Air Bud
Acceptable with guidance. Age: 5+. A Catholic review of this movie for parents.
Our review
After his dad dies, Josh moves to a new town and feels alone. He finds a runaway golden retriever named Buddy who can play basketball. Buddy helps Josh's school team, and when the dog's mean old owner wants him back, Buddy gets to choose Josh. Silly, sunny and kind, with a grieving boy, a loyal dog and a coach who teaches teamwork, plus one moment parents should correct. The one age is 5, set by Common Sense Media (5+); the MPAA says PG and we found no Catholic classification.
For parents
One age: 5, set by Common Sense Media; the MPAA rated it PG for brief mild language, and no Catholic classification was found. Language is light: 'sucks,' 'hell,' 'shut up' and some name-calling, and the villain drinks a beer (Common Sense Media). Buddy's first owner, a clown named Snively, abused him, and a coach is fired for abusing a player (Wikipedia); Kids-In-Mind notes he throws basketballs at a boy's face, leaving a slightly bloody nose. Josh sneaks into Snively's yard and takes Buddy off his chain (Wikipedia), so talk about it: Snively was cruel, but was it right to go onto his land? Who should Josh have asked for help? The film also touches on Josh's father's death, a good opening to talk with a grieving child and to pray for those we have lost.