In this adaptation of the much-beloved book of the same name by Kate DiCamillo, a lonely 10-year-old, Opal, and her dog revive the spirits of a small-town people in Florida. Although the movie's trailer looks overly sentimental, it's not just for 5-year-olds.
Jeff Daniels gives a touching performance as Opal's father and the town's preacher who gives his weekly sermons in a convenience store adapted for the occasion. Distraught because his alcoholic wife left him, he refuses to talk about her.
While Daniels dwells in his gloom, Opal gets into all the troubles that are inevitable for a bored 10-year-old in a small town. Opal goes to the grocery store one day and witnesses a funny scene where the employees chase a large, dirty dog around. The physical humor is exaggerated in such a way that it's obvious no one was hurt. Although this technique is beneficial to children, it leaves the older viewer's sadism unsatisfied.
Then, the producers use a scene they shamelessly stole from the classic musical movie "Annie." Opal claims the dog and proceeds to call him to her side shouting the first thing that came to mind, Winn-Dixie.
The wittiest character in the film is the cranky landlord who allows the preacher to live rent-free in one of his trailers because he can write it off as a charitable donation. However, his generosity stops there. No dogs allowed. He tells the preacher how he once shot his dog when it became too much trouble.
For the rest of the movie, Winn-Dixie defecates in the yard, takes baths with Opal and makes new friends around town.
Opal also works at the pet store with the town delinquent, played by Dave Matthews. Matthews gives a cute and sometimes irritatingly sentimental performance of the good-hearted vagabond. He has been locked up before, so he lets all the animals out of their cages while he plays his guitar for them.
The characters laugh about small joys like Winn-Dixie howling a melody in church. They cry about the past when they eat the magical candy, Litmus lozenges, which taste like melancholy. They utter mawkish adages like "You can't hold on to anything. You have to love it when you've it."
At the end of the movie, all of Opal's friends have a great party and finish off singing religious hymns while Otis (Matthews) fingers his guitar.
If this movie sounds absurd, that's because it is. But sometimes the absurd, corny, nonintellectual sap can be very necessary.
For those who miss their childhood and have forgotten what it's like to dance in the rain, this movie will bring them back. It's not going to be an Oscar-winner, but it's touching and will make audiences smile and believe that "in spite of everything, people are truly good at heart"
