David McCallum

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The Art of Racing in the Rain (Movie Review)

David McCallum

By: David McCallum, February 10th, 2020

I am not the type to write movie reviews; in fact, my family and I laugh about how bad I am at both TV and Movies (the only things I am generally able to stay awake watching are live SpaceX Rocket Launches and International Yacht Races).  But this movie hit me deep in my core, and I recommend that all my clients, friends, and family watch it.  And I want to tell you why (*spoiler alert*). 

This move is complex, entertaining, and influential.  The plot involves the following three specific elements, which I can disclose without giving away too much, and certainly not the ending:

  1. The protagonist (Denny) is a handsome and highly talented race car driver with a passion for excellence in his sport (his specialty is racing in the rain).

  2. The movie is narrated by a beautiful Golden Retriever dog named Enzo (… as in, Ferrari). 

  3. And, there is a cancer diagnosis.

I'm a dog guy, and in 2015 I had to put down our 14 year old Yellow Labrador named Ollie-Buds McCallum.  Old age…, he let me know that his time had come, and it pained me deeply.  In the movie, Enzo speaks about both his blessing and curse of not being able to speak in the humans' language.  We quickly learn that he is intuitive, intelligent, and charismatic.  And, like his human, he has a passion for the sport of automotive racing.  Enzo has me considering whether or not my family is ready to adopt another dog (!).

Here's where this turns relative to the work I do: I can't help but wonder if the benefit of a large Critical Illness insurance policy would have affected the story line.  Of course, I'm wondering in real-life (reality bites!), and my Financial Advisor hat takes away from the 'Hollywood' story-telling excellence.  You should enjoy this movie.  I simply ask these two things of you when you watch it: (1) have a box of tissues handy, and (2) consider yourself being at the business end of a cancer diagnosis and whether this might also affect your life as significantly as it did Denny's in The Art of Racing in the Rain.