"The Art of Racing in the Rain" Lives Up to its Source Material

by John Zenoni

I loved the book and was hoping that the movie version wouldn't let me down and I'm glad to say it did not. The film, ‘The Art of Racing in the Rain’, does do justice to the book. While it's not a the perfect ‘copy’, the producers and director did a great job of capturing the soul and spirit of Garth Stein's best-selling novel.

The novel is definitely one of the most unique that I've read in recent times. It's the story of a dog, Enzo, and the relationship with his owner, Denny Swift, told by the point of view of the dog. Initially I wasn't sure when reading it that it was going to work but the more I read, the more I was l drawn in and I eventually realized that this story was something special. It's an amazing story and I'm so glad I read it. It's now one of my favorites. Thus, the reason for my apprehension of how the movie was going to be.

In the role of Denny Swift, Milo Ventimaglia, star of the critically acclaimed series ‘This Is Us’, is perfectly cast. His demeanor, emotions and reactions are exactly what I pictured for the character in the novel. You can feel his love of Enzo in the film, which is most critical. If that hadn't worked then the movie wouldn't have either. This isn't to say that the movie doesn't have its faults. I personally felt that it was just a little too long and that the drama between Denny and his wife’s family wasn't fully fleshed out. However, this didn't prevent me from enjoying this film. It's a beautiful story and I'm glad that we have both the novel and a film version to enjoy.