#softpaws

anything fun costs at least 8 dollars

[ac: secre edits]

And within those 24 or so hours since then, I keep having this thought that I personally haven't seen elsewhere (although I'm surely not the first to notice it):

I really love how they resolved the Perrito/belly gag.

The first time Perrito and Puss talk, Perrito shows his belly and offers it. Puss refuses. The same thing happens with Softpaws. These two instances are jokes, but still show Perrito's character and demonstrates him as a foil to Softpaws and Puss.

If the movie was less well-written, I'd be inclined to think they forgot the rule of threes and left the bit out in the cold.

But I don't think they did.

In the iconic scene where Perrito puts His head on Puss, in addition to being an excellent boi, he's also finishing the "belly gag" thought. What this does is:

- Show Puss is not in the place to reach out to others. He needs someone to come to him. That is his challenge he needs to work through, he needs to learn how to reach out; but first he needs someone to be by his side when his world is falling apart. By being willing to meet him where he is, Perrito is there for him in a way others aren't. The move from "touch my belly" to "I will touch your belly" matters

- Shows development of Perrito. I love this dog immensely, but his positivity is delusional, and that is both his strength and weakness. He becomes a true therapy dog in this moment because he is there for his friend. He gives up his defensive positivity to be there for Puss. He is willing to be sad, and that is a step for him also emotionally.

- ultimately, ending the gag with a heartfelt moment is important because the movie doesn't want to cheapen an actual therapy dog. This gag/heartfelt switch shows the extent to which, "yeah you can admit it seems dumb at first, but that doesn't mean it doesn't help". The whole reason we talk about the stigma of mental health is because it can feel silly. I think the movie validates those instincts while also providing space to show that it works. Yeah, you might feel dumb at first, but healing is worth it.