Because of Winn-Dixie

A sweet, uplifting fable that celebrates family, friendship, and community in a small Southern town, Because of Winn-Dixie stars AnnaSophia Robb as an angelic blonde tomboy whose scruffy dog Winn-Dixie (named after the grocery store where she finds it) is so adorable that it actually smiles knowingly into the camera at climactic moments. Surrounding them are the girl's benign preacher-father (Jeff Daniels), a shy pet-shop clerk (singer Dave Matthews), a misunderstood local recluse (Cicely Tyson), and the town's kindly librarian (Eva Marie Saint). Unfortunately, the film--adapted from Kate DiCamillo's Newbery Award-winning YA novel--is hobbled by amateurish execution and the fact that young Robb, who's onscreen almost constantly, isn't skilled enough to carry this much cinematic weight on her still-slight shoulders. The makers obviously wanted this to be an instant classic, but like many mutts it's too anxious to please, tugging insistently at the heartstrings; weighed against the best kid-and-a-dog pictures, this one's the runt of the litter. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include both widescreen and full screen versions, audio commentary by costar Jeff Daniels and producer Trevor Albert, five scene-specific commentaries by costar AnnaSophia Robb, a behind-the- scenes featurette (5 min.), a “Diamond in the Ruff” dog training featurette (4 min.), a gag reel (3 min.), a brief soundtrack spot, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a so-so film.] (F. Swietek)