Because of Winn-Dixie
Recommended. Age: 8+. A Catholic review of this movie for parents.
Our review
Opal is a ten-year-old girl who moves to a small Florida town with her father, who is a preacher. She finds a stray dog at the Winn-Dixie store and names him after it. The dog helps her make friends and learn about her mother, who left. It is a gentle film about kindness, loneliness and a father and daughter growing close. The one age is 8, set by Common Sense Media. Expect a mother who abandoned the family, a neighbor in recovery from drinking, and a scary thunderstorm.
For parents
One age: 8, set by Common Sense Media (PG, Decent Films says Kids & Up, no Church rating found). Talk about it: Opal's mother left, and her father is sad and quiet; a neighbor, Gloria, is in recovery from drinking and keeps a 'mistake tree' of bottles. Common Sense lists one 'hell' and a few insults. A thunderstorm frightens the dog and Opal, and Baptist Press suggests younger children may want a parent near. Decent Films flags a loose thread where Otis, an ex-con, is briefly suspected of a crime, and a 10-year-old spending hours alone with him. The father is a Baptist preacher and prays; the faith is respectful and not preachy. Ask: How did Gloria deal with her mistakes? Why did the dog help Opal make friends?