Heartwarming true story has peril, positive messages.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
some
A dog brings a beehive on a stick to a group, causing people to get stung. K9 units are called to a missing person scene to look for a dead body. The body is discovered off-camera. A child is lost in the woods. Momentarily intense moments of peril when a child is found injured. Some blood.
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Don't give up on people or animals. Don't underestimate yourself or others. Hard work and persistence can pay off. "Be the solution, not the problem."
Positive Role Models
a lot
The main character continues to try for his dream job despite being denied multiple times. A woman continuously encourages her husband to go for his goals and gives him suggestions to work through problems. She tells him to have faith in himself like she has faith in him. Multiple characters and team members come together to encourage a teammate who's nervous about passing a test. An older man gives wise and encouraging advice to a young K9 cadet in training. A man urinates in his yard in an attempt to house train a dog. A man yells at his dog out of frustration, but later apologizes for his actions and encourages her.
Diverse Representations
a little
Both male and female officers are featured. Daniel's wife plays a major role throughout the movie in helping Dan and Ruby come up with ideas for achieving their goals. A main character is neurodivergent with dyslexia and hyperactivity and learns to see those differences as a strength. Minimal racial diversity.
Mostly meant to entertain. Some facts about a dog's strong sense of smell and some of the training and prep work that goes into being a K9 officer.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Rescued by Ruby is an inspiring drama based on a true story about the first shelter dog to become a Rhode Island State Police K9 officer. The main human character, Daniel O'Neil (Grant Gustin), and shelter dog Ruby both have struggles that have made life challenging for them, but they learn how to channel their weaknesses into strengths. The movie includes language such as "shut up," "my God," and "stupid," and adults drink beer at a barbecue. Police are called to search for a dead body that's later found off camera. In a moment of weakness, a character reprimands Ruby, and she runs away, leaving viewers to wonder whether she'll return. A dog brings a beehive on a stick to a group, causing people to get stung. There are some intense moments of peril for Daniel, Ruby, and a missing child, though everyone ultimately ends up safe. A character urinates in the yard in an attempt to house train Ruby. A married couple kisses, and a woman's pregnancy develops throughout the movie. Daniel is neurodivergent, with dyslexia and hyperactivity, and he learns to see those differences as strengths. The movie is packed full of positive messages around not giving up on people (or animals!), hard work, and perseverance. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
I am the mom to an amazing neurodivergent son with ADHD and dyslexia who loves animals. We watched this movie as a family and I nearly cried so many times because I saw my son in this movie. This movie does an amazing job of inspiring kids who may be labeled as "hyperactive" "stupid" or "unable to accomplish anything."
Even if you don't have a loved one that's neurodivergent, this move is amazing for any animal lover. This is probably our new favorite family movie.
Beautiful and Heartfelt True Story with A Happy Ending
I love Grant Gustin and dogs, so I knew I would enjoy this true story. It exceeded my expectations. It is inspiring, heartfelt, and wholesome. Netflix needs to make more family-friendly content. You can make a great film of substance without profanity, sex, or violence. You can tell a good story without being offensive. I enjoy the powerful themes of trust, not giving up on each other, and not letting your frustration get in the way of your present blessings. Both Ruby and Dan have very similar personalities because they have nervous, fidgety behavior, but they have good hearts. People constantly underestimate them and refuse to connect to them. They have the potential, strong will, and tenacity to never give up and prove everyone wrong. It is more of an underdog story, and I enjoy it when a kind, hardworking person like Dan can overcome adversity and win in life. I strongly recommend this feel-good movie because it will leave a smile on your face and put you in a positive mood.
What's the Story?
In this true story, a man rescues a dog but finds that he's actually RESCUED BY RUBY. Daniel O'Neil (Grant Gustin) adopts mischievous shelter dog Ruby and saves her from being put down. He's a police officer that had been denied entry into the Rhode Island K9 unit multiple times. He's hyperactive and dyslexic, so it makes learning in a class setting challenging for him. Yet, something about Ruby inspires him to keep trying to reach his goal. Ruby is also hyperactive and in need of obedience training and purpose. The pair experiences setbacks in their journey, but they have family and community members supporting and cheering them on in their effort to make their dreams a reality. Together, they overcame numerous struggles and made history when they made a rescue so unimaginable, Ruby was named Search and Rescue Dog of the Year.
Rescued by Ruby is an inspiring story that tugs at the heartstrings and has the audience rooting for the underdogs. From the beginning, the story pulls viewers in with a naughty but lovable dog that just can't seem to catch a break. The visual effects are entertaining, as the audience often gets to see things from Ruby's perspective. Younger audiences will appreciate the amount of screen time Ruby gets, and when she's not on camera, she's still the focus of the action.
The story moves along briskly, with very few moments of downtime in the 93-minute film. Though the movie is about Daniel and Ruby's journey, Melissa O'Neil (Kaylah Zander) is a delight in her supporting role as Daniel's wife. Her positivity and encouragement are infectious and show that big achievements often come with a lot of help behind the scenes. The end credits feature fun pictures and updates of the real characters the story is based on, which kids are certain to enjoy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the power of perseverance. How did the characters get through their challenges? How might things have gone differently had they given up? Have there ever been times where you've persevered? How did it feel to push through the challenge?
Motivators can help us work toward goals. One of Ruby's motivators was raw hot dogs. Why do you think Dan was so motivated to achieve his dream of becoming a K9 officer? What are some of your motivations? How do they help you?
Do you think movies that are based on a true story are more or less entertaining than fictional stories? Why?
At the end of the movie, there was a message to recognize and consider adopting animals from shelters. Why do you think the moviemakers want people to consider shelter animals versus getting pets from a breeder?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Jennifer Borget
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
