Some movie previews just stick to your ribs. You know the ones. They pop up in your "Recommended" feed or a random autoplay, and suddenly you’re staring at your screen with a lump in your throat the size of a tennis ball. Honestly, the art of racing in the rain trailer is the gold standard for that specific kind of emotional manipulation—the good kind, though.
When 20th Century Fox first dropped those two minutes of footage back in 2019, it didn't just sell a movie. It tapped into that universal, slightly soul-crushing bond between humans and their dogs. We saw Enzo, a golden retriever voiced by Kevin Costner, looking out a window with a wisdom that felt way too heavy for a canine. Then came the cars. The rain. The racing. It was a weird mix, right? High-octane professional driving mixed with the quiet, internal monologue of a dog who believes he’s going to be reincarnated as a human.
People lost it.
The trailer did exactly what it needed to do: it promised us a story about Milo Ventimiglia being a great dad/husband/racer, but it delivered a gut-punch about mortality through the eyes of a creature that only lives for a fraction of our lifespan. It’s been years since the film hit theaters, yet the trailer keeps circulating because it captures a very specific "lightning in a bottle" feeling.
The Narrative Hook That Hooked Millions
Why did this specific preview work? It’s not just the puppy eyes. It’s the philosophy.
Based on the 2008 best-selling novel by Garth Stein, the story is told entirely from Enzo’s perspective. That’s a risky move for a film. Usually, "talking dog" movies veer into slapstick territory—think Air Bud or Marley & Me (before the end, at least). But the art of racing in the rain trailer played it straight. It was prestige drama. It treated Enzo’s thoughts as profound.
Costner’s voice was the secret sauce here. He has that gravelly, Americana warmth that makes you believe a dog could actually understand the physics of a hydroplaning tire. When he narrates about "the car goes where the eyes go," he isn't just talking about a Ferrari on a wet track. He’s talking about life. It’s a metaphor that feels earned, not forced.
The trailer cleverly structures the journey of Denny Swift (Ventimiglia). We see him meet Eve (Amanda Seyfried). We see the birth of their daughter. We see the career struggles. But through it all, the camera stays low. It’s at Enzo’s eye level. That perspective shift is what makes the footage feel so intimate. You aren't just watching a family; you’re watching a protector watch his family.
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Behind the Scenes of the Famous Footage
If you look closely at the racing sequences in the trailer, they aren't just CGI fluff. They used real cars and real tracks.
The production spent a significant amount of time at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (formerly Mosport). They wanted the racing to feel authentic to the sports car world. Denny is an aspiring Formula One driver, but he makes his living as a customer racing coach. The trailer highlights the tension of the track—the spray of the water, the screech of the brakes—to contrast with the stillness of the home life.
There's a specific shot in the trailer where Enzo is riding in the passenger seat of a vintage race car. His ears are flapping. He looks ecstatic. It’s the peak of the "racing in the rain" philosophy: being present in the chaos.
Interestingly, the dog actors playing Enzo had to be incredibly disciplined. There wasn't a single "Enzo." They used several different golden retrievers depending on the age required for the scene, with a dog named Parker doing much of the heavy lifting for the "prime" Enzo years. The trainers worked for months to get those soulful stares that anchor the trailer’s most emotional beats.
Misconceptions About the Story
Some people see the art of racing in the rain trailer and assume it’s a "Dead Dog Movie" in the tradition of Old Yeller.
That’s a bit of a simplification.
Sure, it’s a tear-jerker. But the actual core of the narrative is about the Mongolian legend Enzo believes in—that if a dog is prepared, they will be reborn as a man. The trailer hints at this spiritual side without becoming a "religious" movie. It stays in that spiritual-adjacent territory that resonates with anyone who has ever looked at their pet and thought, I know you understand what I'm saying.
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It also avoids being a purely "racing movie." If you went into the theater expecting Ford v Ferrari, you were probably surprised. The racing is the framework, the skeleton. The meat is the legal battle and the family tragedy that occupies the second act. The trailer manages to tease that conflict—the scenes of Eve looking ill, the tense moments in a courtroom—without giving away the specific heartbreaks that follow.
Why the Music Choice Mattered
Go back and listen to the music in that trailer. It starts quiet. Acoustic. It builds into a swelling orchestral arrangement that screams "This is an Event."
Music in movie marketing is an underrated art. For this film, the supervisors chose tracks that didn't overpower Costner’s narration. They let the silence speak. There’s a moment in the trailer where the music cuts out completely, and all you hear is the sound of rain hitting a windshield. It’s a sensory trigger. It makes the viewer feel the cold, the isolation, and the focus required to "race in the rain."
The Impact on Dog Adoptions and Golden Retrievers
Every time a movie like this comes out, there’s a spike in interest for the specific breed featured. We saw it with 101 Dalmatians and Finding Nemo.
The art of racing in the rain trailer made everyone want a Golden Retriever. These dogs are already the "Golden Boys" of the pet world, but Enzo gave them a soul. Breeders and rescues reported a surge in inquiries following the film's promotional cycle. It’s a double-edged sword, though. Experts often warn that buying a dog because of a movie trailer is a bad idea. Real dogs aren't narrated by Kevin Costner. They chew shoes. They have vet bills. They don't always sit quietly and contemplate the philosophy of the apex of a turn.
Critical Reception vs. Audience Connection
Critics were... okay with the movie. It holds a respectable but not mind-blowing score on Rotten Tomatoes.
But the audience? The audience loved it.
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This is a classic example of a "critic-proof" trailer. When you have a beloved book as source material and a trailer that hits all the right emotional notes, the reviews almost don't matter. The trailer promised a good cry and a beautiful dog. It delivered both.
The film didn't break the box office, but it found a massive second life on streaming platforms. In 2026, it’s still a staple for "What should we watch tonight?" conversations. It’s a safe bet. It’s comforting. It reminds us that even when life is a mess—even when it's raining on our personal parade—there’s a way to navigate the track.
How to Experience the Story Now
If you’ve just rewatched the art of racing in the rain trailer and you’re feeling that familiar itch to dive back into Enzo’s world, you have a few options.
- Read the Book First: Honestly, Garth Stein’s prose is even better than the movie’s dialogue. The internal monologue of Enzo is much more detailed and cynical in the book. He has opinions on everything from stuffed zebras to the weather.
- Watch the Extended Cuts: Some digital releases include behind-the-scenes footage of the dog training. Watching how they got the "racing" shots is fascinating for any film nerd.
- Check the Soundtrack: The score by Dustin O'Halloran and Volker Bertelmann is genuinely beautiful. It’s great background music for working or driving (hopefully not in a heavy downpour).
The enduring legacy of the art of racing in the rain trailer isn't just about the movie it promoted. It’s about how it summarized a complex philosophy into two minutes. It taught a whole generation of viewers that "the car goes where the eyes go."
If you’re going through a rough patch, that’s not a bad piece of advice to keep in your back pocket. Focus on where you want to go, not on the wall you’re afraid of hitting.
Keep the tires warm. Watch the apex. And maybe give your dog an extra treat today. They probably know more than they're letting on.
Next Steps for Fans
- Compare the Trailer to the Book: Pick up a copy of Garth Stein's novel to see how much of Enzo's biting, witty internal voice was condensed for the cinematic trailer.
- Explore the "Enzo" Breed: Research the temperament of Golden Retrievers through official breed clubs like the GRCA if the trailer has you considering a new pet; remember that real-life training takes more effort than a movie montage suggests.
- Analyze the Cinematography: Rewatch the racing scenes specifically to observe the "low-angle" camera work designed to mimic a dog's field of vision—a technique that won the film praise for its immersive feel.