It's 1942 Yazoo City, Mississippi. Will Morris (Frankie Muniz) is a runt picked on by 3 bullies. His only friend is next door neighbor and local high school ball star Dink Jenkins (Luke Wilson). Dink goes off to war right before his ninth birthday. His father Jack (Kevin Bacon) is home with a war injury. His mother Ellen (Diane Lane) gets him a Jack Russell terrier but his father refuses to let him keep it. He wants to shelter him from the inevitable lost but she won't let it stand. Little girl Rivers Applewhite likes Will and his dog Skip. He befriends a colored boy who tells him that he's never heard of Dink but Waldo Grace is the best ballplayer. Dink sends him a German helmet and ammo belt. Will brings them in for show-and-tell and he is terribly picked on. The bullies dare him to spend the night in the cemetery to join the group. He and Skip battle moonshiners, stays all night and ends up joining the gang. Dink returns from the war haunted. Will is doing horribly at a baseball game and hits Skip. Skip runs away and gets into trouble with the moonshiners.
This is generally a touching kid with dog movie. There are some rough patches and trying to fit in too much. The story probably could use a lot of trimming. It's based on Willie Morris' autobiographical book and meanders like real life. Some of it plays falsely like the rough looking moonshiners. The narration is unnecessary and a more simple narrative would be a vast improvement.
Frankie Muniz is a good child actor. The bully is trying too hard to be a bully especially if he's suppose to become friendlier later on. The role needs a less stereotypical bully and a more compelling actor. Diane Lane is lovely. Kevin Bacon is not quite that commanding father figure. Luke Wilson doesn't really fit the star ballplayer type. Also I would have liked Dink play Waldo Grace in a game. I thought the movie was hinting in that direction but the race card seems to be played half-heartedly.
This is generally a touching kid with dog movie. There are some rough patches and trying to fit in too much. The story probably could use a lot of trimming. It's based on Willie Morris' autobiographical book and meanders like real life. Some of it plays falsely like the rough looking moonshiners. The narration is unnecessary and a more simple narrative would be a vast improvement.
Frankie Muniz is a good child actor. The bully is trying too hard to be a bully especially if he's suppose to become friendlier later on. The role needs a less stereotypical bully and a more compelling actor. Diane Lane is lovely. Kevin Bacon is not quite that commanding father figure. Luke Wilson doesn't really fit the star ballplayer type. Also I would have liked Dink play Waldo Grace in a game. I thought the movie was hinting in that direction but the race card seems to be played half-heartedly.