Owd Bob

I have just received this film on DVD from the USA, This is a warm hearted film about his a boy who has come to the Isle of Man to live with his grandfather.

The film is set in the north of the Isle of Man and the views it shows will bring back memories of those that have left the island. The film is very well acted by all that took part.

I recommend this a first class family film.

When I saw this at the video shop I expected another Lassie clone and was prepared to quickly disappear after the start and go read a book. However, once the video started we never stopped. What unfolded was a strikingly true-to-life story about young people having to deal with loss and old people having to come to grips with what is really important.

Set in the same beautiful countryside as Waking Ned Devine (only this time the Isle of Man plays itself) this is the story of the America-raised grandson (David) of a crusty old sheep farmer (Babe's James Cromwell) being sent to the Isle of Man after the death of his parents in an accident. (shades of Fly Away Home) However, unlike the fantasy of a young girl learning to fly an ultralight, we just have a young boy learning to work on a farm. He finds himself, though, in the middle of an old conflict between his grandfather and the other townsfolk, in particular the family of his ex-landlord who's daughter becomes David's friend much to his grandfather's dismay.

The sheepdog trials which formed the center of Babe and which turned them into a bit of a farce, are shown in a much more realistic and enjoyable light where you truly come to appreciate the skill of the dogs, and the close relationship they have with their masters.

These Canada-UK co-productions rarely get their fare share of attention in the States which is too bad considering the quality compared to the flood of children's drek coming out of Hollywood. Do you family a favour, ignore the liner notes (which on our copy from the video shop were *completely* wrong) and get rent this video today!

Poor David (Dylan Provencher). His parents have died in a car accident in the States. With no other choice, he is sent to live with his only known relative, his grandfather Adam (James Cromwell) on the Isle of Man. Before David lands on the beautiful island in the Irish Sea, his grandfather has to be persuaded by the social services to let the boy stay with him, as Adam is a bitter, crusty recluse. However, things initially go well. Perhaps it is because David volunteers to help with the work almost the minute he arrives. This involves taking care of the farm, especially the herd of sheep. Yet, as David soon discovers, there is a sheepdog as testy as Adam, named Zack, who minds the sheep. One day, David makes the acquaintance of near neighbors, Maggie and her father Michael, but as soon as Adam finds out, he tells David not to see them again. There is, you see, a long-standing grievance between Adam and Michael. In addition, they are rivals in the island's annual sheepdog contest, where Maggie's dog Owd Bob is second only to Zack. David and Maggie continue to see each other on the sly. Soon, a crisis occurs. There are lambs turning up dead on the hills and the suspected killer is Zack, Adam's dog, though he vehemently denies it. Also, sadness arrives at Maggie's house and Zack wants to help but is forbidden. What will happen to all of the folks on this little speck of gorgeous land? This is a fine tale with a breathtaking setting which few will get to visit. The Isle of Man sits in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland and it will put your eye out with its beauty. Meanwhile, this is really a story of two dogs, Bob and Zack, and the quarreling families who own them. There is much screen time devoted to the problems of the humans, too. Cromwell is an exceptional actor and he repeats the farmer's role he had in Babe, only with no seeming warmth in his heart. Provencher, Colm Meany and all of the other cast members are quite fine, too. Be forewarned that tears are likely to gush forth at any viewing. But, for certain, get this film now, before you are OWD! Its wonderful.

Here is a powerful and moving tale of strained familiar relationships set amid the picturesque hedgerows on the Isle of Man. James Cromwell (`Babe') stars as Adam McAdam, an embittered widower whose blame-laying has become a way of life and the fuel that stokes his feud with neighboring sheep farmer Keith Moore (Colm Meaney). Along comes McAdam's orphaned American grandson (Dylan Provencher), who strikes up a relationship with Moore's daughter (Jemima Rooper) and becomes a voice of reason when both men's championship dogs are suspected in a series of sheep killings.

Cromwell is excellent as the stern, tight-lipped McAdam, an almost menacing departure from the farmer we all loved in `Babe.' Beautifully photographed and scored with wonderful Irish rhythms, `Owd Bob' is strong stuff that tugs at the heartstrings and should appeal to film lovers worldwide. By the by, the odd title (a remake of Robert Stevenson's 1938 film) is the name of one of the dogs.

I happened to watch OWD BOB on TV last night and I was very glad to find out that it's an English movie after I was convinced that the girl Maggie has very English accent( London accent actually). I had lived in England for three years and it's a shame that I didn't visit Isle of Man. The scene in the movie was beautiful and peaceful. It reminds me of Isle of Skye which I visited this summer. The movie was about quiet countryside life but it didn't bore me. James Cromwell was brilliant as an old withdrawn farmer. I thought the character was in his sixties, but I found out on internet that he's only 57 when the film was made.

I don't think the movie has shown much about the dog Owd BOB. It's more about the relationship between the grandfather and grandson, and people's feeling about each other. The movie doesn't have much dialogue, but we could feel what they were thinking. The movie has some little mistakes, but generally it's a good touching film that make me think.

I wish that I would go back to UK and visit the island one day.