The Boy, The Dog and the Clown is the story of a young boy, Adrien (played by Adrien Lyon), who has had a difficult time adjusting to social life following the death of his father. After encountering a gibberish-muttering, but loveably curious beach-loving clown (Gabriel Dell Jr.) and his dog (Foxy the Dog), Adrien found an unlikely friend. Their friendship grows with the reluctant consent and oversight of Adrien's mother (Kiki del Vecchio) who allows The Dog and the Clown to join them on their family camping trip to celebrate Adrien's birthday.
As the story progresses through the adventures of this camping trip, we explore the complex past of this mystifying Clown, as well as the challenges that Adrien has experienced in his young life. To help Adrien heal from his loss, The Clown teaches him an element of "magic" that is born of child-like imagination. This magic is the balm used to dress the wounds of their individual tragedies, and their friendship becomes something deep and rich as a result of this shared experience. The Boy, the Dog and the Clown is "a story of healing, courage -- and most of all -- the power of knowing that magic is real for those who believe."
After reading that the director and the young star of this film were father and son, the experience of watching this movie became all the more sweeter. For a family friendly film to be the product of a family effort helps to give this film more authenticity. The Boy, The Dog and The Clown has layers of story that seem to intertwine well. While some of the premise seems a little implausible in our cynical world, the message of the movie seems to encourage the viewer to be a little more open to the idea that unlikely relationships and human connection through compassion and understanding is possible, and rewarding.
While many viewers will place a premium on whether a story is predictable in determining their review, I can't think of too many Family Films that would actually hit the "unpredictable = good" standard. Most seem to have a somewhat predictable scenario where dramatic conflict is introduced, and there is rarely a suspension of the idea that "everything will turn out okay." The Boy The Dog and The Clown is fairly predictable, but in the way that family films succeed at being predictable.
In a world where clowns are viewed as crazy, creepy, or even hiding in the sewers kind of scary, Gabriel Dell Jr. shines. Kiki del Vecchio also does an admirable job as a conflicted mother who is growing desperate to find ways to address the emotional distress of her son. Perhaps one of the movies surprising standout features was its soundtrack Composed by Chris Ridenhour and Eliza Swenson.
For director Nick Lyon, who is known for his sometimes violent, action-packed films like Bullet (starring Danny Trejo), They Found Hell, and Isle of the Dead, this film is quite a departure. The fact that the original story for The Boy, The Dog and the Clown was based on a 4-minute short film called The Sad Clown written by Lyon's son and star of the film, Adrien, it makes more sense as to why Lyon took on this major shift in genre.
Does this story resonate with audiences? I say it will for the soft hearted. My cynical teenage daughters didn't buy into it, but the sweeter and more innocent younger daughters really enjoyed it, even cried at parts. The acting is solid, and the soundtrack helps reinforce the goals of the screenplay. While there are some noticeable technical issues common to lower budget films, The Boy The Dog and the Clown is worth viewing (so long as you leave a little space in your heart to believe in magic.)
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