Saving Shiloh
By Heather Boerner,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Cute but uneven. Best for dog lovers.
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What's the Story?
In this conclusion to the Shiloh trilogy, based on the books by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Marty's (Jason Dolley) beloved beagle has been rescued from abusive Judd (Scott Wilson). The pair are inseparable, roaming the woods around his Midwestern home together. SAVING SHILOH branches out into five distinct storylines to reveal: a community learning to look at old Judd in a different way, the power of reaching out to wounded people and animals, a kid-detective story about finding a dead body, a family drama, and a parable about the proper care and feeding of the family pooch.
Is It Any Good?
Saving Shiloh is all heart with an unfortunately large helping of earnest platitudes, unrealistic language, and little plot to save it. While it would be an engaging children's book , there are too many after-school specials running amok here. None of the story lines get enough traction to develop drama or suspense, and the viewer is left confused about how he's supposed to feel and why he should care. The only exception is the final scene, which follows through on the promise of the title and manages to be heartwarming.
The saving grace of Saving Shiloh is the powerful and complex performance by Scott Wilson as the wounded Judd. Since many of the other characters are wooden and sanctimonious, the viewer grows to root for Judd simply because he's the most human. In the end, Saving Shiloh will be a treat for those hooked on the series' earlier installments. For all others, consider the first movie in this series for context and to see if your kids warm to the story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how to know if an adult is safe or not. Would you have made friends with Judd? Would you have judged him the way Marty did? After meeting someone, how do you know that they're safe? What clues did Marty use? Which would you use?
Movie Details
- In theaters: May 1, 2006
- On DVD or streaming: August 22, 2006
- Cast: Ann Dowd , Gerald McRaney , Taylor Momsen
- Director: Sandy Tung
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Warner Home Video
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Book Characters , Friendship
- Run time: 90 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: thematic elements and mild peril
- Last updated: February 24, 2022
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