Okay, I admit it, I am a sucker for animal stories- especially anything to do with dogs. So when I saw the previews for Because of Winn Dixie. I couldn't resist, and since the film is now out on video I have to tell you what a great film it is.
Although the dog plays a big role in the film, it is India “Opal” Buloni who steals the screen and your hearts. A 10-year-old girl, abandoned by her mom when she was three and living in a Florida trailer park with her preacher dad, Opal is very lonely and just doesn't fit with the other kids in town. Opal's dad doesn't want to talk about her mother and Opal has made it her mission to find out 10 things about her mother. Then running an errand one day, Opal finds this mangy, smiling dog running rampant in a Winn Dixie (guess how the dog and film got their names). Although dad does not want a dog and the owner of the trailer park does not allow dogs, you can guess the plot of the story from here. Opal and Winn Dixie spend the summer finding the treasures of life and being loved in a town filled with quirky people. Because of Winn Dixie is one of those films they just don't make any more. Sure it is sappy, yes it has a moral, and there are values to be learned in this film - but for the most part, it is a feel good film that kids of all ages may just enjoy.
And, in case you are wondering what dogs make up this odd looking dog - it is all of one kind, a Picardy Shepherd.
Because Of Winn-Dixie, is based on a first book by Kate DiCamillo, published by Candlewick Press. It was a New York Times bestseller; recipient of the prestigious Newbery Honor in 2001; awarded a Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon; placed on the New York Public Library 100 Books for Reading and Sharing list; was a Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner; a Publishers Weekly Best Book Of The Year and a School Library Journal Best Book Of The Year.
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