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"Don't
Skip 'My Dog'"
by Scott Mantz
"My Dog Skip"
Frankie Muniz, Diane Lane, Kevin Bacon
Directed by Jay Russell
Life is funny.
As a child, you can't wait to grow up, and as an adult, you wish
you could turn back the clock. As if growing up wasn't hard enough,
would you really want to go back and be young again? Maybe. Sometimes
all it takes is one special person, one special friend, to touch
your life and make it all worthwhile. In what has to be the best
film so far this year, that special friend comes in the form of
an adorable and intelligent Jack Russell Terrier. "My Dog Skip"
is a strong, emotional, and genuinely heartwarming movie that, like
"Babe" and "Paulie", is mature enough for adults, yet sweet enough
for kids.
It's 1942 in
Yazoo, Mississippi, and the United States is knee-deep in World
War II. Young Willie Morris (Frankie Muniz) is a loner who would
much rather read books than play with the other kids. His only friend
is Dink Jenkins (Luke Wilson), a local sports hero who's about to
ship off to the front lines of Europe. Willie's mother (Diane Lane)
wants to give him a dog for his birthday, but his strict father
(Kevin Bacon) feels that he is too young to handle the responsibility.
He gives in when he sees how much it means to him, and in no time,
Willie and Skip become inseparable. Through Skip, Willie learns
what's important in life, such as courage, loyalty, friendship,
and--you guessed it--love.
Every once is
a while, a movie comes along that makes you wonder, "Why don't they
make movies like this anymore?" Last year, that film was "October
Sky". This year, it's "My Dog Skip". It doesn't matter who the stars
are--it's the story that counts. Besides, an A-list celebrity can
be distracting and take the attention away from the actual story
and message of the film. "Skip" carries not one, but many important
messages, and it (thankfully) does so in a way that it doesn't come
across as being preachy or forced.
How ironic that
"My Dog Skip" should feature young Frankie Muniz as its star. He's
all over the place, currently saving the Fox TV network from oblivion
with the surprise hit "Malcolm in the Middle". Muniz is convincing
as an only child growing up in difficult times and learning life's
lessons. His performance is strong, genuine, and touching, and he
easily holds his own alongside child actors Haley Joel Osment and
Jeremy Blackman for their roles in "The Sixth Sense" and "Magnolia"
respectively (where was Muniz when they were casting for "Star Wars
Episode I: The Phantom Menace"?).
The supporting
players are just as outstanding, as Kevin Bacon adds yet another
fine role to his impressive resume. As Willie's disabled father,
he's war-weary from his own experiences on the battlegrounds of
the Spanish revolution. He loves his son dearly and wants what's
best for him. By seeing how much Skip means to Willie, he realizes
how much Willie means to him. Diane Lane puts in a strong turn as
Willie's mother, who's not afraid to exert her beliefs in these
traditionally stifling times. Finally, Luke Wilson puts in what
is by far his best turn to date as the town favorite who comes back
from his tour of duty as an emotionally battered man.
There are some
people who cannot understand what it's like to have such a strong
bond with a pet, but what do they know? They're missing out on one
of the most important things in life--unconditional love. What else
compares to the excitement of getting home at the end of the day
to find your furry friend happy to see you? What else compares to
the feeling of having a dog or cat on your chest, staring lovingly
in your eyes? That's unconditional love, and through that love,
we end up learning more about ourselves. These are some of the things
that make life worth living. These are some of the things that stay
with us forever. If that isn't love, I don't know what is.
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