his life.
Years prior, Denny gets a puppy after racing in Yakima, Washington. Immediately bonding with him, he names him Enzo after Enzo Ferrari. Denny divides his time between teaching auto racing and caring for Enzo, while also racing.
A year later, Denny meets Eve, they hit it off and, although Enzo discourages him, Denny invites her out. They begin dating, and Eve comes to Denny’s races, although she knows nothing about racing. Their relationship escalates, which Enzo envies. One day Eve confides in him her love for Denny, which doesn't surprise him.
Denny and Eve marry the following year at her parents' mansion. Eve's mother Trish is supportive, but her father Maxwell doesn't approve of Denny.
Shortly after, Eve becomes pregnant. At Christmas, Denny is invited to drive in the 24 Hours of Daytona in February, unfortunately near Eve's due date. Eve insists that he go, as she believes it could open many doors for them. She gives birth at home as Enzo watches Denny racing on TV.
When Enzo meets baby Zoë, Eve tells her that he will always protect her. Days later, Denny meets Zoë, then discloses his team lost the race in the last lap. He hopes more races will come, regardless.
Eve’s parents visit more frequently, and Maxwell confronts Denny on the risks of being injured or killed when racing, as he is now a father. Denny swears he will always put his safety first, even if he loses every race he enters.
A few years pass and family life is idyllic for Enzo, while Denny spends prolonged periods away from home to race. Denny then tells Eve that he was invited to race at Laguna Seca, but is hesitant because of the feeling of treading water. Enzo, witnessing the moment, is shocked that Denny considers quitting racing.
Eve falls seriously ill, which Enzo detects, a ‘rotting wood’ odor coming from her head. She is diagnosed with brain cancer, with she and Zoë living with her parents during her treatment. Resigned to her fate, Eve admits to Enzo that she is no longer afraid of death and passes away while he watches on.
Maxwell blames Denny's absence for Eve's illness and demands custody of Zoë, threatening to sue if Denny does not comply. Furious at Maxwell's insinuation of negligence, Denny attempts to leave but is grabbed by Maxwell, who falls and breaks a rib in the scuffle. Maxwell reports the incident to the police and Denny is arrested for 4th-degree assault. If he loses the case, Denny faces three months in jail plus his in-laws taking permanent custody of Zoë.
Denny continues racing and is offered a job in Maranello testing prototypes for Ferrari, which he declines due to his case; but promises that if he wins, he will accept.
A frustrated Denny goes jogging in the rain with Enzo. Not realising he can't keep up, when Enzo attempts to follow Denny across a street, he is hit by a car. Denny rushes him to the vet, who explains he is lucky to be alive and may soon suffer from hip dysplasia.
Financially and emotionallly exhausted, Denny signs an out-of-court settlement, giving up custody of Zoë for visitation and the dropping of the assault charge. However, Enzo grabs the legal document and destroys it, convincing Denny to keep fighting. At the trial, Trish admits the truth, the charges are dropped, Denny calls the Ferrari representative and takes the job.
When Maxwell and Trish come to Zoë's ninth birthday party, Denny is very forgiving, wanting them both in Zoë's life. Over the next few weeks, Enzo's health rapidly deteriorates. Seeing the end is near, Denny takes him around the track. Lamenting he will not be able to continue on caring for his family in Italy, Enzo insists that he has enjoyed a good life and is looking forward to his new life, when he's reincarnated as a human.
Eight years later, Denny, now a successful Formula One driver for Scuderia Ferrari, is living in Italy with Zoë. Introduced to a young fan with golden hair who asks for an autograph, he discovers his name is Enzo. Denny smiles, says the boy reminds him of an old friend and suggests he comeback when he is ready to race.
Cast edit
- Parker as Enzo, the golden retriever
- Kevin Costner as the voice of Enzo
- Milo Ventimiglia as Denny
- Amanda Seyfried as Eve
- Kathy Baker as Trish
- Martin Donovan as Maxwell
- Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Zoë
- Gary Cole as Don Kitch
- McKinley Belcher III as Mark Finn
- Andres Joseph as Tony
- Ian Lake as Mike
- Al Sapienza as Luca Pantoni
In addition, in the final scene, Lily Dodsworth-Evans has a brief appearance as a 17-year-old Zoë and former Scuderia Ferrari Formula One driver Giancarlo Fisichella is standing in the Ferrari garage.
Production edit
In July 2009, Universal Pictures bought the film rights to the prize-winning novel The Art of Racing in the Rain.[4] The project was not able to find a director[5] and came to a halt with Universal Studios. Walt Disney Studios acquired the rights in January 2016. The film adaptation was to be produced by Neal H. Moritz through his Original Film production company.[6]
In 2017, screenwriter Mark Bomback revealed that the project was now set up at 20th Century Fox, saying, "I'm hoping the third time's the charm, and I'm optimistic that next year will be when it finally goes into production."[7]
Principal photography on the film began on May 9, 2018, in Vancouver, British Columbia.[8] The auto racing scenes were filmed at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario,[9] with additional on-track scenes filmed at Laguna Seca Raceway near Monterey, California, Pacific Raceways near Kent, Washington, and Mission Raceway Park, 80 km (50 mi) southeast of Vancouver.[10]
Dustin O'Halloran & Volker Bertelmann teamed up to compose the film score. Fox Music & Hollywood Records has released the soundtrack.
