Watching the story of Willie Morris (Frankie Muniz) in My Dog Skip is almost like watching myself in the mirror. His relationship with his dog Skip is similar to how I feel for my dog Mulder, as in the agent in X-Files, who has been living with me for years now.
In the movie, Skip came to the family as a puppy. Willie experienced the ups and downs of puppy care, which made his relationship with Skip deeper. I enjoyed the movie a lot because it was the same situation I went through myself. The cleaning up after Mulder was all part of it because I loved my dog dearly.
In the movie, Skip returned the love of Willie. They always kept each other company, through thick and thin, just like a human friend. This was seen in the movie when Willie and his friends tried to train Skip to get into the army (as an army dog). It was such a funny scene, how they tried to train the dog and put him through the obstacle course. Skip seemed to enjoy going through the course, but he failed the test. Instantly, Willie was there to comfort him.
I remember one night when Mulder was bumped by a car and was severely wounded. I was already panicking and crying because he was panting so fast. It was a good thing the vet was very kind. He picked up my dog and quickly performed the necessary operation. The next day, the doctor said everything was fine. I visited my dog and told him everything was fine. Well, Mulder survived!
Willie’s parents (played by Kevin Bacon and Diane Lane) represent the impressions of people towards this human-dog relationship. Some people think it’s fine and wonderful, same as what Willie’s mother thought, while other people think it’s weird and quite annoying, just like how Willie’s father reacted in the movie. It’s quite true; I got a lot of praise as well as criticism about how much I love my dog. They would even say that I love my dog more than my parents; I would answer by saying, "It is a different kind of love I have for my parents and my dog."
Goodbyes are really difficult and sad. That’s why I cried a lot towards the end of the movie. It was the time when Willie was about to leave town for college. It was hard for Willie to leave Skip behind. It was even harder for Skip since dogs don’t have the chance to introduce themselves to other humans, unlike Willie who is human and able to make friends. Through the movie, I saw how much pain a dog feels when its owner leaves and won’t come back for a long time. It was shown that Skip stared at the bed of his human for a long time, maybe hoping for Willie to appear. In another scene, Skip was shown waiting patiently at the bus station, yearning for Willie to come home. It was the same situation I (and my dog) went through when I stayed in Hong Kong for a month. My parents and other home mates told me about how much Mulder missed me. They said that he would not sleep in the room, instead he stayed in the stairs as if waiting for me. I left an old T-shirt of mine which my parents said Mulder kept smelling. It was only then that I realized how much pain Mulder must have gone through.
The movie really got me. I see dogs differently now. They are not just animals, they are beings with special qualities that need special care. They become more than a friend – they become your best friend.