My Dog Skip

"My Dog Skip" sits up, wags its tail and licks your hand. <br><br>Loosely adapted from the late Willie Morris' best-selling book about his boyhood fox terrier, the funny, heartwarming film is a must

Friday, March 3rd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

"My Dog Skip" sits up, wags its tail and licks your hand.

Loosely adapted from the late Willie Morris' best-selling book about his boyhood fox terrier, the funny, heartwarming film is a must for anyone whose best friend growing up was a dog.

Set in Yazoo, Miss., in 1942, the coming-of-age story takes viewers to another time and place a la "Stand by Me." To anyone familiar with the era, the opening scene panning Willie's bedroom with its cherished treasures of boyhood is bittersweet and haunting.
While the low-tech 1940s may seem like a gentler time, a world war raged, touching the small town in sad ways, and, as everyone who survived it knows, childhood isn't for sissies.

Willie, appealingly played by Frankie Muniz of "Malcolm in the Middle," is the son of a stern Spanish Civil War vet (Kevin Bacon) and lively mom (Diane Lane). His idol is Dink Jenkins (Luke Wilson) the good-hearted athlete next door, but bookworm Willie is shy, gawky and friendless.

Skip, played by Enzo, the son of Moose (who was Eddie in Frasier), might not win the Westminster, but the spunky pup brings Willie into the world. He helps him make peace with the neighborhood bullies and friends with the school's prettiest girl (Caitlin Wachs).

While Mr. Morris' 1995 book was a lazy, graceful reminiscence, the script by Gail
Gilchriest is beefed up with added action subplots, such as the moonshiners in the cemetery, and these ring the least true. But for a low-budget indie, "Skip," narrated by Harry Connick Jr., is a well-acted charmer. Of course, there's the requisite dog-in-jeopardy scene, which may be tough on small fry, but Skip makes it through. When he eventually goes to dog heaven, it's off-screen while Willie is away at college.

Although set in the Deep South, "Skip" has multiple Texas connections.

Besides "Harper's" magazine, Mr. Morris, a University of Texas alumnus, edited "The Daily Texan" and "The Texas Observer." Screenwriter Gilchriest, another UT grad, is a native; handsome Luke Wilson grew up in Dallas; and Cody Linley, 11, making his film debut as dirty Spit McGee, lives in Lewisville.

As you might expect in a boy-meets-dog saga, there are tears (some of joy) as well as laughs.

Mr. Morris, who saw the film a week before before he died last year of heart failure, told director Jay Russell that he cried all the way home in the cab.