This film is best described as a tearjerker.This film tires everything known to get the audience to shed a few tears,and the best way to do this is through an animal.A well- trained Golden Retriever is the animal of choice.The story develops around a girl named Akira and her dog Socks.Akira's mother makes her promise 10 different things to Socks,which is more of an acknowledgment of what Akira needs to do to raise Socks.While the title suggests this film is about a girl's relationship with her dog,it really develops into Akira's story about growing up.
While Socks is a well-trained dog that follows the commands he is the only interesting one to watch.Everything else in the film seems over exaggerated from the acting to the situations that arise.The film tries so hard to make you cry that it seems to have forgotten all about the basic aesthetics.In an attempt to create a specific mood the story gets jumbled and lost.From a story about a dog and its master it becomes a love story.The ending seems out of place,focusing on the romantic side instead of the relationship between Akira and Socks.
If you have seen a film that is about a pet and its owner,then you have already seen this film.Everything is predictable,and especially the ending.This story about the cute dog and the owner,that cares more about them than the dog,has been done and is very overrated.The only point of this film is to try to make you cry,and while it may succeed in that objective,the film seems to have lost the story.Scenes seem to appear for the sake of a tear instead of their importance to the plot.While having an emotional reaction to a film can be good,if emotion is only achieved through certain scenes and not the entire film,it is a waste of time,which is exactly what this film is.