Sweet and schmaltzy, 1940's small town America. Formulaic, aside from an abrupt slap in the face that comes out of left field to solidify this endearing tale (or is that tail?).

A warm homey opening sequence brings us gently to Harry Connick Jr's first word, "Memories" which breaks the dawn into a mellifluous yarn of a young boy desperately in need of a best friend. Though Connick never appears in picture, his voice shapes and buffs its glossy finish.

Like "October Sky," our young boy is parented by a stern (but underlyingly loving) father and a strong demonstrative mother. Kevin Bacon finds his part a bit awkward at first, leaving one hoping a Jon Voight or Christopher Walken would have taken the role, but eventually Bacon hobbles up to the call. (Don't get me wrong, I like Bacon ... it's just that he looks less like a stern parent than he does an innocent kid.)

The mother also, is almost too beautiful, but does well with an undemanding, standard role. Frankie Muniz, as the nine-year-old Willie Morris, is charming. And Skip, well, everyone will leave the theater wanting to take him home.

Very good, but a bit slow in the first half coupled with Bacon's shaky start, I contemplated giving this picture a "B+." But, admittedly the charming mutt and ensemble succeeded at choking me up more than just once while cajoling an impressive round of applause from the handful of paying customers at its conclusion. So, I rounded up! If you've got a 5 to 10 year old, take a family trip to see this wholesome story.