THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN!
Thank you FOX SEARCHLIGHT for inviting me to the press junket and screening of THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN. We had the chance to interview Director Simon Curtis, Milo Ventimiglia, and Amanda Seyfried. When I asked Simon, Milo and Amanda, if there was a mission statement for the movie, they each stated in agreeance it’s about family, relationships you've built, spend your time with the ones you hold near and dear, love and cherish them, life can change in an instant.
Kevin Costner whom voices Enzo the dog is the narrator of the movie. Milo Ventimiglia is his human in Simon Curtis’ drama about life, death, family and the love of racing. The story is told from the dogs perspective which is brilliant, and a spectacular take. Get ready to ugly cry, like I did.
Denny (Milo Ventimiglia) is our pups owner, Milo’s character is full of life, ambitious, a zest for life and most of all, he's grateful for every minute of the sad, bad, good and great. When Denny chooses his pup, he names him Enzo after racing legend Enzo Ferrari. Enzo becomes the constant observer of his owner’s life as Denny marries, has a child, flys through his races and when he faces his biggest obstacles, his wife getting ill and building a relationship with his daughter.
Our first inkling of Eve getting sick is when she starts taking aspirin for a headache that wouldn’t go away and Enzo knew that something was wrong. Not only does Denny have to come to terms with Eve getting ill, he now has to deal with her family with the ultimate betrayal that will shake you to your core and Denny pulls through all the while pushing through.
THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN is truly breathtaking, full of love, life, and reality. Life isn’t always golden and the key is, at that very moment when you’re standing there, in the thick of things you look around and say, “it’s going to be okay” and think “thank you for what I do have.” Life will be okay, a different okay from what you knew and no matter what happens, how devastating and heartbreaking it might be, you will find the strength to move on and push through. It’s said life happens when we’re planning the future and that's true, the one consistent thing is the love for your child, family, and friends, make sure you show that as much as you can. That you will never regret and you'll cherish forever.
Make sure to take plenty of kleenex with you when you go to see THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN. If you know me well, I take my little sidekick to every movie however this is the one movie I suggest having your little ones sit out. It’s powerful, you’ll be a hot mess crying and truthfully the subject matter is too much for our kiddos. I will say, this is not to be missed, it’s gripping, you’ll leave wanting to fly into the arms of your children and loved ones.
Based on the best-selling novel by Garth Stein, THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN is a heartfelt tale narrated by a witty and philosophical dog named Enzo (voiced by Kevin Costner). Through his bond with his owner, Denny Swift (Milo Ventimiglia), an aspiring Formula One race car driver, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition and understands that the techniques needed on the racetrack can also be used to successfully navigate the journey of life. The film follows Denny and the loves of his life - his wife, Eve (Amanda Seyfried), their young daughter Zoe (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), and ultimately, his true best friend, Enzo.