What should have been a girl and her dog movie becomes just another John Travolta vehicle in EYES OF AN ANGEL. Travolta plays a down-on-his-luck widowed dad of a little girl, played by Ellie Raab, who is essentially a slightly younger version of the Tatum O'Neal role in . Travolta does some work for a bunch of low-level Chicago mobsters, the head of which is Travolta's late wife's brother (Tito Larriva). The brother constantly schemes to take away his niece from Travolta. Travolta ends up stealing a car and lots of money from Larriva, and heads with Raab to his successful brother's (Geoffrey DeMunn) home in L.A. The mobsters quickly figure out where Travolta has gone, and the chase is on. Mixed in with this nonsense is a very large dog that Larriva has thrown off a bridge after a vicious dog fight, and the dog somehow finds its way back to life and into the arms of Raab. They bond and become inseparable, while Travolta keeps trying to separate the two. He dumps the dog as they depart Chi-Town but the dog miraculously follows them all the way to L.A. Unfortunately, way too much time is spent on Travolta and his unlucky life, and not enough on the dog and the girl. They are strictly cyphers in this Travolta ego-driven vehicle. The film is a downer until the wildly improbable final five minutes. But don't see it. You'll want to tear your eyeballs out if you do.
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xredgarnetx29 March 2008
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Not a "great" movie, but nice if you're a dog-lover. The title was "The Tender" in the TV listing for UPN. I had to dig to find it in imdb, looking for movies with John Travolta and Ellie Raab together. In retrospect, the eyes of the dog were the eyes of the angel, as the dog came to the rescue more than once. Lots of good shots of the dog's eyes.
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aceellaway201015 February 2016This is a truly awful and Offensive film. The other reviews seem almost to have seen a different movie than me. where to start with so much badness on view. The "plain" girl- (oh dear what Tatum O'Neals turn in paper Moon did to the child actor parts is unforgivable- she is not Cute because she has an awful hair cut, and never smiles, (one wonders how come Travolta's hair is always great- kind of like a case of neglect if you can't be generous enough to make something of your child). She encourages the dog to follow them, with no thought for the dog's well being, the ludicrousness of the plot that shows Travolta and child driving for hours and the dog somehow picking up the scent and covering the distance in not much more time isn't even logical) The dog's poor pads are ripped, but it seems all he needs is an overnight nap and can bound off again, Even the dog lead is poorly served, the other 2 dogs in bit parts give better performances. At the end in the "dog fight " scene, the revolting people who would attend an event like this somehow find their humanity and mug emotions for the camera when the girl identifies the bond she has with the dog, I just wanted to machine gun the lot of them audience, thugs everybody. It lack of true moral integrity is so offensive it really is a waste of money. The fans who write praising this film as heartwarming and moving are in serious need of counseling, your critical and emotional values are vastly lacking.
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jhenderson331 January 2021I saved this on my DISH DVR from a showing on one of the free weekends of Showtime sometime within the last couple of years. Since my viewing plans are to cut the cable within the next month, I'm spending most of my free time watching what's been stored on the DVR, Eyes of an Angel being one of the titles.
Movie has a slightly disjointed feel as it jumps back and forth between the Travolta character's trials and tribulations and the dog's journey to rejoin the only family he's ever known. If you're a dog lover as am I, some of the scenes are a bit difficult to watch especially those taking place in the dog fighting arena, but minute for minute, the dog's travails are more interesting than are those of Bobby, the hard luck gambler, played by Travolta.
Casting is questionable, specifically that of Jeffrey DeMunn as Bobby's successful brother. DeMunn is a very capable actor, but no one would ever guess he'd be related to Travolta's Bobby.
In a nutshell, a tired story of a low expectations in life aimless loser and his young daughter. Throw in the dog elements and you get a 3/10 star movie. Not sorry I spent the 90 minutes it took to view, but if the producers were trying to humanize the story into a sentimental canine ride, that's the kind of thing Disney used to excel at with deers and dogs. Not so much with this crew. -
lpersons-228 August 2007This was a well done movie. It said it was based on a true story, I don't know how much was true, but it was a sweet movie about a Doberman pinscher dog and a ten year old girl. In the beginning of the movie there are some scenes of dog fights that look brutal, but are an eye opener for those of us who have never seen a dog fight. If it isn't an issue you have ever personally thought about, this scene in the movie will make you an advocate against such brutal activity. The movie shows the devotion a dog has for a girl that saves its life after losing a battle against a pit bull. I had never heard of this movie, but decided to watch it since John Travolta was in it. It was interesting to see a younger John and it was a good part for him to play and he did it well. If you love dogs or are just looking for a movie that the family may enjoy, this may work for you. There is some cursing, but nothing that most kids haven't heard.
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elainemark10 September 2000I loved this movie, and so did my husband. I came across it by accident at the video store. That it had never enjoyed a theatrical release, was obvious by the comments on the video box. I rented it anyway, and ended up buying it. I found the acting to be sensitive, the cinematography to be beautiful, and the story uplifting.
I understand "Eyes of an Angel" has been poorly received by the revered movie critics; too violent for kids, boring to adults, etc., but I didn't find it boring or excessively violent.
