Animal antics are adorable. Watch these movies with animal stars. They are sure to make you laugh, cry and enjoy yourself.
Joey is Albert’s horse and is dearly loved. The movie, “War Horse” is set in the background of World War I. Albert lives on a farm in rural England. When war breaks out, Albert is forced to part with his horse and Joey has to join the war. Later, Albert embarks on a journey to find Joey. Leaving the comfort of his farm he comes face-to-face with war.
If war is too heavy for you and you love the deep blue... check out “Free Willy”. Jesse, an orphan, is caught damaging property at a park. He is sent to a foster home and is expected to clean up and make amends. Here, he meets Willy, an orca whale who has had a rough life after being forcefully taken away from his family. He is expected to perform tricks but he’s in no mood to respond. An emotional bond develops as both of them miss their families and they become friends. But Dial, the owner of the park, is not happy with Willy’s progress and thinks a dead whale is more money than a live one. Will Jesse be able to help?
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Here’s a quick question. Do you know what imprinting is? It is a phenomenon exhibited by several species, especially young ones, mainly birds, such as ducklings and chicks. When they hatch, they become attached to the first moving object they encounter. “Fly away Home” features a 13-year-old ‘mother’ — Amy. Life is disrupted when she loses her mother and has to go and live with her father in Canada. Getting used to the new life is difficult. And then, she stumbles upon some abandoned goose eggs. On hatching, the geese start believing that she is their mother. She feeds and guides them. But with winter approaching she is left with the daunting task of teaching them to fly as they need to migrate. The bond between father and daughter deepens as they train and steer the flock to follow their ultra light planes from Canada to a winter home in North Carolina.
Let’s drift from Canada to New York to meet a famous cat. Garfield is Jon’s cat. Big and lazy, he is a wise crack whose first love is lasagna. In this film, Odie, the dog is always annoying Garfield and so he hatches a plan to have Odie abducted. But when Odie goes missing Garfield changes his mind. Will Odie come back?
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In “Prancer”, a young girl discovers a hurt reindeer in a forest. As she loves Santa Claus, she believes him to be Prancer (a member of Santa’s sleigh team). With the help of a friendly veterinarian, she hopes to nurse him back to health in time for Christmas and also takes it upon herself to contact Santa Claus, all the while keeping it a secret. But when her dad and the entire town find out, all hell breaks loose! In the end, the girl’s faith and spirit triumphs and the entire town rallies behind her. The end is touching and will linger in your mind for a long time.
With cats and reindeer doing the rounds, dogs can’t be far behind. Imagine a plush hotel just for them. Watch “Hotel for Dogs”. Andi and Bruce’s new guardians don’t like animals and they forbid them to have any at home. But they love their dog Friday and need to find a solution. That’s when they stumble upon an abandoned hotel. With Bruce’s talents they transform the building into a hotel for dogs. Soon, the hotel becomes a paradise for dogs as many of Friday’s friends join in. But with so many furry friends, barking is inevitable. Suspicious neighbours do not help either. It is up to Andi and Bruce to use every invention they have to avoid being discovered.
You cannot complete the list without watching “Dr. Dolittle”. He is a doctor with a special power. One night, he almost runs over a dog. After that things are never the same for him. He can now hear them speak and he understands how they feel too. Animals ranging from rats to horses flock to his place for medical help. But everyone, including his colleagues, suspect he’s going mad and something needs to be done even if it means sending him to an institution!
Word List
Phenomenon: Occurrence
Disrupted: Cause disturbance
Abandoned: Cast aside/forsaken
Daunting: Intimidating
Veterinarian: A person who deals with the treatment of farm or domestic animals
Guardian: Caretaker/protector