Air Bud (1997)
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A young boy befriends a runaway Golden Retriever with a unique ability to play basketball.
The story
After the death of his father, twelve-year-old Josh Framm, his mother Jackie, and his two-year-old sister Andrea have relocated to Fernfield, Washington. One day after school, Josh practices basketball by himself in a makeshift court that he sets up behind an abandoned church, where he meets a runaway Golden Retriever who had recently escaped from his abusive owner: an alcoholic clown named Norman Snively. Discovering his uncanny ability to play basketball, Josh names him Buddy and takes him home. Jackie agrees to let Buddy stay until Christmas. Once the holidays arrive, Jackie allows Josh to keep Buddy as a Christmas present.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After the death of his father, twelve-year-old Josh Framm, his mother Jackie, and his two-year-old sister Andrea have relocated to Fernfield, Washington. Josh meets a runaway Golden Retriever named Buddy who has an uncanny ability to play basketball. After Jackie allows Josh to keep the dog, Buddy becomes a local sensation. At school, Josh joins the Timberwolves basketball team with the help of coach Arthur Chaney. During a game, Buddy appears and scores a basket, becoming the team's mascot. The team eventually qualifies for the State Finals. Before the championship, the dog's former owner, Norman Snively, attempts to reclaim him. After a chase and a car crash, Josh hides Buddy in the forest. During the championship game, an injury leaves the team with only four players. Buddy appears to the crowd's cheers and is added to the roster, leading the team to victory. A legal battle ensues over ownership; in court, Buddy chooses Josh as his owner, and Snively is arrested.
- First release year
- 1997
- Runtime (minutes)
- 98
- Production countries
- United States; Luxembourg
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Charles Martin Smith
- Writers
- Paul Tamasy · writer; Aaron Mendelsohn · writer
- Cast and characters
- Michael Jeter; Wendy Makkena; Eric Christmas; Brendan Fletcher; Norman Browning; Bill Cobbs; Buddy · title character
- Genres
- sports comedy-drama; children's comedy; comedy-drama
- Themes
- Friendship; Loyalty; Overcoming adversity
- Tone and mood
- Heartwarming; Inspirational
- Setting
- Fernfield, Washington
- Premise and plot tags
- Sports; Animal companion; Underdog story
- Source material / true-story basis
- Kevin DiCicco's Golden Retriever Buddy
- Franchise connections
- Air Bud
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews but was a commercial success, grossing $29 million against a $3 million budget.
- Reported review scores
- CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film was inspired by a dog featured on America's Funniest Home Videos and David Letterman's 'Stupid Pet Tricks'.; The film was initially intended for Miramax Films before being moved to Walt Disney Pictures.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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