THE STRAY

This one's an easy yes. THE STRAY is a true story, artfully directed by the man who lived it, and it's the rare family film that earns both your laughter and your tears. It's built around lessons Scripture actually teaches — forgiveness, sacrifice, trusting God, prayer that gets answered — without ever feeling like a lecture.

It isn't flawless. A few scenes run longer than they need to, and some dialogue could have been trimmed. But the Colorado landscapes are shot with real care, and the humor lands exactly when the story needs relief from its heavier moments.

The one caution: the thunderstorm at the film's climax may frighten your youngest kids. Everyone else can settle in without worry. Take the family — just know the storm is coming.

Mitch Davis is a Hollywood executive who's traded time with his family for a career he doesn't even love. His son Christian is being bullied and struggling at school, and Mitch barely notices. Then a stray dog appears out of nowhere, defends Christian from a bully, and follows him home. The family names him Pluto — and Pluto turns out to be more than just a pet. When a crisis rocks the Davis family two years later, Mitch finally rethinks everything, trading Los Angeles for a quiet ranch in Colorado. What happens when he takes his son and two other boys on a camping trip into the mountains is where we'll leave you.

Three stars means this is a genuinely good family film with a couple of soft spots. Mitch Davis — the real man behind the true story — directs with a clear eye for beauty; the sweeping shots of Colorado give the movie an artistic lift beyond the typical faith-based drama. The film is engaging enough that you forget you're watching a true story, and well-placed humor keeps even its heaviest scenes from feeling heavy-handed.

The drag comes from pacing: a few scenes linger too long, and some dialogue could have been cut without losing anything. Those are minor complaints against a movie that otherwise balances tears and laughter with real skill.

THE STRAY exalts exactly what its tagline promises: God and family come first. It shows sacrifice costing something real — Mitch gives up a glamorous career to rebuild his marriage and his relationship with his son. It shows forgiveness as work, not a feeling. And it shows prayer answered plainly: a young daughter prays for a dog, and hours later, one arrives at her door.

Readers should know the film was produced and released by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). The film's moral content — God first, family first, sacrifice, forgiveness, trusting God — tracks closely with a biblical framework, and nothing in the source material flags doctrinal content beyond that general moral vision; families should simply know the source behind the story.

At its heart, this is a film about a father who has to lose his family's trust before he learns to want it back. Scripture names that same choice directly: "But if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15). Mitch's Colorado ranch is his version of that choice.

THE STRAY earns its place on family movie night: a true story, well told, about a father who finally chooses his family over his ambition. It's funny, moving, and clean enough for nearly every age — just brace your littlest ones for the storm. Our answer stands: worth the trip.