Photo copyright 20th Century Fox

Sunday was a really yucky day. It was cold and dreary, but my day was a little brighter Because of Winn–Dixie. As I have mentioned before, we have a house rule that mandates I read the book before seeing the movie. In this case, I had an added incentive to obey the cardinal rule of movie viewing.

After my experience with Where the Red Fern Grows , I just had to go buy this book and read it to be sure nothing happened to the dog so I could avoid embarrassing myself in public. I am an animal lover, and I especially love dogs. I, in fact, share my home with two very spoiled specimens of the canine species.

Because of Winn–Dixie was a wonderful family film. I went to the 4:50 pm showing at the Regal Cinemas on the roof of Richland Mall. It was a nice theater filled with people of all ages.

The dog was definitely the star of this show, but he had a great supporting cast of two–legged actors. Anna Sophia Robb did a great job as ten–year–old India Opal Baloney who befriends the large, hairy, stinky beast later known as Winn–Dixie after the store where they first meet.

Here’s the basic story: Girl moves to a small, decaying, unfriendly town. Girl gets lonely. Girl goes to grocery store on an errand for her father. Girl finds dog and takes him home. Dog leads girl all over town befriending many colorful yet lonely characters.

There are many themes running through this movie and lessons to be learned. Like the Litmus Lozenges once made in Naomi, life is sorrowful and sweet at the same time. You cannot hold onto something that wants to go. You’ve just got to love it while you’ve got it. We all have our unreasonable fears, but good music and good friends help us overcome them.

Who says dogs can’t smile? Mine can and so could Winn–Dixie. He made me smile too. I rate this movie five stars for no bad language, quality family entertainment, and a reasonable resemblance to the book from which it was adapted.

John Dixon is a sixth–grader at

St. John Neumann School