.Americans have had a long love affair with dogs, with many of us referring to our canine companions as best friends, significant others, soul mates, even children. But lost amidst all the pampering and pedestaling are hard and often tragic truths surrounding dog ownership, care and commerce, not to mention the daunting odds continuing to face millions of unwanted shelter dogs. Divided into three parts – “Fear,” “Loss” and “Betrayal” – this 73-minute documentary is comprised of eight case studies that probe the complicated and conflicted relationship we have with canines. Collectively, the segments reveal the sobering realities behind our relationship with dogs, showing not only how far some dog lovers will go for their pets, but how far we as nation have to go in order to treat all dogs humanely.
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Reviews
Best movie ever!
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.
Wondering whether the film-maker had in mind some sort of class contrast between the upper class dogs who get away with biting -- until expensive litigation forces owners to agree to have the dog put to death -- and the abandoned puppies whose fate it is to be gassed and thrown away as garbage. An awful lot of heartache and a few joys: seeing dogs trust again, seeing them regain their health. It is mostly sadness, though, and it would be my recommendation that the movie carry a warning label. The sound of puppies screaming as they are gassed to death is traumatizing.
This documentary gets an 8/10 for me because of the general message inside it that needs to be spread. The realistic side to shelters and what happens when you dump your dog.However, many downfalls are in this film that I did not like. Instead of speaking of responsible dog ownership, it fell back on the ole just spay and neuter your pets campaign. Which, in hindsight, works for the ignorant viewer, but if you're making a professional film, put some thought into it.The content was also a bit...mismatched. The beginning follows bite cases around the same dog and its owner, then jumps to a very short blip about a wealthy couple cloning their dog and then jumps to the shelter/rescue/euthanasia bit. What is their main goal here? They were all over the board with content. It was quite hard to understand what the main message was. So, as a whole piece, it's quite ugly.But the general message that shelter dogs are in danger and the problem is not going away as things sit now is a powerful one that needs to be spread, regardless of production value. The sad thing is, being an HBO flick, the people who need to see this the most will never see it.
HBO always has some interesting documentary works on and this "One Nation Under Dog" was interesting. As I know many people are animal lovers some love their dog more than their spouse! I for one was never really a dog fan, I feel that many dogs are dangerous I always feared dog bites. As many cases around the country happened one in New Jersey was well documented with this film as clearly not all dogs are nice! Then you have the voice of animal rights as it's clearly been on the move in this country after the Michael Vick case. The film also showed the shelters that take care of dogs it's a life long work and many families become so attached that when they lose a dog they have a funeral just like they do for a family member! Overall this doc shows that dogs and people have become blended together to create a powerful force of love and attachment, still I say be careful and don't get dog bitten!
I give it a 5 because it's a subject so close to my heart, but this film is a mess. One short sequence after another, and just as you begin to feel something for the animals/people involved, they cut to the next segment. Nothing is allowed to develop. And when your best piece of footage was shot by a high school kid, well, that pretty much says it all.I so wanted to like this, but ended up walking away angry, not at the truly horrible facts presented in the film, but because the subject deserves SO much more, SO much better. And while I was never a huge fan of the film Shelter Dogs, that is the Citizen Kane of dog films compare to this.In the mean time, here's the same info without having to sit though a mundane 75 minutes: support local shelters (not national animal organizations where your dollars go to large salaries), understand that ALL puppies in pet stores are from puppy mills, and ALWAYS adopt from shelters, and ALWAYS have your pet spayed or neutered. (I personally think we should have a law, everyone has the choice, your pet gets spayed or neutered, or you get spayed or neutered. It would be a much better world.)
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