It's a simple film: no special effects, no complex camera movements, no explosions, or buildings falling down, monsters flying or running. No. Just a movie about a boy and his dog and how it's complex grow up, but can be fun, at the same time. "My Dog Skip" (2000) is one of that movies where you know will find emotional scenes or happiness moments, but even so you watch. Is it a predictable movie, maybe? Yeah, but this does not detract the shine of a story about a shy boy and his discovery of life. Willie Morris, or Will for his parents (because he don't have any friend of his age) it's a shy and alone boy, living on the calm town of Yazoo on the dark years of WWII. As he describe at the beginning: "Ten Townsend souls and nothing to do". Is this a nice place to live and grow? Not for Willie. Without friends, his life is empty and he's constantly annoyed by other boys. His parents try to understand the son, especially his father, described by Willie as a "soldier of Spanish Civil War, where lost part of his leg… and sometimes, I believe he's lost the heart too". His mom is sweet and understandable, trying to help her boy. Well, his life changes when he won a dog on his birthday. Called Skip, the animal will be the way of Willie understands himself and how to confront the world. Skip helps the boy to make friends, talk with his love girl and finally, be mature... grow up. This is the soul of "My Dog Skip". The director Jay Russell tries, at the first shoot, connect the story with his public. To be more specific: connect the characters with the public. When the dog appears, this important thing (connection) becomes more important. What does that means? It means that we'll care about the characters, their conflicts, problems… their lives. It's how if we could see ourselves on silver screen. To create a story, beyond the boy discover himself, Jay Russell adds a stolen of beers. The thieves are hiding drinks on the cemetery. But this part of the screenplay it's not so important than we discover how Will confront the life, the social problems (racism and racial segregation – we don't have to forget that the story takes place at 1940's) and moral conflicts (his best friend disinherits the Army and come back dishonored). All this things are seen by the point of view of a boy. It's a good movie, even if we know how will be the final, we see. Just because the director tried to connect the characters, the conflicts with the public. It's very grateful see this worry, a thing that, unfortunately, was forgotten by the directors and screen writers. "My Dog Skip" it's an old movie (have 15 years old), but must be revisited many times, just for understand how its important connect the story with public. Emotional, funny, sometimes sad, and the point of view of a boy about the growing… and how a dog can change the life forever. This is the soul of "My Dog Skip"!

Frankie Muniz plays a shy boy named "Willie Morris" growing up during World War II in the small town of Yazoo, Mississippi. Being shy and the fact that he is much smaller than the local boys his age causes him to be bullied and lacking any friends except a much older high school neighbor named "Dink Jenkins" (Luke Wilson) who he idolizes. When Dink enlists in the Army and is sent to Europe, Willie is left all alone. Realizing just how lonely he is his mother, "Ellen Morris" (Diane Lane) decides to get him a dog over the objections of his father, "Jack Morris" (Kevin Bacon). It turns out that "Skip" is just what he so desperately needs as they soon become inseparable companions through all of life's challenges. Anyway, so much for the basic plot. What I enjoyed about this film was the way it conveyed the importance this particular dog had on this young boy's life--sometimes without him fully realizing it until much later. Now, this movie certainly isn't perfect but it still manages to entertain fairly well. In short, it's an enjoyable bit of sentimentality that is suitable for all ages. Slightly above average.

Picturesque Yazoo, Mississippi in the summer of 1942 is where dog-eared Frankie Muniz (as Willie Morris) celebrates his ninth birthday. Pretty mom Diane Lane (as Ellen) has the perfect gift for her lonely son, an only child who is picked on by his peers for favoring books over football. Mother Lane wants Muniz to have a terrier puppy, although stern father Kevin Bacon (as Jack) vetoes the idea. He says Muniz is too young to accept the responsibility, but Mr. Bacon really worries about his son experiencing the painful side effect of unconditional love. Bacon soon succumbs to Lane's instance, and "Skip" stays in the picture..."Skip" (short for "Skipper") teaches Muniz to play football as well as read books. He overcomes shyness to go hand-holding with the prettiest girl in elementary school, Caitlin Wachs (as Rivers Applewhite). After much frolicking, we see some inevitable drama… so, if sad movies always make you cry, be prepared to shed a tear here and there… maybe even a bucket… The sentimental "My Dog Skip" begins to falter when the subplot involving "moonshiners" takes center stage; they clearly built this episode up to steer the drama, but it is excessively contrived and manipulative. Otherwise, this is an excellent, kid-friendly tearjerker.There are two particularly outstanding elements. First, the setting is recreated beautifully. Art and set direction are the film's most obvious strengths - with stellar work from David Bomba, Tracey Doyle and the crew. Notice how well director Jay Russell and photographer James L. Carter keep the setting aligned to the story being based on Willie Morris' youthful memories. Therefore, we get idealized recollections, with racism barely visible and the horror of wartime combat unfolding slowly in both Morris' mind and Bacon's sure-footed performance. Finally, the narration, whether or not verbatim, sounds like Willie Morris' prose.******** My Dog Skip (1/8/00) Jay Russell ~ Frankie Muniz, Kevin Bacon, Diane Lane, Luke Wilson

