Beverly Hills Chihuahua

I can’t say I walked into the cinema expecting this movie to be particularly good but Beverly Hills Chihuahua does have some positive messages to consider.

Chloe, the high-class, bootie-wearing Chihuahua of the title, is a spoiled lapdog who loves her posh lifestyle, her shiatsu massages, her fancy food, her doggie social events (including parties), her massive house, her little outfits and the pampering she has come to expect.

She looks down on fellow Chihuahua Papi, the landscaper’s dog, who is clearly of an inferior social class. She also sneers at her owner’s niece, Rachel, who gets stuck looking after the prissy pooch while her aunt is away.

Rachel, being a reasonable teenager, thinks the way Chloe is pampered is ridiculous. “I had to change her outfit four times today!” she complains to friends. She sees no reason for dogsitting to ruin her weekend and takes off with friends, dragging an unwilling Chloe along for the ride.

But without giving away too much of the storyline, Chloe’s world gets tipped upside down when she finds herself lost in a strange place, and then dognapped. I had to laugh when poor pathetic-looking little Chloe gets tossed in the dogfights with a Doberman named Diablo. The contrast between the big, angry Doberman and the tiny, cutesie Chihuahua shows how frail Chloe is.

But Chloe manages to escape, with the help of an adorable German shepherd named Delgado. Though he insists she isn’t his responsibility, he keeps running back to help her anyway.

Chloe, Delgado and the other dogs that escaped are all looking for one thing: a place they belong.

After losing three of her four treasured booties, Chloe starts to realise what it’s like to be just like any other dog. Spending the night in a box on the side of the road and getting kicked out of a fancy hotel for looking scruffy makes Chloe pine for home even more.

Eventually, she stumbles into Chihuahua, her ancestral homeland, where she is greeted with loving affection. Here, the Chihuahuas reject the foolishness of Chloe’s lifestyle, chanting, “We are not toys or fashion accessories! ¡No más!” Montezuma, their leader, reminds her of her heritage and gives her the strength she needs to find her way home.

By the end of the film, Chloe has discovered that she is more than what she thought she was—“tiny but mighty.” She proves it by facing her fears and choosing to go back to those who love her. On her return home, she is far more accepting of others and treats them as equals, not underlings.

I liked the way the credits detailed what became of every character in the movie—each ending being full of happy-happynice- nice cliches of fluffy dreams come true. Although that didn’t really make up for earlier scenes of dog parties, involving party hats and bouncy castles.

Even better, every other dog she meets in her adventures finds somewhere they belong. Full of cute doggies of all shapes and sizes, a fuzzy storyline and happy endings for everyone, this film encourages us to make the most of who we are and accept others who are different from us.