Movies with golden retriever includes A Dog’s Purpose, the Air Bud franchise, and others. Their movies are loved by kids of all ages and dog enthusiasts.
Golden Retrievers by nature is one of the most intelligent, gentle natured and affectionate breeds of dogs. They are also calm and biddable and are very easy to train. Thus, they make excellent pets and family dogs.
Thus many families have these breeds of dogs in their family and many movies have adopted movies around these intelligent dogs. Most of the movies related to them are either heart-warming movies or heart-tugging movies.
Movies about family dog prioritize golden retrievers as a favorable breed to work with kids.
The list of movies has been divided into groups. So, that you can watch your choice of movies as you want fits of laughter or reaching out tissue when viewing the movies. The choice is yours.
10. Napoleon
- IMDb rating: 6.1
- Genre: Adventure and Family
- Cast members: Jamie Croft, Philip Quast, Susan Lyons, Carolie Sawade and Brenton Whittle
- Duration: 1 hour 21 minutes
- Where to watch: Hoola, Tubi, Apple TV, Vudu and Prime Video
Napolean is an Australian movie created by Mario Andreacchio in 1995. The movie’s story revolved around an adventurous Golden retriever puppy who flies away and wants to be a wild dog.
A puppy named Muffin is living with a human family and his own mother in Sydney. From a young age, he is very bold and fearless. As such, he used to call himself Napoleon and pretends to be proud and tough and wishes to live as a wild dog.
It is time for the celebration of a human birthday and there is a lot of decoration in the house. Curious, Muffin hops inside a basket tied with balloons and unties the tether holding the basket. Slowly, the Muffin floats away in the basket.
Now, high above all buildings he is unafraid and is now heading toward the sea. There he meets a galah named Birdo who offers him to get down the basket by popping the balloons.
9. Air Bud
- IMDb rating: 5.3
- Genre: Comedy, Drama and Family
- Cast members: Michael Jeter, Kevin Zegers, Wendy Makkena, Bill Cobbs and Eric Christmas
- Duration: 1 hour 38 minutes
- Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon Video, Vudu, Redbox, DirecTV and YouTube
Air Bud movie is a sports comedy movie about a Golden Retriever playing smartness to play basketball.
Golden Retriever series of films on the Air Bud Franchise includes 14 movies with the canine friends playing a major role in the storyline.
The plot starts with Josh, who lost his father and has relocated to Fernfield with his mother and young sister. While practicing basketball in a makeshift court he had set, he meets a runaway Golden Retriever from an abusive owner.
Due to the uncanny ability of the dog to play basketball, he names him Buddy and takes him to his home. With his permission from his mother, he is allowed to keep him till Christmas as a Christmas present.
This starts the journey of the fantastic movie franchise that goes on up to the fifth movie. In this movie franchise, Buddy the Golden Retriever continues to play different sports.
8. Marley & Me
- IMDb rating: 7.0
- Genre: Drama and Family
- Cast members: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Eric Dane, Kathleen Turner and Alan Arkin
- Duration: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Where to watch: HBO, Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, Disney Plus, Apple TV and Vudu
Marley & Me is an American comedy-drama movie based on the memoir of the same name by author John Grogan.
The movie starts with a newlywed couple John and Jenny Grogan who had moved to Southern Florida, each having job at competing newspapers.
When John finds his wife thinking about having a child, his friend suggests adopting a dog to find their readiness to raise a child.
They choose a retriever puppy which is named Marley by John. Soon Marley grows to be a big dog mischievous, which forces the couple to enroll him in a dog reformation program.
But Marley refuses to obey any command and tackles the proprietor.
This movie also shows the playful nature of a breed of retriever. Sometimes they create trouble but they also have that lovable personality that the dog owners want to love them.
7. Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
- IMDb rating: 6.9
- Genre: Adventure, Comedy and Drama
- Cast members: Michael J. Fox, Sally Field, Don Alder, Ed Bernard and Kevin Chevalia
- Duration: 1 hour 24 minutes
- Where to watch: Disney Plus, Prime Video, Vudu and Apple TV
The movie Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey is the remake of the 1963 movie The Incredible Journey which was based on the 1961 novel of the same name written by author Shelia Burnford.
The movie follows the story of a dog named Chance, an American Bulldog who narrates the film explaining that he is a pet of Jamie.
He also shares his home with two other animals called Shadow, a Golden Retriever and a cat named Sassy, a Himalayan Cat.
Due to some reason, the animal owner had to leave them for some time to settle their work. So, they leave the animal groups to their friend.
But a friend had to go somewhere else and left the animal in her neighbor’s care but soon forgot about it.
But the house animals felt they were abandoned. So, they decide to make their way home. While traveling on their adventure, the trio faces many life-threatening challenges.
6. The Trail of Old Drum
- IMDb rating: 6.3
- Genre: Adventure, Drama and Family
- Cast members: Bobby Edner, Ron Perlman, Randy Travis, Alexis O’Keefe and John Schuck
- Duration: 1 hour 29 minutes
- Where to watch: Amazon videos, Plex TV and DirecTV
The Trail of Old Drum is an American movie that was released in 2000 and is based on a real-life story. The movie sets in Missouri and tells the story of a brave Golden Retriever named Old Drum.
Old Drum was an orphan dog with his master and friend Charlie Burden from a young age. Charlie is an eleven-year-old boy who grew up on a farm in Western Missouri.
