Dog's Best Friend

TV Movie
19971997
1h 28min

Wiley Thompson is a boy of New York and hates the country life. But he has no choice when his dad has to go abroad to his work. He has th stay at this grandpa's farm. At his new school he fi... Read allWiley Thompson is a boy of New York and hates the country life. But he has no choice when his dad has to go abroad to his work. He has th stay at this grandpa's farm. At his new school he find out he knows more things than his science teacher do and also befriend a beautiful girl... Read allWiley Thompson is a boy of New York and hates the country life. But he has no choice when his dad has to go abroad to his work. He has th stay at this grandpa's farm. At his new school he find out he knows more things than his science teacher do and also befriend a beautiful girl named Cynthia. Life seems to go well until Wiley decides to observe a comet that appear o... Read all

5.4/10

Director
- Allan A. Goldstein
Writers
- Lanny Horn(story)
- Jonathan Prince(story)
- Nancey Silvers(story)
Stars

Top credits

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4User reviews

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5.2

Leave It to Beaver

6.6

Empty Nest

Wiley Thompson is a boy of New York and hates the country life. But he has no choice when his dad has to go abroad to his work. He has th stay at this grandpa's farm. At his new school he find out he knows more things than his science teacher do and also befriend a beautiful girl named Cynthia. Life seems to go well until Wiley decides to observe a comet that appear one night. When he try to make a wish he fell down from the attic and much to his surprise discovers that he can talk to animals. When he find about that his grandpa is about to loss his farm unless he paid $30,000 by the weekend, it's up to Wiley to save the farm using his ability. When his suspicious science teacher learns that Wiley can talk to animals he teams up with Wiley and Cynthia to save the day with the help of the animals.

goat cat science teacher grandparents farm 7 more

Taglines
- If you liked Babe, you'll love this heartwarming comedy for every member of the family.
Genres
Parents guide
- Add content advisory

Trivia
Richard Mulligan's final on-screen role.

Top review

6/10

Cashing in on the Babe phenomena

When original movies come out and make a lot of money due to their popularity, there suddenly appear numerous imitation movies with maybe a slightly different plot but a similar idea. Babe was a hit with everybody with talking animals and Dog's Best Friend has taken this idea but changed the plot. A boy is forced to leave New York because his mum is dead and his father is an international airline pilot and he has to move into a farm in a small country town. This city kid is ridiculed by the kids but he still considers himself superior to the small minded country people. He is also a science buff and refuses to accept eccentricity nor the unexplainable, until he sights a comet, falls and realises that he can speak to and understand animals. Thus begins his adventures as he tries to get home and save his grandfather's farm from an evil business tycoon.

As to ideas, there is very little that I pull out of this movie. It is entertaining and good for the kids, but it is not an intellectually challenging movie like Edward Scissorhands. It is interesting how one does get an idea that the main character is quite condescending towards the people in the country because they are not civilised like those in the city. Even the bully is treated like an idiot and is incapable compared to a city bully.

Another thing that comes out is the idea of a fraternity world of animals. All of them live together in harmony and will help those who can communicate with them. In the end we are told that in heaven we can all speak with animals because we will all speak the same language, but I think that is silly because animals were created as a lower order to us, but then this is a kid's movie so the issue isn't important. At this age children think that animals are like us anyway.

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