Movie Review: Lassie Come Home (1943)

Lassie Come Home is a special kind of movie. It’s not my favorite wandering dog movie, mostly just because Benji exists, and will forever be the GOAT. But this is great.

There’s just so much love and affection on display in every aspect here. An all-star cast including child stars Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor, as well as veteran actors May Whitty, Edmund Gwenn, Elsa Lanchester, and Donald Crisp, really enhances this heartwarming story.

It’s a story of a poor Yorkshire family that has to sell its beloved dog Lassie, because of poverty. The dog keeps finding her way back home, until one day the rich family that has purchased her moves to Scotland. But it escapes, partially helped by Elizabeth Taylor, who recognizes the special bond the dog has with Roddy McDowall.

And from then on, it’s all about the dog’s journey. I actually wish we got a little bit more of the Yorkshire family here, as Roddy McDowall sort of gets lost in the shuffle. But it’s definitely enjoyable seeing Lassie do her thing.

This is just a hard movie not to love. It’s so charming and heartwarming, in a way where the movie being old fashioned actually helps it.

Rating: 8/10