Release edit
The film was released on August 9, 2019, by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.[11]
Home media edit
The Art of Racing in the Rain was released on Digital HD by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment on October 29, 2019, and on DVD and Blu-ray on November 5, 2019.[12] It was added to Disney+ on September 16, 2022.
Reception edit
Box office edit
The Art of Racing in the Rain grossed $26.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $7.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $33.8 million.[1]
In the United States and Canada, the film was released alongside The Kitchen, Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Brian Banks, and was projected to gross $6–8 million from 2,700 theaters in its opening weekend.[13][14] The film made $3 million on its first day, including $450,000 from Thursday night previews. It ended up debuting to $8.1 million, finishing sixth at the box office.[2] It dropped 46% in its second weekend to $4.4 million, finishing in 10th.[15]
Critical response edit
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 45% based on 121 reviews, and an average rating of 5.3/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Its heartstring-tugging overtures may be difficult for dog lovers to resist, but The Art of Racing in the Rain is sentimental and contrived."[16] On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 43 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[17] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an average 4.5 out of 5 stars and a 72% "definite recommend".[2]
Ed Potton of The Sunday Times gave the film a positive review, observing that the premise "really shouldn't work, yet somehow it steers a course between corniness and barminess. By the end I was crying like a baby, along with many of the other people in my screening, as well as giggling at the preposterousness of it all."[18] Peter Debruge of Variety wrote: "Granted, there aren't a lot of surprises in The Art of Racing in the Rain. If anything, knowing — or at least anticipating — how the film's myriad tragedies will unfold seems to heighten the effect."[19]
Charlotte O'Sullivan of the Evening Standard gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, calling it "strong contender for most ridiculous tearjerker of the year,"[20] while Adam Graham of The Detroit News gave the film a "C" on an A to F scale, noting that "this tale of friendship and companionship between man and man's best friend is bogged down in weepy cliches ripped straight from the Art of Making the Audience Cry handbook."[21]
References edit
- ^ a b c "The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
- ^ a b c D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 11, 2019). "'Hobbs' Hauls $25M; 'Scary Stories' Frighten 'Dora'; 'Kitchen' Sinks Melissa McCarthy & Tiffany Haddish To Career B.O. Lows – Sunday AM Update Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
- ^ Isaac Feldberg (August 12, 2019). "Box Office: 'Scary Stories' Spooks 'Dora' as 'The Kitchen,' 'Art of Racing' Crash". Fortune. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (July 15, 2009). "Dempsey shifts gears for Universal". Variety.
- ^ Boucher, Geoff (July 25, 2011). "Dempsey hopes to leave 'McDreamy' in rearview". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ McKittrick, Christopher (December 2, 2016). "Whatever Happened to 'The Art of Racing in the Rain' Movie Adaptation?'". ThoughtCo.com. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
- ^ McKittrick, Christopher (July 14, 2017). "War for the Planet of the Apes: a "Biblical Epic Western War Movie"". CreativeScreenwriting.com. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
- ^ Hemmert, Kylie (May 9, 2018). "Production Has Started on The Art of Racing in the Rain - ComingSoon.net". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
- ^ "The Art of Racing In The Rain Movie - Turner Motorsport BMW Race Team".
- ^ "The Art of Racing in the Rain". imdb.com. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 7, 2019). "Disney-Fox Updates Release Schedule: Sets Three Untitled 'Star Wars' Movies, 'New Mutants' Heads To 2020, 'Ad Astra' To Open Fall & More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
- ^ "THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN Hits Digital 10/29 and on Blu-ray & DVD 11/5. Here Are The Details". September 25, 2019.
- ^ Fuster, Jeremy (August 6, 2019). "Will 'Dora and the Lost City of Gold' Catch the Box Office Crown From 'Hobbs and Shaw'?". TheWrap. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 7, 2019). "'Hobbs & Shaw' To Swat Away Five Wide Releases Including 'Dora', 'Scary Stories' & More – Box Office Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 18, 2019). "How Universal Is Reviving The R-Rated Comedy & Making 'Good Boys' Great At The B.O. With A $21M Opening". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
- ^ "The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ "The Art of Racing in the Rain reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ Potton, Ed (August 9, 2019). "The Art of Racing in the Rain review — dogs, cars, tears — what's not to like?". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved August 14, 2019.(subscription required)
- ^ Debruge, Peter (August 6, 2019). "Film Review: 'The Art of Racing in the Rain'". Variety. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Charlotte (August 9, 2019). "The Art of Racing in the Rain review: Dog's life is a formula for a turgid tearjerker". Evening Standard. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
- ^ "Review: Dog tale 'Art of Racing in the Rain' tugs at heartstrings". The Detroit News. August 8, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
