Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Sick Product of a Sick System

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

Fred M. Wilcox directed this fourth film to feature Lassie, though again this tells a stand-alone story set in Scotland, where a country Doctor named William McClure(played by Edmund Gwenn) tends to the sick of his village, many of whom are poor, and on one visit he is "tricked" into taking Lassie as payment instead of cash, but is stunned to learn that the collie is afraid of the water, which is most embarrassing and inconvenient to his profession. He is also hoping that a young medical student training to be a doctor will take over his practice when he passes on, but first he is determined to break Lassie of her water fear, and a fierce storm will give him a chance to do just that... Charming and appealing film is fine fare for the whole family, and animal lovers alike.

In an idyllic Scottish village, poor collie dog Lassie fails at sheepherding because she's afraid of crossing through water; a crusty old doc inherits Lassie, but he doesn't much want her either, even after she warns him of a collapsed bridge down the road. Despite a handsome MGM production, this non-adventure is unrelievedly depressing and infuriating (if the simple-minded plot doesn't gnaw at you, the ridiculous Scottish accents and muttonchops on the men certainly will). The collie dog used for the film is a beautiful animal but, let's face it, not particularly gifted for the camera (most of the time, she hovers about on the edge of the frame, constantly looking to one side for directions). Lassie takes a real beating in this one (including harsh owners, icy, raging rivers and bad weather of all sorts), yet, oddly, much of the focus is on doctor Edmund Gwenn and the wet-eyed, hand-wringing families of his patients. This downer is truly one of the dreariest family films of all time, not helped by a colorless supporting cast which includes a wooden Janet Leigh in an early role. *1/2 from ****

Although this is a minor Lassie film, it did open at the famous Radio City Music Hall in 1948, where the showplace must have decided it was the perfect theater to show this family film--in a theater that catered to wholesome films above all others.It's a charmer, helped considerably by the performances of EDMUND GWENN, as an old-fashioned Scottish doctor who acquires a dog who is afraid of water, and LASSIE as the collie who has to overcome his fear of water when his master is in danger and needs him to swim for help.DONALD CRISP, as Gwenn's loyal friend, and young JANET LEIGH and TOM DRAKE as the love interest, form a pleasant supporting cast responding well to Fred M. Wilcox's able direction. All the resources of the MGM studio went into recreating the Scottish settings and atmosphere that pervade the film, so much so that we can forgive the occasional lapses in the Scottish accents.It passes the time pleasantly, but is not the typical Lassie film with him displaying all sorts of intelligence and courage. And this time, EDMUND GWENN actually steals scenes from the famous collie, holding much of the spotlight with a warm and easy performance as the crusty old doctor.

If you love a dog story then this is for you. If you love a story of love in a small village then this is for you. If you love a story of courage then this is for you. Hills of Home features Lassie, that collie that shows the true meaning of friendship between Master and dog. Lass (Lassie) is afraid of the water in rivers or lakes so she will not cross any form of water. A sheepdog protects the sheep from drowning in water so her first owner decides to kill Lass because she is useless as a sheepdog. Dr. William MacLure (Edmund Gwenn) is the only doctor in the village and a rather old one. Dr. MacLure is not the brightest or most up-to-date doctor but he will fight the spectre of death with hand-to-hand combat to save those villagers that he loves. He decides that a dog will help a lonely man in meeting the needs of the village so he barters for the ownership of Lass. Drumsheugh (Donald Crisp) is Dr. MacLure's best human friend. Drumsheugh encourages his friend and offers wise advice to the head strong old doctor. This film features the growing love of this familiar trio (Lassie, Gwenn & Crisp) as they battle death, nature and time. A heartwarming story that ends with you wanting to just grab hold of your own dog as Dr. MacLures holds on to Lass.