Being very partial to cats, many of you may be asking, why would I rent a film like this if I didn't like dogs? Two reasons. First, I am a sucker for anything known as cinema, and two, there was quite a bit of popularity surrounding this film at the time of its release. I remember hearing that Kevin Bacon could possibly win an award for his outstanding performance in this film and that it was one of those films that will make any person with a heart break into tears. So, I submerged myself into this film one fateful night and watched a cliché Hollywood story with some very decent acting attempt to pull at my heartstrings and moments of nostalgia. I must admit, some of the rumors were correct. Bacon, as well as others did some phenomenal acting in this little film, but it was the story that ultimately disappointed me. I needed creativity, spontaneity, and excitement, alas, all I found was a simpleton story that could easily be found in any book dealing with dogs, pre-teens, summers, and social climbing while suffering from the classic Old Yeller syndrome.
My Dog Skip doesn't hold back in using every classic Hollywood trick in the book when building the relationship between Willie and his dog, Skip. From the dog becoming a part of the community to eventually saving lives while teaching lessons, My Dog Skip does not promote originality at all. You could see the director talking to his crew about how other Hollywood hits like Turner & Hooch, Benji, or any of the Lassie series (either television or film) did it, and how he would not like to stray far from those devises. Would it have harmed director Jay Russell to be original, to take a stronger stance on developing the author Morris' words a bit stronger. This could have been a sensational film about friendship during the troubled years of America (i.e. the War and apparent racism in Mississippi), but instead Russell skirted around the issues and penetrated our hearts with a cute Muniz and a dog that was prepped for the camera. I apologize about my cynicism towards this feature, but I witnessed a lack of respect for both the patrons in the audience and the time it was attempting to portray. Even though this was developed as a "children's film", I believe that more should have been explained about the circumstances surrounding Dink, more should have been developed about the bootleggers, and more needed to be developed about the scattered racism in town. Russell attempted to paint this beautiful image of rural Mississippi in 1942, but it felt that instead of using paint he used candy to gloss over some of the rougher edges. There is a point when we must realize that children can accept the facts of our nation, and that a boyhood friendship can still grow strong even during times that we are not proud of.
What is friendship? According to My Dog Skip, friendship is helping an insecure someone reach a better point in their life. Friendship means always being the initiator, while ultimately realizing that this same person may never repay the favor. Do you not agree? These were the "life lessons" that I learned from this film. This is another hearty mistake that I believe hurt Jay Russell's feature. Here we have Muniz unable to cope with the social struggles of life without the help outgoing and energetic Skip. If it weren't for this dog, Willie Morris may never had broken free of those insecure shackles of life. Yet, somehow, no praise is generated for this dog at the end. Without giving anything away, the final note of this film is rather depressing, not due to the events that occur, but due to the actions of Morris. I nearly shed a tear because I felt horrible that this dog was so exhaustingly great to this boy, yet Skip is slowly forgotten.
While I may not have great ideas to share about the plot of this film, I did think that the acting was a par above your typical "dog befriends boy" films. Muniz does his job well considering being hired mainly for the "cute" element. He kept my eyes on the film, but it was Kevin Bacon's role that kept me glued to the screen. Kevin Bacon continues to prove that no matter what part you give him, he will stand up and ensure that he gives his undivided attention to the character. He will take you away from seeing Kevin Bacon on screen, and force you to see the depths of his character. I believe an entire film could have been centered on Bacon's portrayal and possibly been better than what we witnessed here. Diane Lane again demonstrates her ability to play the "every woman" role. She needed to be handed more in this film to broaden her character. Not enough meat was given to her to chomp on, which hurts one of the pivotal scenes early in the film. Luke Wilson, well, he plays Luke Wilson. If you have seen any of his films, than you have seen his portrayal in this feature. He needed to reach deeper into the Born on the 4th of July moments to truly capture his character. Then, I cannot end without giving credit to Clint Howard. Clint Howard is an undiscovered gem in Hollywood. While his brother hogs the spotlight, Clint can honestly stand on his two feet in my book. It was his portrayal of Millard in My Dog Skip that strengthened this mediocre film.
