Shiloh (1996)

"Two thumbs up!  Siskel & Ebert
"A modern-day Old Yeller.  Charleston Post And Courier

Editor's Note The bond between a young boy and an amicable blond beagle is tested when the dog is abused and must be rescued from its owner. Based on the Newberry Award-winning children's story by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, this feature also won the prestigious 1997 Genesis Award for Outstanding Feature for spotlighting animal issues with "courage, creativity and integrity."

	Blake Heron
	Michael Moriarty
	Rod Steiger
	Scott Wilson
	Frank Byers - Cinematographer
	Dale Rosenbloom - Director
	Joel Goldsmith - Musical Score
	Carl Borack,et al. - Producer
	Dale Rosenbloom - Screenplay

When young Marty finds a runaway, nameless beagle, the pair become fast friends. Marty instantly wants to adopt the pooch, whom he christens Shiloh. But unfortunately, the pup already has an owner, a very cruel hunter named Judd.| When Shiloh flees from his brutish owner again, Marty decides to hide the canine from Judd. This forces a confrontation, pitting Marty and his family against Judd -- with ownership of Shiloh at stake. New York Times
"...It's solid, warm, responsible and, in the best sense of the word, sweet..." 04/25/1997 p.C8

Los Angeles Times
"...An uncommonly intelligent and thoughtful family film..." 04/25/1997 p.F8

Chicago Sun-Times
"...What is remarkable about the film is that it deals with real moral issues....SHILOH, like all great family films, deals with real issues in real ways..." 04/25/1997 p.34

The New York Times 7 of 10
...Shiloh is no adult-crossover phenomenon like Babe; it's a simple morality tale for children, with more sentimentality than sharpness. But it's solid, warm, responsible and, in the best sense of the word, sweet. It also has the welcome audacity to suggest that lying, even for a good cause, may not be a good thing. - Anita Gates

James Berardinelli's ReelViews 8 of 10
...The strength of Shiloh is that it approaches its subject matter intelligently. There are no easy answers to Marty's dilemma--the Law is on Judd's side, but the boy believes his position is morally defensible. At one point, when his father accuses him of not doing the right thing, Marty's response is a simple question: "What's right?" Later, the kindhearted town doctor (played by Rod Steiger) tells him that if he wants to keep Shiloh, he may be forced to fight for the dog... Shiloh, which is adapted from a Newberry Award winning book, fits nicely into the class of better animal-related family films, joining the ranks of Lassie and Black Beauty. And, while the primary target audience is undeniably children, few adults who sit through this motion picture will wish they had done otherwise. Shiloh represents something that's all too rare at theaters these days: a pleasant surprise.