"My Dog Skip" is pretty feisty. Although Hollywood has hyperbolized this autobiographical account of late author Willie Morris' youth in Yazoo City in the summer of 1942 and the canine who changed his life, "My Dog Skip" measures up as an endearing, tail-wagging, Alpo epic aimed more at nostalgia-minded adults than adolescents. This pretentious but picturesque parable about a pooch (albeit one with more pedigree than most) and his famous young master strives for the poignancy of "To Kill A Mockingbird: but lacks the complexity of the Harper Lee classic. "Mockingbird" explored racism, while "Skip" only nods at it. Nevertheless, sophomore director Jay Russell has freshman scribe Gail Gilchriest have spun a superficial but entertaining saga about a boy and his dog that quenches your emotions without insulting your intelligence.Life for nine-year old Willie Morris (Frankie Muniz of TV's "Malcolm in the Middle") is no picnic. Not only is Willie small for his age, but he also doesn't fit in with everybody else. Being different at his age poses huge problems. Willie prefers reading rather than romping around with a football, so the school bullies regularly prey on him. They corner him after class, knock his books out of his arms, rip up a letter,and call him names. Willie's next door neighbor, Dink Jenkins (Luke Wilson of "Home Fries"),the most celebrated jock in Yazoo City, becomes his friend. The bullies cannot understand why Dink pays Willie any attention. When Dink enlists in the U.S. Army for duty overseas in Europe, Willie is saddened because he is losing his only friend. Although his father loves him, Jake Morris (Kevin Bacon of "Sleepers") is so embittered by the loss of a leg in the Spanish Civil War that he doesn't give Willie much room to frolic. Ironically, Jack tries to shield Willie from the pain of life as he struggles to deal with his own loss. Meanwhile, Willie's resourceful mom, Ellen (Diane Lane of "Untraceable"), awakens the Tom Sawyer in her son. She gives Willie a puppy for his ninth birthday. Jack hates the idea. "Dogs are just a heartbreak waiting to happen," he insists. Willie's heart will break, he fears, if anything tragic happens to the animal. Despite Jack's objections, Ellen puts her foot down. Willie gets to keep the puppy! Skip becomes Willie's best friend. Willie's circle of friends widens. Eventually, the school bullies accept him, especially after Willie spends a stormy night in a spooky graveyard without turning chickening out. This is where Skip and Willie run afoul of two scummy bootleggers. Skip acts as matchmaker, too. He arranges Willie's first date with sweet little Rivers Applewhite(Caitlin Wachs of "Thirteen Days"). They go to a movie and share popcorn with Skip. As Willie's confidence swells, he takes Skip for granted. At a baseball field, where Willie is playing finally instead of watching, Skip delays the game. An enraged Willie clobbers him, and Skip skedaddles. Later, pair of villainous bootleggers traps Skip, beat him with a shovel, and leave him for dead."My Dog Skip" unfolds as a fairly ordinary sequence of vignettes which feature either Willie undergoing his rites of passage or the mischievous Skip in an adventure of his own. For example, when Jack and Skip are collecting blackberries, they cross paths with a couple of hunters. Willie watches as a deer dies from a rifle shot. He touches the blood with his fingers and examines the blood as the animal takes its dying gasps of air. Russell and Gilchriest have taken a formulaic plot and embroidered it with several ironic lessons about life. Luke Wilson's ill-fated jock, Dink Jenkins, serves as a contrivance to show that not all cowards are alike, especially when they hail from championship stock.Frankie Muniz refuses to be upstaged by the six adorable Jack Russell terriers alternating in the lead role. Two of them, Moose and Enzo, appear on NBC-TV's "Frasier." Luke ("Blue Streak") Wilson rounds out a sympathetic cast as Willie's next door neighbor who fights the Nazis and experiences the horrors of combat and the shame of cowardice. Ken Bacon brings surprising depth and compassion to what essentially constitutes a cameo as Willie's wounded father. Jack Morris displays a dour Hemingway quality. Although he won a medal for losing his leg in the war, Jack assures Willie,"I'd rather have the leg." Only kids that have not been weaned on Ritalin, PlayStation, and MTV will appreciate this tear-jerking tale about a terrier with its refreshingly authentic depiction of rural Mississippi. "My Dog Skip" shuns the slobbering slapstick of "Beethoven" for the heartfelt sincerity of "Old Yeller." Above all, despite his scene-stealing antics, Skip balks at performing far-fetched feats of the Rin-Tin-Tin variety! Willie Morris saw "My Dog Skip" three days before he died of a heart attack at age 64 and gave the movie his blessing.