Bill Cobbs, Buddy, Eric Christmas

A charming children's movie about a lonely boy and a dog who can shoot hoops.^L^C5 Since his father's death, Josh Framm (Kevin Zegers) has become increasingly withdrawn. Even basketball, once his pass...( read more  read more... )ion, scarcely seems to matter. His worried mom (Wendy Makkena) moves the family to a small town near where she grew up, hoping that a fresh start will revive Josh. But he doesn't fit in well at school, and seems worse than ever. Until he finds Buddy, an abandoned golden retriever who can nose a ball into a net better than any dog has a right to. With Buddy at his side, Josh finds the courage to try out for the school team and come out of his shell around other kids. Buddy becomes the team's mascot and inspired by the pooch and their new coach, a former pro named Arthur Chaney (Bill Cobbs), they begin winning. But everything comes crashing down when Buddy's owner, a nasty party clown named Norm Snively (Michael Jeter), shows up to claim his dog.^L^C5 AIR BUD's story is nothing strikingly original, except for the gimmick of the basketball-playing hound. But it's told with skill and a great deal of heart, and greatly enhanced by subtle performances from Zegers, Cobb and Makkena, who manages to make Mrs. Framm less insipid than is the standard for moms in kid's movies. They are, of course, all thoroughly upstaged by Buddy, a sweet-faced dog with irresistible eyes. Add in the solid values that drive the story--the significance of teamwork, the importance of family, the merit in not giving up--and AIR BUD is a very attractive family package.

Flixster Users

42% liked it

330,890 ratings

Critics

42% liked it

19 critics

PG, 1 hr. 37 min.

Directed by: Charles Martin Smith

Release Date: August 1, 1997

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DVD Release Date: February 3, 1998

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Stats: 8,426 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (8,426)


  • November 5, 2008
    Animals should not be playing sports sense they cannot play they correctly.
  • February 3, 2008
    Pending Review...

    Photobucket
  • June 17, 2007
    Pretty dumb.
  • June 6, 2007
    A dog that can play sports - that's crazy! Like all the Air Bud movies, totally radical! Jay Brazeau, on of my favorite Canadian actors, appears as the big bearded referee in all the Air Bud movies.
  • June 6, 2007
    Once again... WTF!?
    It's a freaking dog... that's all, I can't beleive they've done like 4 or 5 movies with dogs playing some sports, people are retard or what?
  • November 19, 2009
    AN ALRIGHT MOVIE, I RECOMMEND IT FOR FAMILIES
  • November 8, 2009
    Oh this movie was bad.
  • October 7, 2009
    the scene best scene ever between josh framm and buddy knows about that clown of a man not a good guy
  • September 30, 2009
    12 years later, I still get a bit emotional when Josh rescues Buddy from his abusive previous owner and takes him to that field and yells at him to go. It gets me way more than Old Yeller.

    Judge me all you want.

    Maybe the fact that I don't like clowns, doesn't hurt this rev...( read more)iew at all.
  • September 11, 2009
    hmm...this is a good one

Critic Reviews


Comments


  • rachelleqld
    August 15, 2009
    I am desperately after a copy of this movie. Even a burnt copy will do. Willing to swap other movies. If you have this movie, please message me.
  • dinahtimothy
    May 8, 2007
    I really really like this movie..coz i like dogz, and i care for them..and I named mah dog buddy coz mah dog lookz like buddy in the movie..lol..but mah dog dosnt play sport like buddy in the movie..lol..mah dog likes to ride in the car..lol..hez in the Island..and i miss him so much!!:(:(:(
  • xXLittleSparrowXx
    May 1, 2007
    This movie is cute, but the sequels are just too much, they seem stupid.
  • JesusOnlyKnows19
    September 24, 2006
    Very inspirational movie!

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Air Bud : Watch Free on TV


Air Bud Trivia


  • What type of dog is Air Bud?  Answer »
  • Who plays Josh Framm, the little boy in Air Bud?  Answer »
  • What movie did Leonardo Dicaprio NOT act in?  Answer »
  • In the Air Bud films, who played Josh Fram?  Answer »

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