Air Bud [Special Edition]

Director: Charles Martin Smith

Overview

The heartwarming story of a boy, his dog and a basketball forms the basis of this family comedy from Disney. Snively (Michael Jeter) is an unfunny clown whose appearances at children's parties are usually upstaged by his dog Buddy, who has learned how to shoot a basketball. Snively is tired of being upstaged by the pooch, and he eventually abandons him. Buddy is taken in by Josh (Kevin Zegers), a shy boy whose father recently died. Josh's mother Jackie (Wendy Makkena) moves them to a small town in Washington, where the naturally withdrawn Josh doesn't quite fit in. Too shy to try out for the basketball team, he instead becomes team manager, and he practices on his own after the team goes home. One night, Josh discovers Buddy that can not only shoot hoops, but he's a better shot than anyone on the team. Coach Barker (Stephen E. Miller), hungry for victory, adds Buddy to the team and soon the dog with game is famous -- just famous enough, in fact, for Snively to return, demanding the return of his pet. Buddy the Dog was spotted by the film's producers shooting baskets on the "Stupid Pet Tricks" segment of The Late Show with David Letterman.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/24/2012
UPC:	0786936791204
Original Release:	1997
Rating:	PG
Source:	Walt Disney Video
Language:	English
Sales rank:	9,829

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Michael Jeter	Norm Snively
Kevin Zegers	Josh Framm
Wendy Makkena	Jackie Framm
Bill Cobbs	Arthur Chaney
Eric Christmas	Judge Cranfield
Brendan Fletcher	Larry Willingham
Norman Browning	Buck Willingham
Jay Brazeau	Referee
Stephen E. Miller	Coach Joe Barker
Nicola Cavendish	Principal Pepper
Shayn Solberg	Tom Stewart
Chris Turner	Greg,Bailiff
Christine Kennedy	Melissa
Marian Dodd	Reporter
Jessebel Mather	Andrea Framm,Andrea Framm
Ursula Martin	Party Mom
Joel Haywood	Basketball Player - Timberwolves
Kevin Zegars	Actor
Brahm Wenger	Composer

Technical Credits

Paul Tamasy

Aaron Mendelsohn

Kevin DiCicco

Paul Tamasy	Screenwriter
Aaron Mendelsohn	Screenwriter
William Vince	Producer,Producer,Executive Producer
Scott Ateah	Stunts
Andrew Chamberlayne	Special Effects
Abra Edelman	Casting
Elisa Goodman	Casting
Phil Jones	Special Effects
Darren Marcoux	Special Effects
Bill Stewart	Stunts
Michael Strange	Executive Producer
Harvey Weinstein	Executive Producer,Executive Producer
Kevin DiCicco	Screenwriter
Marina Adam	Sound Effects
Marc Chiasson	Sound Effects
Pat Day	Sound Effects
Rob Eubanks	Sound Effects
Ruth Huddleston	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

A dog who can sink jumpers had to end up in a movie sooner or later, and Air Bud might as well be that movie. Jordan he's not, but Buddy the Dog does have an amazing sense of aim, and screenwriters Aaron Mendelsohn and Paul Tamasy cobble together a reasonable enough story to explain it all. But Air Bud is clearly meant for the younger tykes, with its hissable villains (Michael Jeter as the sour clown, overacting; Brendan Fletcher as the loudmouth bully) and its Lassie-like message about the healing power of owning a pet. In other words, hoops fans should look elsewhere if they want some good game action to cheer. However, anyone who was excited to see a movie about a basketball-playing golden receiver in the first place will probably be pleased as pie. Actor Charles Martin Smith (Never Cry Wolf) helms his first big-budget feature effectively enough to have scored modestly at the box office and prompted two sequels to date, which he did not direct. Also leaving the franchise, although not by choice, was the talented pup, who died of cancer shortly after the film's release.