Plot Summary:Life is hard for Yorkshire miner's son Joe Carraclough, who is beaten at school by a his teacher, his only consolation is his collie Lassie. It gets worse: when the mine is decommissioned, his father, Sam, is forced to sell the dog to the duke, who owns the local estate. The Duke's servant, Hynes, scares the dog, who keeps running back, so the Carracloughs have to keep returning her, until the Duke moves to the Scottish Highlands for the holiday season. Lassie escapes, embarking on a desperate journey home, with daunting Glasgow dogcatchers and taken in by a circus performer. It looks like a miracle is needed, by Christmas.
二战前夕,英格兰约克夏郡。受动荡时局的影响,欧洲的下层人民生活艰辛。矿工山姆(约翰·林奇 John Lynch饰)和妻子莎拉(萨曼莎·莫顿 Samantha Morton饰)一直过着极其窘困的生活。然而承担一家人生活的山姆,还是失去了这份唯一的工作。他们的儿子乔(乔纳森·梅森 Jonathan Mason饰)在学校遭受老师的毒打,他唯一的慰藉只有他心爱的牡羊犬朋友莱西。然而为了维持生计,山姆不得不将莱西卖给鲁德林公爵(彼德·奥图 Peter O'Toole饰)。 失去莱西的乔非常伤心,母亲莎拉也很难过。而思念乔的莱西,也几次从公爵家偷跑出去,但忠厚的山姆一家每次都忍痛将它归还。终于,公爵要携孙女回到遥远的苏格兰居住,莱西也将被一起带走。