My Dog Skip

PG

Bring the Kleenex when you go to see My Dog Skip! This is a well-acted "slice of life" movie about a young boy who grows from childhood to young adulthood in Yazoo City, Mississippi in 1942. The catalyst to his growth is a terrier puppy given to him as a gift on his ninth birthday. (For those of you who are fans of the TV show Frazier, Moose, who plays Eddie on the TV show, plays Skip in this movie).

Willie is having a tough time with his life. Short for his age, he likes to read books more than play football, and is one of the brightest students in school. This combination makes Willie an outcast from the rest of the kids and a target for bullies. Willie's next door neighbor is Dink Jenkins, the town's high school sports hero and favorite son. He is also Willie's only friend. When Dink leaves town to fight in World Word II, Willie's mom decides Willie needs a friend--so Skip enters Willie's life.

With the unconditional love of Skip, Willie finds the strength and courage to be himself in his world. As he does so, he makes friends, meets a girl, tries new experiences and learns a lot about life, death, love and loyalty.

This movie would be great for your Jr. High or Middle School youth. Sr. Highers might find it a bit corny and sentimental, but since it’s based on a true story, the senior high crowd might appreciate it. And as a person who had a dog growing up, I found myself remembering all the wonderful things my beagle taught me while we both grew up–most importantly, the enduring power of unconditional love. At the risk of sounding trite, I learned much about God's love from my pet and that experience made the movie all the more meaningful for me. (And let's get it over with right here: we all know that God spelled backwards is dog. Sorry cat lovers.) On the level of this experience, I would guess that even Sr. high animal lovers will love My Dog Skip.

1. Have you ever felt like Willie did at the beginning of the movie when he felt so out of place with the other school kids? In what ways did you feel different from others? In what ways the same?

2. What are the characteristics of friendship? Go ahead–make a list. How was Dink a friend to Willie? How was Willie a friend to Dink? (Recall that in the movie Willie still loved and admired Dink, even when the rest of the town thought him a coward). Read John 15:12-17. What does Jesus call the disciples and us? Compare the characteristics you listed above to our relationship with Jesus. Read the words to the old hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" (Lutheran Book of Worship #439); do the words of the hymn mean more to you in light of this discussion?

3. Skip’s unconditional love helps Willie be more comfortable with himself and gives him the courage to be himself in the world. Why do you think love has that kind of power? Have you ever experienced anything like Willie, where the love of someone or a pet has made you feel good about yourself? Read 1 Peter 2:9-10. In these two verses, God calls you some very complimentary names. How does that make you feel? How does knowing that you are one of God's chosen people make you feel? How do those words help you live an authentic life in this crazy world?

4. In one difficult scene, Willie--frustrated at not being able to play baseball well--hits Skip with his hand. Skip runs away and some bad things happen to Skip. How does Willie feel about what he has done? Why do you think Willie feels that way? How do you feel when, out of frustration, you do something you later regret? The next time Willie and Skip are together (when Skip is conscious) is at the vet's office. What happens when Skip wakes up? How do you think Willie felt when Skip licked his face and went into his arms? That's the power of unconditional love, forgiveness and reconciliation. To read a Bible story about forgiveness and reconciliation, turn to Luke 15:11-24. How might you compare the Bible story to the movie?

5. At the end of the movie, the voice of a grown up Willie says that of all things, loyalty and love are the most lasting. He says that Skip is not just buried in the backyard, but buried in his heart. What does the story of Willie and Skip tell us about friendship and love? Is the memory of someone you love buried in your heart? (Share those stories in pairs or with the group, if it’s small.) How can we be better friends to those around us?

In the movie, there were a couple of subplots that might make for a lively discussion. The following two questions deal with those subplots.

1. In the movie, Willie's dad, Frankie, and Willie's friend, Dink, are victims of war. Willie's dad lost his leg in a war and, as Willie notes, he also lost "a piece of his heart." Dink couldn't stomach the killing of war, and he ran away. As you watched the movie, how did you feel about Frankie's injury? What about Dink's?

• Many movies and video games in our day glorify war and seem to ignore the consequences of war afflicted on many people.

• Do you agree with the above statement? Why or why not? On TV, in newspapers, and on the Web there have been many images from the wars in Kosovo and Chechnya. How have you felt about those? Do they seem real or like something happening miles away from us?

2. You may have noticed that in the movie house in Yazoo City, Whites sat downstairs and Blacks sat in the balcony. Also, White baseball teams did not play Black baseball teams. (Hence, the movie has a White sports hero, Dink, and a Black sports hero, Waldo Grace, who don't even know of each other.) Did you notice the segregation of the races? How did that make you feel? In the movie, even though Willie admired Dink and believed he was the greatest athlete Yazoo City ever had, he was willing to listen about Waldo Grace and eventually went to see him play baseball. (Incidentally, what did you notice about where the Black team played?) What was it that made Willie open to Waldo Grace? (It was Skip's wandering across the train tracks that forced Willie into relationships with the Black residents of Yazoo City and once a relationship was established, Willie could no longer ignore the Black residents of Yazoo City). What do you think it might have been like to live in a segregated place and time like Mississippi in 1942? How would it feel if you were in the majority? If you were in the minority? How can you/we help promote understanding between different races and cultures in our day?