Professor Wilson discovers a lost Akita puppy on his way home. Despite objections from his wife, Hachi endears himself to the family and grows to be Parker's loyal companion. As their bond grows deeper, a beautiful relationship unfolds.

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale poster

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009)

A true story of faith, devotion and undying love.

★ 8/10 June 8, 2009 93 min

DramaFamily

Director: Lasse Hallström  ·  Writer: Stephen P. Lindsey

Professor Wilson discovers a lost Akita puppy on his way home. Despite objections from his wife, Hachi endears himself to the family and grows to be Parker's loyal companion. As their bond grows deeper, a beautiful relationship unfolds.

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Trailer

Director

Lasse Hallström Lasse Hallström

Cast

Richard Gere Richard Gere Parker Wilson Joan Allen Joan Allen Cate Wilson Sarah Roemer Sarah Roemer Andy Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Ken Erick Avari Erick Avari Jasjeet Robbie Sublett Robbie Sublett Michael Davenia McFadden Davenia McFadden Mary Anne Jason Alexander Jason Alexander Carl Kevin DeCoste Kevin DeCoste Ronnie (11 years) Robert Degnan Robert Degnan Teddy Barnes Tora Hallström Tora Hallström Heather Donna Sorbello Donna Sorbello Myra

User Reviews (3)

NancyW9
NancyW9 June 4, 2017
★ 10/10

This movie is wonderfully written, it's one of my favourite films and I cry each time. Based on a true story of devotion the dog keeps going back to the train station to meet his owner who had a heart attack and died so is obviously he is not coming back, he becomes the train station mascot and people raise funds to help look after the welfare of the dog. it's lovely but you will need plenty of soft tissues to wipe away the tears.It's a classic.

Filipe Manuel Neto
Filipe Manuel Neto August 4, 2022
★ 9/10

**A cute, sweet and tender film, which imports an originally Japanese story to the USA and which promises to make many children insistently ask their parents for puppies.** I'm not a fan of dogs... in fact, I'm one of those people who never had dogs, and that's why I didn't develop a great admiration for these animals, despite recognizing that they are excellent companions and can make a difference for many people, in different situations (for example, as part of police units or as guides for the blind). But the truth is that I feel every day how uncomfortable dogs can be, if they fall into the hands of careless owners, or those who do not teach them properly: they howl when alone, they make a lot of noise when other animals pass by, they run to sniff and lick other people without their owners paying attention if they want to have contact with their animals and, worse, they defecate a…

Harry_Gill
Harry_Gill June 23, 2026

Hachi: A Dog's Tale is the rare remake that earns its tears honestly. Lasse Hallstrom takes the real story of Hachiko, the Akita who waited nearly a decade at a Tokyo station for an owner who had already died, and relocates it to small-town America. That move could have flattened the legend. It does not. Richard Gere plays Parker, a music professor who finds an abandoned Akita puppy at the train station and takes him home almost by accident. What follows is barely a plot. It is a routine. The dog walks Parker to the station every morning and waits for him every evening, and the film trusts that repetition to carry all of its emotion. There is no villain, no rescue set piece, no third-act contrivance. When Parker dies, Hachi keeps returning to the same platform at the same hour for years, and the camera is patient enough to let that loyalty read as grief rather than instinct. The re…