Product Details

• Actors: AnnaSophia Robb, Jeff Daniels, Cicely Tyson, Dave Matthews
• Directors: Wayne Wang
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Fox Home Entertainme
• Run Time: 106 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (165 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000BBCTAM
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #294,435 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Some people think "family entertainment" is an oxymoron, but even they might enjoy Because of Winn-Dixie. This straightforward story of a girl and her dog is simple without being simplistic, heartfelt without being sappy, and thoughtful without being ponderous. Opal (Annasophia Robb, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, who manages the near-impossible feat of being cute without being cutesy) can't make any friends in the small town of Naomi until she hooks up with a dog that's running loose in a supermarket. She spontaneously names him after the store and soon the dog is leading her into unexpected places--a pet store, where she meets an awkward musician (Dave Matthews); a library, where she meets a librarian with as many stories as books (Eva Marie Saint); and into a house shrouded with underbrush, where she meets a blind old woman who sees with her heart (Cicely Tyson). This could have been sentimental glop, but director Wayne Wang (Smoke, The Joy Luck Club) and a restrained script draw honest emotions from the actors and an eerie beauty from the Florida landscape; this one of the few family movies that captures the childhood sense that everyday life can be mystical. Also starring Jeff Daniels (The Purple Rose of Cairo, Something Wild) as Opal's minister father. --Bret Fetzer --This text refers to the Theatrical Release edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Kid's" Movie that respects your intelligence, May 9, 2005

By 

Jane Lane's Twin "see jane write" (Hollywood) - See all my reviews

I was annoyed to find that 2/3 of the reviewers (or at least one) who gave this movie one star haven't even seen it; they judged it purely on the ads they saw and automatically assumed that the book was much better. I loved the book dearly, and I actually read it when I was already 14!! I was so tired of all these stories about boys and their dogs, and how a boy needs a dog to have a good childhood; this was different, because I could associate with Opal so much better!

Sure, there are a few minor differences--Opal is a blonde not a red-head, and that dog is anything but ugly. Big deal. It's not as traumatic a change as having Harry Potter be a blonde and have no scar. People made too much an issue out of that, and also complained that AnnaSophia Robb could not act. This I must disagree with. That kid drew every emotion out of me that a filmmaker would want. She almost made me cry (on five occasions), and not just any kid actor can make tear up. She is a good actress in her own right, and I'm glad she'll be in a few other films this year.

The rest of the cast was great as well, even Dave Matthews. I loved seeing Eva Marie Saint in her role (it's been a while for her to be on the big screen!) In fact the only annoying thing in this movie was the cop, thrown in for a few very cheap, very annoying laughs (like the wedgie joke). But he's only in two scenes, thankfully, though the movie would be a lot better on the whole without him.

Overall, this is one of those movies you MUST see before you judge it. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a cynic! "Because of Winn-Dixie" combines a sweet story with good acting, directing, effects, and all that jazz. It can be very entertaining for the entire family, teenagers included (if they'd give it a chance!). Really, you're missing out if you decide to pass over this one.

65 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not too sweet; real sad; occasionally funny, March 6, 2005

By 

David E. Miller "LividEmerald" (Las Vegas, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

I'm a 51-year-old guy, and I took my best friends' little 9-year-old girl to see this film (recommended by my own mother!). Previously, we'd seen "Lemony Snickets: A Series of Unfortunate Events," which I enjoyed immensely. Normally, we go see computer animated films. "Robots" is next!

"Because of Winn-Dixie" is a true family film, and that is a genre I usually avoid like the plague. Maybe this film hit me at a time when my heartstrings were ripe for plucking, I don't know. But I began shedding tears almost immediately after it began, and those tears kept pumping, even though I laughed here and there. I might add that my "niece" did not cry, but she liked the film a lot. (She's never owned a dog, but this movie isn't really about the dog, anyway.) I don't know how this film would strike me on a second viewing. It has some obvious flaws, but it's a wonderful film in so many ways that I have to give it 4 stars based on this one viewing. With respect to the young star, AnnaSophia Robb, I found her very adorable (but not cutesy), and, with all due respect to some other negative opinions expressed here, a wonderfully convincing actress. There are a lot of bad child actors out there (the all-time worst had to be the kid who played Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace). But AnnaSophia is NOT one of them. I would recommend this film to any adult who has a big heart, and who hasn't already been jaded by routine family fare.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The very best movie for families!!, July 31, 2005

By 

Carolyn Rampone "Carolyn D'Amico Rampone" (Plantation, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Because of Winn-Dixie (DVD)

The movie "Because of Winn Dixie" has been kept true to the book. I found it to be as charming, heartwarming and even a bit better in some instances in comparison to the printed version. I think it's mainly Cicely Tyson's 'Gloria Dump' that takes it up a notch. She was a perfect choice to play the blind women who teaches India Opal what it means to truly 'see.' I pictured Gloria very differently and was pleasantly surprised by the uncharacteristically scruffy Tyson. Jeff Daniels and Dave Matthews are men who have been hurt but still manage to take the risks needed to keep love flowing to them and from them. "Winn Dixie" is set in an old, rural town in Florida which made me yearn for a simpler time when it was safe for children to ride their bikes around town, explore, and just be kids. In that way, "Because of Winn Dixie" reminds me a lot of "Sandlot."
This movie is all about heart and it is a perfect family movie, for boys and girls, young and old alike and should be on everyone's pre-order list. I really can't recommend it any higher and I feel it's a must have for everyone, even families without kids. It is THAT good.