My daughter is almost 6 and she loved this movie. So did I. I thought it was very close to the book, which I read to her before seeing the movie, with only minor changes. Some things were added to give it more humor and drama, so I think we both enjoyed it more than the book. The story is more about the girl, Opal than the dog. But, as the title suggests, the dog makes a big impact on her life, as well as others. Without giving too much away, I think that this film really has something to say, not just to kids, but adults as well, about the value of human kindness and compassion. In this day and age, sometimes these values are sadly lacking, and it's a good reminder to all of us without being overly sappy about it or preachy. It is well-acted by everyone, and I can't think of anything negative to say about it. It was a very positive experience and a pleasure to watch from beginning to end. I read that it may not be released onto video and DVD. I think this would be a HUGE mistake, because it is definitely worth seeing more than once and would be a great addition to any family movie collection. The girl and the dog are both adorable, by the way, but I think the girl steals the show with her sweet face and big doe eyes. Although the dog's smile is charming as well. :-)
Reviews
3 Reviews
An incredibly funny movie
12 March 2005
This is one of Lily Tomlin's best movies. It's kind of corny, but it's supposed to be. Did anyone notice the bright colors, that satire the 70's, like the lime green? It's charming and amusing, and as a kid, I guess when Pat disappeared it was a little scary, but I knew she would be OK, because she was the star of the movie. It was not that scary, I've seen a lot worse. Most of all, it's very entertaining, and not the least bit tedious if you have a sense of humor and a good imagination. When you watch a movie like this, you have to suspend your disbelief and let your inner child out. This is one of my favorite comedies. Lily is great!
This title says it all
20 June 2003
In other words, it seemed like a good idea to check this out at the library, but it was a waste of time. The cover is very misleading. I don't know if all the copies are like this, but the one I got has this big picture of John Candy, (looking about the way he looked in Only the Lonely) and a small picture of Stephanie Powers looking older (and with much darker hair than in the actual movie). I kept waiting for John Candy to appear, and barely tolerating the lowbrow humor and ridiculous plot, and low and behold, he finally appears in about the last half hour of the movie, looking young and baby-faced and much thinner than I've ever seen him before (more chubby than fat, to put it bluntly) and he barely has much of a part, and you don't learn much about his character at all. He's seen from the back and profile in much of his scenes. The cover of the movie leads you to believe there is more to his character, proclaiming, "A heart as big as all outdoors, and a body to match". This is probably a comment on the actor personally, not the character he portrayed in this movie. It sounds like the perfect description for his character in "The Great Outdoors", "Uncle Buck" and just about any other movie he actually "starred" in. What a joke. And not a funny one, at that. If you're a John Candy fan, see any of his other movies, and mercifully pass this one up. You'll wonder, why did he bother? And more to the point, why did you? I'm glad I didn't fork out any money to view this stinker.
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