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If you have fond memories of Old Yeller or any other sympathetic Disney canine, this is a winner. "Malcolm in the Middle" star Frankie Muniz shows his youthful dramatic depth by playing a completely different character, and accent, in this adaptation of author William Morris' childhood memoir. Growing up in Yazoo, Mississippi -- "10,000 souls and nuthin' doin'" -- during WW II, 9-year-old Willie is a precocious kid suffering from small size and a well-meaning but overly protective father (Kevin Bacon). When his mom (Diane Lane) prevails in the purchase of a Jack Russell terrier for his birthday, the feisty, independent pup quickly becomes a fixture in town, as well as Willie's ambassador from childhood to boyhood.
Like most boy/dog movies, even the Don Johnson-Harlan Ellison one, Skip gets pretty maudlin at times. And it glosses over how taxing such hyperactive little creatures can be (the dog, not Willie). But it does illuminate the miraculous good fortune of every boy who's a little bit different but survives childhood anyway, especially in a time of protracted national emergency. It's completely childsafe too, except that the kids may want to swing by a pet store on the way home from the theater. C+
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