My Dog Skip (2000)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Jay Russell

Writers (WGA):

Willie Morris (book)
Gail Gilchriest (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 March 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family | Sport

Tagline:

Every family needs an optimist.

Plot:

A shy boy grows up in 1940s Mississippi with the help of his beloved dog, Skip.

Plot Keywords:

Mississippi | Dog | 1940s | Puppy | Segregation

Awards:

5 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Frankie Muniz	...	Willie Morris
Diane Lane	...	Ellen Morris
Luke Wilson	...	Dink Jenkins
Kevin Bacon	...	Jack Morris
Bradley Coryell	...	Big Boy Wilkinson
Daylan Honeycutt	...	Henjie Henick
Cody Linley	...	Spit McGee
Caitlin Wachs	...	Rivers Applewhite
Peter Crombie	...	Junior Smalls
Clint Howard	...	Millard
Mark Beech	...	Army Buddy
Susan Carol Davis	...	Mrs. Jenkins
David Pickens	...	Mr. Jenkins
Lucile Doan Ewing	...	Aunt Maggie
Nathaniel Lee Jr.	...	Sammy (as Nathaniel Lee)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some violent content and mild language.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS | Dolby SR

Certification:

Ireland:PG | South Korea:All | Sweden:Btl (TV rating) | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | France:U | Germany:6 (w) | Peru:PT | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | UK:U | USA:PG | Philippines:G | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Canton, Mississippi, USA

Company:

Alcon Entertainment

Trivia:

The movie took place in Yazoo, Mississippi. Residents of Yazoo had the opportunity to purchase special "My Dog Skip" t-shirts.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the prologue of the movie, look carefully at the German helmet on the shelf in Willie's bedroom. It is actually a modified Spanish helmet. German and Spanish helmets are the exact same shape and size but the Spanish version has extra rivets on the outer shell and a totally different liner.

Quotes:

Narrator: In my life I find that memories of the spirit linger and sweeten long after memories of the brain have faded.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Troldspejlet: (#25.7)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Tuxedo Junction

Think: Lost in Translation meets 101 Dalmatians

Frankie Muniz should stick to roles like these, they're truly brilliant. He plays Willie Morris, a lonely boy who gets given a dog named Skipper for his birthday, and together they have amazing adventures together. Sounds corny, no? Well, the whole thing is so beautifully handled that it's a truly moving piece of drama.

Frankie Muniz really surprised me in his role. He went through, something which I would describe as what Adam Sandler went through for Punch-Drunk Love, an absolute revelation. His portrayal of Willie Morris is convincing, accurate, funny, moving, all those words and more. His performance here beats his other film work anyday, and is even better than what he did in his TV show Malcolm in the Middle. His co-stars Diane Lane, Luke Wilson and Kevin Bacon (big names, huh?) are reliably good but it's really Frankie who steals the show here.

My Dog Skip is an underrated, moving masterpiece which 100% shows the importance of having a friend. It's so touching, it made me cry. The dramatic score and lovely cinematography add to the wonder. Simply fantastic.

My rating: 9.5/10