Because of Winn-Dixie (2005)

A mischievous dog befriends a lonely young girl in a new town and helps her make new friends.

Director:

Wayne Wang

Writers:

Kate DiCamillo (novel), Joan Singleton (screenplay)

Stars:

AnnaSophia Robb, Jeff Daniels, Eva Marie Saint

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
AnnaSophia Robb	...	Opal
Jeff Daniels	...	Preacher
Cicely Tyson	...	Gloria
Dave Matthews	...	Otis
Eva Marie Saint	...	Miss Franny
Courtney Jines	...	Amanda Wilkinson
Nick Price	...	Dunlap Dewberry
Luke Benward	...	Stevie Dewberry
Elle Fanning	...	Sweetie Pie Thomas
Marca Price	...	Mrs. Dewberry
Lenore Banks	...	Mrs. Detweller
B.J. Hopper	...	Mr. Alfred
John McConnell	...	Store Manager
Harland Williams	...	Policeman
William Arthur Pitts	...	Churchgoer 1

Storyline

A girl named Opal move to a new home that is a trailer park. She has no friends and her dad is always doing something.Her dad told her to go to Winn Dixie to get some food. When she get there, something is going on. People were chasing something, then she see a dog. The dog was happy, he jumped on the manager, and the manager told his workers to call the pound. Opal did not want the dog to go to the pound, so she said the doog was hers. She named the dog Winn Dixie, the place where she found him. She goes home to ask her dad can she keep the dog. Opal dad lets her keep the dog she make a lot more friends that summer. She almost lost Winn Dixie in a thunderstorm at a party. Opal and Winn Dixie make friends with the kids at her church and old people smart and wise. Opal learns a lesson that you can't hold on to people who does not want to be held on to.

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Plot Keywords:

girl | dog | supermarket | small town | dog movie | 

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Taglines:

Discover what happens when you go looking for a miracle and a miracle comes looking for you.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements and brief mild language

Did You Know?

Trivia

To make sure both dogs got on well with AnnaSophia Robb, who played Opal, she was brought in early to get acquainted with the dogs and give them treats. By the time shooting started, they considered her a "safe" area.

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Goofs

When it starts raining, at the start of the garden party, all of the lights strung around start to flicker and go out. Except when you see everyone standing at the house, the lights to the right can be seen still on.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Opal: Safe!
[she hears a church bell and rushes to get to church on her bike]
Opal: [narrating] In the beginning, when we moved to Naomi, it was just the preacher and me. Only sometimes - most of the time, really - it seemed like it was me alone. And then, one morning, the preacher sent me to the store for a box of macaroni and cheese, some white rice and two tomatoes. And after that, everything changed. But I'm getting ahead of myself. It's a good story. Let me tell it right.

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Connections

References Gone with the Wind (1939)

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Soundtracks

Cabaret
Written by Emmylou Harris and Jill Cunniff
Performed by Emmylou Harris
Courtesy of Nonesuch Records

User Reviews

Great movie, was oriented for a slightly older viewer than expected.

With it's G rating, I figured this for mostly upbeat and easy for youngsters such as my 3rd grade daughter. However, the movie is much deeper than that, and while it has many feel good moments, it is more about tough times and imperfect lives than anything, but shines wonderfully.

My 3rd grade daughter loved it, but my 7th grade daughter, who we thought might be too old for it, loved it even more!

I would definitely recommend "Because of Winn-Dixie" to families looking for a movie to watch together and who want thought provoking questions for their children to ponder and ask about. Well done, not too sappy, plenty of realism to go along with the fantasy.

The dog wasn't cartoony at all, the smile was understated and natural. This movie is more about relationships and hope despite tough times than anything else.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 February 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Because of Winn-Dixie

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$14,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,208,431, 20 February 2005

Gross USA:

$32,647,042

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$33,589,427

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Walden Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1