I am always touched by dogs that wait, those usually purebred dogs bred to work or hunt with people for long stretches of time.

Maria and I went to the movies in Williamstown to see the new Robert Redford produced movie “The Mustang,” about a violent convict who seeks redemption through a beautiful and rebellious Mustang. We loved seeing the horses, but I didn’t love the movie.

I’ve seen it too many times before, and it had way too sappy and obvious for me. The horse had a lot more dimension than the star. I can’t recommend it, even for the horses.

Too much schmaltz, mundane writing, and most surprising, the cinematography, which should have been beautiful in the Nevada desert, was not.

Mathias Schoenearts, who played the convict Roman,  had about as much range as a tree.

When we came out of the movie, the waiting dog was right where he was when we went in, two long hours earlier. He was quite content to wait. Red is like that, Fate and Bud are not.

I have great respect for dogs who can do that. Most dogs know how to do everything but nothing, and knowing how to do nothing can be a beautiful trait in a well-trained dog.