DVD Review: My Dog Skip
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this heartwarming true story includes a couple of emotionally charged scenes that lead to violence towards animals. A deer is killed by hunters, menacing bad guys threaten a child and his dog, and a dog is badly injured when hit over the head with a shovel. The end includes a major loss that will definitely bring tears to the eyes of any animal lover. While it's sad, the event can be an excellent way to introduce a discussion about loss and grief with younger children.
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Families can talk about loss. How did the characters deal with loss in their lives? Is it better to love and then experience the grief that comes with loss, or to never love and never experience loss? Have you experienced any major losses in your life? How did you deal with it?
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Talk about the historical elements of the movie including ration books, scrap drives, segregation, etc. Did you learn anything from this movie? How does your life compare to the main character's?
- What makes bullies behave the way they do? How are the skills that make a child successful sometimes very different from the skills that make an adult successful?
Based on the memoir of Willie Morris, who grew up in 1940's Mississippi in a small, sleepy town, MY DOG SKIP centers on bookish outsider Willie (Frankie Muniz), who doesn't have a single friend to invite to his 9th birthday party. But one of his birthday presents is a friend, a puppy he names Skip. Willie's mother (Diane Lane) gives him Skip over the objections of his stern and overbearing father (Kevin Bacon). Skip is a good listener and a loyal companion who helps Willie develop confidence and make friends with other boys and with the prettiest girl in school. Willie grows up in the segregated South, but Skip makes friends without regard for color, and takes Willie along. Willie learns about the world with Skip. He learns about himself, too. Angry and embarrassed at his poor performance in a baseball game, he hits Skip, who runs away, devastating Willie. Taking responsibility for his behavior and facing the consequences start him on the road to his adult self.
This is a good, old-fashioned boy and his dog movie that is lyrical and very touching, with many important issues for family discussion. One of the most interesting scenes in the movie for older kids is the parents' debate. Willie's mother says, "He is a responsible boy who needs a friend." His father says that pets are "just a heartbreak waiting to happen." Having lost his leg -- and much of his sense of hope about life -- in a war, he wants to protect Willie from loss as long as he can. But Mrs. Morris knows that loss is the price we pay for caring, and that what we gain from caring -- and from loss -- is well worth it.
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