Why I Cry in Movies About Dogs

“Sometimes following your heart can take you far further than the hunt for success and medals.” —The Arthur Foundation

 

Last night, I watched the most heartwarming movie with Mark Wahlberg playing the real-life adventure racer Mikael Lindnord, and the most amazing true story of an ailing and wounded street dog and how he changed the lives of this small group of adventure racing competitors facing what they believed was the most important race in their careers.

 

I will be honest when my husband Marc suggested we watch it, we’d just been through a slew of Outer Range shows (kind of sci-fi meets Yellowstone show,) and I was in that mode of deep thinking analytical rumination about the workings of the universe, and wasn’t into a sports movie featuring a shaggy dog.

 

Why not? Somehow, sobbing my face off (which I am guaranteed to do even watching the trailer of any movie plus dog) was an affront to my intellectual mindset.

 

This then led me to question why the intellect and the heart don’t get together more often. I know when we are in Gemini season with so much concentrated energy on the mind, it’s hard to remember that we need to work harder to stay heart-centered when the cosmos is calling us to think and learn and be social and think some more!

 

I was bothered by this, and so I said fine, I will watch it. I’m not feeling particularly sentimental, so maybe I will not cry this time. In fact, I will plan not to cry. (HA! Man plans and God laughs.)

 

🚨 Spoiler Alerts! 🚨

 

The film began by showing us the fictionalized character of real-life adventure racer Mikael and his struggle of having not accomplished something—his big break. After an epic public fail at his last race, he wanted his shot at being a “winner.” He felt his life up until now was missing this, and his sense of being unfinished haunted him. He was comparing himself to others (put up your hand if you’ve done this too) and seeing himself as a failure for he’d not achieved his perceived success, while others seemed to have it all.

 

Then he got an inspiration that he’d put a team together one last time and would “win this thing”—a grueling course consisting of traversing 635 miles of the most challenging landscapes on earth. And so, armed with a small amount of money from a sponsor, off he went with his motley crew of a team to the Dominican Republic. (The true story of the race was even more difficult and dangerous and was actually in Ecuador, note that Dr.Mikael is actually Swedish, not American. Ya know, just thought the facts are good too because the true story is amazing.)

 

The bottom line is Mikael had an agenda that winning would somehow redeem him. The others also had a stake in winning the race for various reasons and were all driven to win no matter what.

Early on, we see this gorgeous shaggy, beat-up street dog barely surviving to find his way to the first checkpoint, whereupon Mikael offers him some meatballs and well… this is where it all comes together.

 

Meatballs and love, yup they go together.

 

This dog literally follows them the entire race, saves their lives at one crucial cliff, and then they decide the dog’s name would be Arthur the King and he’s now part of the team.

 

Of course, there will be heartbreak—injured dog in the race!! But the best part was how close they were to finishing. They were going to win after all! They were #1 with the second team trailing. But first, they had to cross the water to the finish line. Jumping in their kayaks, they had to leave the dog behind! NOOOOO! Well, we know how that worked out.

 

Another SPOILER here!!

 

Without telling all the details in case you might want to watch it yourself, but it’s how everyone changed as a result of this dog being a part of their story. In the end they didn’t win the race because they chose to go back and save Arthur’s life.

 

Their entire reason for being part of the experience changed. Following their hearts and putting Arthur before the win gave them more than any of them ever expected.

 

They won beyond the limited view of what winning and succeeding meant to them. They were the ultimate winners because they opened their hearts and followed its call, and they chose to save an animal instead of forging ahead to claim their coveted prize that was dripping with agendas that would never fill that God-shaped hole, or dog-shaped hole (note spelling God backward—oooo).

 

I loved this. I have been worried about us humans as of late, knowing deep down all this chaos is part of the journey, but it’s hard to whistle in the dark with FAITH when we’re still so sensitive to the suffering. How is it we can be so divided and disconnected? What is the solution?

 

It all begins and ends in our hearts.

 

So why do I cry in movies about dogs?

 

I think loving an animal makes us more human. I cry because I feel hope for us all when I see this. Animals have the magical capacity to lead us to redemption. We see how capable we all are of darkness, cruelty, greed, ambition, and all our self-seeking ways that cause so much strife in the world. But ultimately, a dog or any other meaningful animal to you (shout out to the cat people!) can remind us we are also channels for good. When an animal chooses to adopt us, to communicate with us, to devote themselves to us, we have the beautiful opportunity to open our hearts so we can see the true meaning of life.

 

I know my heart breaks open so I can have more love to offer.

 

And so my last thought and wish for you. May you be so blessed that a shaggy dog comes into your life to remind you too of what’s really important.

 

Listen to your heart. It’s got the right idea.