YMMV / The Incredible Journey

• Adaptation Displacement: Many fans of Homeward Bound are totally unaware of the 1963 film — fans of which often don't know it was a book first.
• Heartwarming Moments: Bodger comes home. That is all.
  • Tao bonding with Helvi- the little girl who nurses him back to health. Him saying goodbye to her as she sleeps also counts as a Tear Jerker.
  • Tao running into Elizabeth's arms upon returning home.
  • Luath extending his paw to shake hands with John and the way John acts so flattered are both cute.
• Signature Scene: Tao, the Siamese cat, being chased by a lynx and fighting a bear to defend an injured Bodger are two of the most frequently praised parts of the film in the decades since its release.
• Tear Jerker: The ending causes pretty much anyone who reads/sees it to curl up in a blubbering, snotty mess of hysterically sobbing human.
  • Tao being swept away by the river to his (supposed) death.
  • Tao leaving Helvi, after the two have bonded over a few days. In the movie, it also counts as a Fridge Tear Jerker since one can only imagine how heartbroken Helvi must have felt when she realized Tao was gone.
• Values Dissonance: Bodger is a dog-fighting veteran, and proud of the scars he earned in the ring. Today, dog-fighting is a) a crime, b) animal cruelty and c) a major reason why breed-specific legislation against pit bulls exists. At the time, however, it really was seen as a noble sport. Granted, it's almost certain that Bodger was never subjected to the kind of cruelty that befalls many fighting dogs.

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