Old Yeller
Recommended. Age: 8+. A Catholic review of this movie for parents.
Our review
Travis is a boy in Texas long ago. His dad is away, so Travis has to take care of the farm and his family. A big yellow stray dog shows up and becomes his best friend and protector. The ending is very sad, so watch it with a parent. This is a film about a boy becoming a man while his father is gone. The dog saves the family again and again, then catches rabies, and Travis has to shoot him. Nothing softens that. As Greydanus reads it, the lesson is that tragic things happen and life goes on, and the ending dwells on what was gained.
For parents
G, and Common Sense Media says eight and up. Greydanus at Decent Films says Kids & Up with a caveat about the climax. Do not hand this to a child alone. Tell a sensitive child beforehand that the dog dies. The intense parts: Travis is badly hurt by wild hogs, with some blood. The dog fights a bear, hogs and a wolf. A cow and a wolf also die, mostly off screen. Travis shoots his own dog. Hunting with rifles is ordinary life here. Ask: why did Travis have to do it himself? Was it love to do it? What does his father tell him about going on after something sad? How did Travis act like his father while his father was away?