[The script] can never decide whether this is supposed to be an over-the-top comedy or a deeply moving drama -- and doesn't do that well at either.
Because of Winn-Dixie (2005)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:115
Fresh:62
Rotten:53
Average Rating:5.8/10
Consensus: An old-fashioned, if bland, adaptation of Kate DiCamillo's novel.
Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins
Genre: Childrens
Synopsis: Based on the perennial best seller, BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE tells the story of a lonely young girl who adopts an orphaned dog she names Winn-Dixie (for the supermarket where she found him). The bond... Based on the perennial best seller, BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE tells the story of a lonely young girl who adopts an orphaned dog she names Winn-Dixie (for the supermarket where she found him). The bond between the girl and her special companion brings together the people in a small Florida town and heals her own troubled relationship with her father. Twentieth Century Fox and Walden Media present BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE a Wayne Wang Film adapted from the popular and much-honored novel of the same name by Kate DiCamillo. Among the book’s awards is the coveted Newbery Honor. Wang directs from a screenplay by Joan Singleton. The Producers are Trevor Albert and Joan Singleton, and the Executive Producer is Ralph Singleton. The village of Napoleonville, Louisiana stands in for the story’s fictional Naomi, Florida. Sleepy Naomi is a place where people have forgotten how to share their sadness and their joy. But Opal and Winn-Dixie might have something to say about that. Jeff Daniels, Cicely Tyson, Dave Matthews and Eva Marie Saint star as the somewhat eccentric adults who benefit from Opal and Winn-Dixie’s bumpy summer of discovery. Newcomer AnnaSophia Robb won the role of Opal following an intensive talent hunt. "Opal and Winn-Dixie have something in common," says AnnaSophia. "She doesn’t have a mother and he doesn’t have a home. They both want somebody to love and somebody to love them. And, as a team, they begin to realize that other people just might want the same things." Winn-Dixie guides Opal into places where magic dozes under a coat of dusty disappointment and awakens the people hiding there. Things begin to change day by day under the summer sun – in a funky pet store, a musty library, a drab mobile home, a ramshackle house and a convenience store-turned temple of worship. --© 20th Century Fox [More]
Starring: Jeff Daniels, AnnaSophia Robb, Dave Matthews, Cicely Tyson
Starring: Jeff Daniels, AnnaSophia Robb, Dave Matthews, Cicely Tyson, Eva Marie Saint, Elle Fanning, Courtney Jines
Director: Wayne Wang
Director: Wayne Wang
Screenwriter: John Singleton
Producer: Trevor Albert, Joan Singleton
Composer: Rachel Portman
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Reviews for Because of Winn-Dixie
In pace, sensibility, and big, beating heart, this is a child's first indie film, and it's the better for it.
Most of the time, you can't go wrong with kids and dogs. Then there's Because of Winn-Dixie.
Sure, there's nothing here that hasn't already been covered in a Hallmark movie, but it's still refreshing to find a well-made, enjoyable film for families.
There’s bad, there’s “so bad it’s good”… and then there’s this moronic film.
Because of Winn-Dixie—based on the beloved novel by Kate DiCamillo—turns out to be a modest success for the family crowd.
[S]mart and sweet but unsentimental and warmly genuine in its portrait of childhood innocence and the adventure of growing up...
A simple, slow-moving, shaggy-dog story that has enough charm to keep us involved but not enough dramatic tension to rise above the ordinary.
It has old-fashioned and heartwarming written all over it, in heavy black Magic Marker.
Winn-Dixie is simply an episodic film, and not a particularly inviting one at that.
Such a misfire that even the title can think of nothing else but to blame the poor dog.
Not the movie audiences anticipate, even when it acquiesces to convention.
while Wang hits some high notes with a few scattered flights of fancy, he mostly bungles this girl and her dog tale with painfully awkward direction and mind-numbing treacle
strong appearances by top talent in the adult roles and graceful evocation of a gently rural community by director Wayne Wang keep it for the most part more sweet than sugary.
The sum of its parts could have added up to much more than it does. Then again, let's be thankful for small victories. It could have been Are We There Yet?
Director Wayne Wang and screenwriter Joan Singleton have crafted an utterly faithful film adaptation of Kate DiCamillo's affecting Newbery Honor story.
Latest News for Because of Winn-Dixie
February 17, 2006:
"Terabithia" Starts Production Down Under
ComingSoon.net shares with us a press release from the workaholics over at Walden Media, and the newest news is this: Production has already begun on Walden & Disney's... More...
November 11, 2005:
Trailer Bulletin: Last Holiday
Fans of Queen Latifah will be pleased to know that her newest comedy is called "Last Holiday," it's due for release on January 13th, and the all-new trailer is... More...
March 07, 2005:
Box Office: Diesel Pacifies Weekend Movie Crowd with Muscular $30.2M
Last weekend, “The Diary of a Mad, Black Woman” surprised the industry by topping the charts with $21.9M in just about 1500 theaters. This weekend, Vin Diesel topped the charts... More...
February 28, 2005:
Box Office: Mad Black Woman Rejects Hitch for $22.7M
This was probably not the best movie weekend to coincide with The Academy Awards, which honored Hollywood’s best of 2004. Three of this weekend’s wide debuts were all below 17%... More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Because of Winn-Dixie at Rotten Tomatoes
- Because of Winn-Dixie at IGN
- Because of Winn-Dixie at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