Overall, I didn't like this film. There was no creativity or originality of the story (which in my eyes was too candy-coated even for the youngest of viewers). This was one of those films where I believe the acting was directly in line for what it needed, but alas, the story was nowhere to be found.
Grade: ** out of *****
My Dog Skip doesn't hold back in using every classic Hollywood trick in the book when building the relationship between Willie and his dog, Skip. From the dog becoming a part of the community to eventually saving lives while teaching lessons, My Dog Skip does not promote originality at all. You could see the director talking to his crew about how other Hollywood hits like Turner & Hooch, Benji, or any of the Lassie series (either television or film) did it, and how he would not like to stray far from those devises. Would it have harmed director Jay Russell to be original, to take a stronger stance on developing the author Morris' words a bit stronger. This could have been a sensational film about friendship during the troubled years of America (i.e. the War and apparent racism in Mississippi), but instead Russell skirted around the issues and penetrated our hearts with a cute Muniz and a dog that was prepped for the camera. I apologize about my cynicism towards this feature, but I witnessed a lack of respect for both the patrons in the audience and the time it was attempting to portray. Even though this was developed as a "children's film", I believe that more should have been explained about the circumstances surrounding Dink, more should have been developed about the bootleggers, and more needed to be developed about the scattered racism in town. Russell attempted to paint this beautiful image of rural Mississippi in 1942, but it felt that instead of using paint he used candy to gloss over some of the rougher edges. There is a point when we must realize that children can accept the facts of our nation, and that a boyhood friendship can still grow strong even during times that we are not proud of.
What is friendship? According to My Dog Skip, friendship is helping an insecure someone reach a better point in their life. Friendship means always being the initiator, while ultimately realizing that this same person may never repay the favor. Do you not agree? These were the "life lessons" that I learned from this film. This is another hearty mistake that I believe hurt Jay Russell's feature. Here we have Muniz unable to cope with the social struggles of life without the help outgoing and energetic Skip. If it weren't for this dog, Willie Morris may never had broken free of those insecure shackles of life. Yet, somehow, no praise is generated for this dog at the end. Without giving anything away, the final note of this film is rather depressing, not due to the events that occur, but due to the actions of Morris. I nearly shed a tear because I felt horrible that this dog was so exhaustingly great to this boy, yet Skip is slowly forgotten.
While I may not have great ideas to share about the plot of this film, I did think that the acting was a par above your typical "dog befriends boy" films. Muniz does his job well considering being hired mainly for the "cute" element. He kept my eyes on the film, but it was Kevin Bacon's role that kept me glued to the screen. Kevin Bacon continues to prove that no matter what part you give him, he will stand up and ensure that he gives his undivided attention to the character. He will take you away from seeing Kevin Bacon on screen, and force you to see the depths of his character. I believe an entire film could have been centered on Bacon's portrayal and possibly been better than what we witnessed here. Diane Lane again demonstrates her ability to play the "every woman" role. She needed to be handed more in this film to broaden her character. Not enough meat was given to her to chomp on, which hurts one of the pivotal scenes early in the film. Luke Wilson, well, he plays Luke Wilson. If you have seen any of his films, than you have seen his portrayal in this feature. He needed to reach deeper into the Born on the 4th of July moments to truly capture his character. Then, I cannot end without giving credit to Clint Howard. Clint Howard is an undiscovered gem in Hollywood. While his brother hogs the spotlight, Clint can honestly stand on his two feet in my book. It was his portrayal of Millard in My Dog Skip that strengthened this mediocre film.
Overall, I didn't like this film. There was no creativity or originality of the story (which in my eyes was too candy-coated even for the youngest of viewers). This was one of those films where I believe the acting was directly in line for what it needed, but alas, the story was nowhere to be found.
Grade: ** out of *****