Movie Review: Because of Winn-Dixie

Because of Winn-Dixie (2005)
Starring: AnnaSophia Robb and Jeff Daniels
Characters: Opal and Preacher
Directed by: Wayne Wang
Tagline: Discover what happens when you go looking for a miracle and a miracle comes looking for you.
Grade: A+

I know a lot of people are biased towards this kind of movie because it's a "kids movie" or maybe because it's too "sentimental". Well, this movie is both, but it's not overly so. There's no profanity in it, it's PG after all, so parents can feel safe letting their kids watch it. The movie is about a girl named Opal, who has just moved to the small Southern town of Naomi, and her father, the Preacher. He's never given a name, nor is Opal given a last name. She doesn't have any friends and misses her old friends until she finds a dog in the supermarket, which she claims is hers and names him Winn-Dixie, after the store she was in. And throughout the movie, because of Winn-Dixie, she makes several friendships with people of several different ages. I loved the book, and the movie stuck pretty close to the book, if I remember right, so of course I loved it. This was the first movie I saw AnnaSophia Robb in and have loved her ever since. She is especially cute in this movie...even her voice is adorable. I loved everything about this movie, from the actors (look out for AnnaSophia, Courtney Jines as Amanda Wilkinson, and Elle Fanning as Sweetie Pie Thomas) to the adorable dog playing Winn-Dixie. Overall, a great family movie with lots of heart.
-MOT