I'm not too stupid to recognize a really bad movie when I see one. I was raised by intellectual, artistic parents. So I enjoy classical music, rock and roll, Shakespeare and really brainless action movies. I don't automatically like chick flicks just because I'm a chick, and even though I can't stand boxing, I loved Raging Bull! If the film is well made, I'll appreciate it, no matter what the subject.
And for some reason, this film touched me. It made me happy. Perhaps I'm a sucker for a dog story. But you know, everyone I lent the video to, enjoyed it as much as I did.
Go figure! -
FesterSam14 April 2002good movie. Caught it on cable today and found myself unable to turn the channel. A Travolta movie I didn't recognize made me stop, but then the movie just caught me. Don't rush right out to get this one, but don't miss it if it is on cable. I love dog movies, this one is really nice. The ending, which I won't spoil, was what I had hoped for, but was afraid not to get. Not a 10/10, but 8/10 is what it deserves. Ellie Raab, funny in The Ref, is warm, touching and beliveable in this movie. John Travolta is a single father, hard to like in this film, but belivable.
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mstaab0115 April 2007I think maybe some folks missed the opening line --- based on a true story. When you realize that this was a docudrama, it's pretty good stuff. I can't say much more without giving away part of the plot. I don't care whether you're a dog person or not. And, I won't spoil it, but I thought the ending was well-deserved! Definitely worth watching. Started out a little slow and I was a little worried about the graphic nature of the movie, but Travolta was good in this indie film, as was Raab in her role. Better than some movies I've paid $8.50 at the theater to watch lately! Interestingly, I find Travolta a better view in indie films than in some of the big budget films that he's been in.
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BarefootBoy27 December 2003Having lived with Dobermanns since 1979, this movie catches the love and intelligence of this wonderful breed.
The loyalty and love of the put-upon male shows just what great dogs these are.
Highly recommended! -
tedg14 February 2002Spoilers herein.
Pity the poor scriptwriter tasked with putting together a simple drama. Let's assume that he wants to have some elegance in his product.
Kids and dogs. Kind hearted but seriously flawed Dad. Pretty tired stuff. There's some attempt at competence by mirroring the chase of the dog, the gangsters and the search for parenthood. But the best thread, and the best acting, involves the dog. -
Bobby is a single dad living with his daughter in Chicago. His daughter, sick and tired of being dragged along, comes across a doberman pincer in a run-down part of town and decides to look after it. After the dog ends up left in an animal shelter, it finds its way back to the girl, only for Bobby to tell her that it looks like a fighting dog (used in an illegal dog-fighting ring), and that she needs to get rid of it. On the run from mobsters, he allows the girl to bring the dog with her, only to lock it behind the fence of a chemical factory, driving away and taking his daughter with him. Little does he know that the dog is following them on their journey, hoping to be reunited with its new best friend forever.
What an excellent film! I'm not usually a fan of dog stories but this one isn't just about a dog. It's an adventure film with great acting, catchy soundtrack and is supposedly based on true events. There's no crude humor, which most dog movies have, so it was great to find a decent, tasteful movie where its humor depends more on the situation. And the dog was really cool, sort of like one of the animals out of that 'The Incredible Journey' book but with a much more interesting backstory. Why this film has such low ratings I'll never understand, I thought it was great! Definitely worth looking at, I highly recommend it. -
jomafum18 February 2002Just watched this on HBO this morning. I had never heard of it before , and was curious. Despite the opportunity for extreme corn, most of the flick is really engaging. It seems like it ought to be a lame Disney movie, with the kid and the injured dog, but it has cussing and violence. I was pleased to see Travolta playing a loser. Usually if he's not the hero, he's a ridiculous melodramatic villain. He's usually too smug for my taste, but in this (Probably a reflection on the state of his career at the time) his character is pathetic for most of the movie. The villains are not original, but I really liked the little girl. For the most part, it is surprisingly good. Until you get to the end. The end of this movie is so completely lame, you will kick yourself for sitting through the whole thing. They really, really dropped the ball with that stupid, illogical, unrealistic ending. Ucccch!!! I would recommend just turning it off right before the dogfight at the end. Imagine something cooler happened instead. Trust me, whatever you can come up with in 30 seconds will be better than the crap these people thought up. I would really be interested in knowing who came up with that ending. Test audiences? Studio people? Travolta? The director? If that was what the writer originally wrote, I will eat my shoe.
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svhill16 December 2015It was a good movie, and parts and very graphic and parts very moving and touching. The girl and the dog steal the show...truly a remarkable job done by the Doberman Tripoli and his trainer (who trained Lassie, also). It is supposed to be based on a true story, so just ignore those who are complaining that the ending is improbable...it isn't. As someone who as owned and trained Dobermans, the ending was quite expected. Trust me, these dogs do not forget those that threaten their inner circle family.
Travolta does a decent job, but his character is not the least bit liable until the end. He is a recovering alcoholic whose wife died of a drug OD and was the sister of a mobster who also fights dogs. I won't go any further...but it was incredible that the dog tracked them that far (although a Dobie once tracked a man 1300 miles and is in my old Guinness Book of World Records). A good movie and very underrated. I saw it under it's American release of "The Tender." And if you search Youtube well enough for Doberman movies you will find it. -
Lips-417 October 1998I just thought this was an exceptionally well-done movie and was a little stunned at its low ratings.