The Stray – A Loyal Guardian

Everybody loves the innocent love and loyalty of a pet. Based on a true story, this film tells the tale of a brave stray dog named Pluto. Pluto came into the lives of Christian and his family unexpectedly and yet, touched their lives like no other.

Mitch almost always comes home late. He spends long hours reviewing scripts while his wife Michelle takes care of their three kids.

Guilty for turning down his son’s invitation to watch his upcoming baseball game, Mitch told Michelle about getting a dog to become Christian’s playmate. The idea delighted his younger daughter Rachel, but Michelle doesn’t want to get one on purpose unless a stray dog comes up.

Meanwhile, Christian bullied by two boys at the school playground when a dog suddenly showed up to defend him. The dog followed him at home to Michelle’s surprise and eventually, became part of the Davis family. Pluto’s opportune arrival seems the answer to Mitch dilemma.

These scenes tell us how easy it is for us to find an outlet for our shortcomings than makeup for it. Mitch thought that the dog’s presence would keep his wife and kids distracted while he is away from them.

A year later, Christian scores at baseball and Mitch missed again to see his son’s milestone.  The boy was already becoming distant from him. Michelle expressed her thoughts to Mitch about their situation that all she wanted was a happy family. She told him that his workload becomes time-consuming to the point of putting a strain on their relationship as a family. This scene of two adults opening their hearts set an excellent example of how to face problems in a matured way. They teach us to make life-altering decisions like leaving a career chase in favour of keeping the family close-knit.

As for Pluto, the dog showed how he valued their family. The youngest child Kinsey wandered off when mom and dad were busy. When they finally noticed that she was missing, the worried dad drove off the road and found Pluto barking at every stranger around the crying child.

Moving to countryside Colorado, Mitch finds himself lonesome. Unable to write a script, he attempts to reconnect with Christian who still blocks him. Pluto’s companionship eased his troubled mind. He sits there beside him under a tree and jogs with him in the morning. A compelling thought was that The Stray takes care of them better than they do.

Mitch requested neighbours to let their sons join him and Christian trekking the mountain, tagging along Pluto. He tried to amuse the kids, but the snow started to fall and then, lightning strikes. Be inspired by the concluding scenes showing us how fragile life is and how devoted a man’s best friend can be. Pluto may have been the catalyst for the story’s plot. However, the core message of this film is really about protecting the family and its values.