When young Annie Shearer (Lilly LaTorre) meets a stray dog named Runt (Squid) the two become inseparable. They live in the dry Western Australian town of Upson Downs where rain hasn’t fallen in over a year. All the water in the district has been stolen upriver and stored in a dam constructed by Earl Robert-Barren (Jack Thompson) on his property, and he has made it his business to buy up every property in the district as they go broke from drought.
Every property, that is, except the Shearer’s. Directed by John Sheedy and adapted from the book of the same name by Craig Silvey, Runt is a gentle, beautifully shot, and warmly humorous small town Australian story that will appeal to older children and young adolescents – and engage any unsuspecting parents they manage to convince to take them along in the process. Understanding who you are Runt is a David and Goliath tale.
In their quest to save the farm – and prevail in the struggle that ensues – we travel across the world, where Annie and Runt qualify to compete in the Agility Course Championship at the prestigious Krumpets Dog Show in London. Under the mentorship of Bernadette Box (Deborah Mailman), a once renowned show dog trainer, and funded by the generosity of the district, their efforts in London could see the farm saved. Along the way, we see right pitted against wrong, watch evil confronted and, ultimately, see Annie developing an understanding of who she is and what she stands for.
Annie comes from a long line.