Meu Cachorro Skip

There have been many movies about a person's relationship with an animal, but "My Dog Skip" is one of the best that I have ever seen. I discovered this movie on video and it will definitely become a part of my collection.

In the 1940's, during World War II, things are rough in the USA. Willie Morris is not your average boy. He would rather read than play football with the other guys. When Willie's parents let him have a dog, it changes his whole outlook on life. He and his dog Skip have a unique friendship that becomes unmatched by anything else.

While this movie's target audience are kids half my age, it is perfect for everyone. Its story is very true to life, probably because it's based on Willie Morris' own childhood and his memoir of the same name. I had a dog that was just like Skip -- a true friend. There's nothing like a constant companion that will stick by you even when it seems that the world is against you. Even if you're not a dog fan, you shouldn't look past this movie.

The cast is excellent, especially Frankie Muniz, who's now known as Malcolm from Fox's "Malcolm in the Middle." He exudes boyhood innocence and bonds with his pet better than he does with humans. His parents, Diane Lane and Kevin Bacon, do a fine job as well. Rounding out the major cast is Luke Wilson, as Willie's changed-by-war neighbor Dink.

"My Dog Skip" is funny and heartwarming. You'll laugh and chances are you could shed some tears as well, but it's all worth it in the long run. This a movie that should not be missed by anyone, especially if you have had a special animal friend in your life.

I give this movie TWO thumbs UP! It was great! I was crying at the end of it, when they were showing him go to college and leave skip behind! I definitely recommend seeing this movie if you haven't already by now.

Folks, this movie knocked me for a tear-jerking loop when I first saw it, and it knocked me again just now (as it aired on TNT). I had a dog exactly like Skip, and growing up, I was a lot like Willie. The movie will hit incredibly close to home for anyone who loves dogs or who had a close relationship with a dog in his or her childhood.

The movie's beginning and its ending are its best moments. In between, the movie carries along pretty well. I dare say, the last five minutes are absolutely some of the most powerful moments any dog lover may ever see in a movie.

Anybody who had a close friend during childhood who happened to be a canine should go for this one. Like most of the pooch films it was corny in spots, but at least Skip wasn't endowed with human intelligence. Of course, the mean men were around to cause trouble for the dog and boy; can't get by without them. Fun movie, but be sure to bring along a crying towel.

This movie sucked me in from the very beginning. I am a sucker for movies that depict childhood through the eyes of the child after they have become an adult. It is really about the powers of friendship and the rites of passage that mark our lives as we get older and move forward through life. Despite all the violence that permeates the movies, where the body count keeps going up, I was shaken when Willie strikes the dog during a baseball game. We all do things that we are ashamed of and this scene struck me as very realistic. In the end when Willie goes away to college and the dog is waiting at the bus stop for him, there is a permeating sadness that I occasionally feel when I think of things I loved that no longer exist. Damn movie made me cry.