Whenever he goes fishing, he is accompanied by his faithful dog, Old Drum. Charlie and her friend Dee build a secret raft and ride it only to nearly drown due to breakage. At his problem, Old Drum comes to his rescue.
But his life goes haywire when his unruly uncle accuses Old Drum of killing his sheep. Though Charlie denies the accusation, the whole town is divided over Drum’s guilt or innocence. The family hires George Graham Vest for the case.
5. Bailey’s Billion$
- IMDb rating: 4.0
- Genre: Comedy and Family
- Cast members: Dean Cain, Laurie Holden, Jennifer Tilly, Tim Curry and Jon Lovitz
- Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Where to watch: FilmRise, HappyKids, Fawesome, Apple TV and DirecTV
Bailey’s Billion$ is a children’s movie that entails the story of a dog who has been granted billions of dollars of worth in his name by his late owner.
The movie follows the story of a sweet dog named Bailey, who is one lucky pooch always devoted to his owner Constance Pennington.
But one day she passes away and she grants her entire wealth to her dog Bailey.
Not getting a single penny out of the old woman, her nephew Casper targets Bailey using an elaborate plan to dognap through some scheme.
But Bailey is guarded by his shy guardian Ted who is an animal behaviorist and the only one who can speak with Bailey.
But Casper and his wife Dolores plan to change the guardianship so they can get their dirty paws on the inheritance granted by his master.
4. The Retrievers
- IMDb rating: 5.0
- Genre: Comedy and Family
- Cast members: Robert Hays, Mel Harris, Alan Rachins, Alana Austin and Taylor Emerson
- Duration: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Where to watch: Peacock, Freevee, Tubi, Plex, FilmRise Family and Redbox.
The Retrievers is a television film made in 2001 that presents the story of a family in search of puppies they should not have given away.
The movie follows the story of the Lowry family, who has just moved to the countryside and is starting their new life.
Tom Lowry, the patriarch of the family who had been stressed out with his job in the city as an advertising executive, is even more relieved to be here.
But all that changes when a stray golden retriever takes refuge with their family and is named Pilot. Excited, the children and the parents begin to take care of the dog only to find that Pilot is pregnant.
A few days later, Pilot bore six puppies, but Tom thought maybe should send those puppies away.
Golden Retriever puppies movie The Retrievers teaches family values featuring this adorable breed.
3. Air Buddies
- IMDb rating: 4.6
- Genre: Adventure, Comedy and Family
- Cast members: Tyler Foden, Kelly Chapek, Patrick Cranshaw, Jarvis Dashkewytch and Karen Holness
- Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Where to watch: Fawesome, Prime Video, Redbox, Apple TV and Vudu
Air Buddies is the continuation of the Air Buds movie franchise as a sports comedy film.
This movie changes its focus from Buddy to his children’s puppies, who have their own adventures. Plus, they are also given the ability to speak in the movie, tagging a lot of voice actors in the movie.
When Buddy goes out for a sports match, the five mischievous puppies get in trouble with their sitter Mrs. Niggles who had the yarn for knitting and ate away blueberry pie. This leads to the owner of the puppies putting them up for adoption.
Different from their father, Buddy, the puppies go on an adventure rather than simply be sports pets like their father.
2. The Art of Racing in the Rain
- IMDb rating: 7.5
- Genre: Comedy, Drama and Romance
- Cast members: Kevin Costner, Milo Ventimiglia, Jackie Minns, Marcus Hondro and Ian Lake
- Duration: 1 hour 49 minutes
- Where to watch: Disney Plus, Spectrum TV, Prime Video, Redbox, Vudu and Apple TV
The Art of Racing in the Rain is a movie based on the 2008 novel of the same name written by author Garth Stein.
The movie starts with Enzo, the dying Golden Retriever, waiting for his master and best friend to come.
There Enzo begins to iterate his journey from a puppy. When Enzo was still a puppy, he was adopted by his master Denny.
As Denny was an auto racing tutor, he spent the most time doing it but he never neglected his friend Enzo. But Denny is also pursuing his career as a race driver. While doing that, he meets the love of his life Eve.
Eve’s mother is happy for them but not her father. Her father doesn’t trust Denny due to his career. When Eve becomes pregnant, Denny couldn’t be with them due to his racing.
1. A Dog’s Purpose
- IMDb rating: 7.2
- Genre: Adventure, Comedy and Drama
- Cast members: Josh Gad, Dennis Quaid, Peggy Lipton, Bryce Gheisar and K.J. Apa
- Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Where to watch: FuboTV, FXNow, DirecTV, Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV and Vudu
Similar to the movies mentioned above, the movie A Dog’s Purpose is also based on the 2010 novel of the same name by the author W. Bruce Cameron.
Emotional dog movies like A Dog’s Purpose depict pets in a different light.
The movie covers the story of loyalty, grief, family and reincarnation from one lifetime to another.
The movie shows a feral puppy in 1950 who had begun to wonder what was his life’s purpose. But he is euthanized later.
Later he reincarnates as a retriever. He was about to pass away due to heat stroke when he is saved by a kindhearted mother and her son. He is named Bailey, and both of them bond over quickly.
He goes through the life of different dog species where he was born as a German Shepherd, another as a Corgi and lastly as St. Bernard/ Australian Shepherd.
The final message of the movie is that life is about having fun without being upset over the past and the future.