DOG GONE

Here's the decision. DOG GONE is a genuinely heartwarming Netflix drama with a strong Christian, moral, pro-family worldview — the kind of movie that quietly does your family good. It's about a young man, his dog, and the parents who step in when the dog goes missing. Along the way, a fractured father-son relationship gets repaired.

The costs are small. There's some scatological humor, a few obscenities, and a couple of slow, static stretches that keep this from being a flawless family night. There's also a light Roman Catholic touch — a passing character prays to Saint Anthony and hands the family the saint's icon — which some families will note and others won't mind.

So: if you're looking for an enjoyable, encouraging movie about loving your family through the hard stretches, settle in with this one. It's an easy yes for older children and up.

Fielding is a college senior with no clear plan for what comes after graduation. Lonely after seeing his ex-girlfriend, he heads to a rescue shelter and brings home a puppy he names Gonker.

Back at his parents' house after college, Fielding's focus on the dog worries his father, who wonders when a job will come. Then, on a hike along the Appalachian Trail, Fielding lets Gonker off the leash — and the dog bolts after a fox and vanishes. What happens next pulls the whole family together, and that's where we'll leave you.

Three stars, and here's what they mean. DOG GONE is a wonderful, heartwarming movie that keeps its action moving and delivers real jeopardy once Gonker goes missing — you feel the stakes, and you want the family to succeed.

What holds it back from the top of the scale is the same thing many gentle family dramas struggle with: a few slow, static moments where the momentum sags. Add some scatological humor that not everyone will find funny, and you have a very enjoyable film that stops just short of a great one. Overall, it earns its warmth honestly.

DOG GONE wears a strong Christian, redemptive, moral, pro-family worldview openly, from a Roman Catholic perspective — and it's the film's best feature. It celebrates loving one another, getting along despite differences, seeing each other's point of view, having faith in God's providence, and taking care of the animals in our care. At its heart, a father and son mend a broken relationship, and a family that started apart ends up bonded.

The Catholic touch is light but present: a passing character prays to Saint Anthony for help finding the dog and gives the family an icon of the saint. Families outside that tradition will want to know it's there; it's a grace note rather than the film's engine. A few characters (including the dog) also do some yoga exercises — a small detail, noted here so you can weigh it.

What the film gets right is what matters most. It trusts that families are worth fighting for, that a father and son can be reconciled, and that God's providence can be leaned on when something you love goes missing. That's close to the heart of the gospel's picture of home — a father who runs toward a returning son, and a household that celebrates what was lost being found. "For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found" (Luke 15:24).

DOG GONE is exactly the kind of movie you can settle in with as a family: warm, faith-friendly, and built around a father and son finding their way back to each other. A little potty humor and a few slow patches aside, it's an encouraging, enjoyable watch. So here's our answer, the same one we opened with: worth the trip.