User reviews

Everything about this film is clichéd. From the one dimensional nuclear conservative family values to the animal rights message, this movie reeks of something that is 50 years past it's best viewed by date.

From the characters to the plots, this film puts me in mind of a long Leave it to Beaver episode with a little more edge.

But it's cliché after cliché after cliché... simply horrible. Even my 5 year old didn't like it.

Acting, especially Blake Heron, was great, but the cast was let down by the plastic screenplay.

I would have liked to have seen a little more subtlety, let the viewers discover things instead of just throwing so many clichéd images and lines of dialog at them. Kids are smarter than some give them credit for. Let them discover gravity by watching an apple fall, not by smacking them on the head with an anvil.

Good film about a love starved man who heartlessly uses dogs as his means of earning a living. When one of his dogs runs off and adopts a neighbor's son, trouble begins over who will take possession of the animal. Anyone who goes for cutesy canine films will like this picture.

"From the 'Newbery Award'-winning book," proclaims the Warner Bros. synopsis, "Shiloh, an adorable beagle, runs away from his neglectful owner, and is found by young Marty (Blake Heron). Marty knows that Shiloh belongs to someone else, but is determined to save the dog from more neglect. Against the wishes of the dog's owner (Scott Wilson) and his father (Michael Moriarty), Marty risks everything to make the dog his own." Good summation of a great film for young children, based on a classic novel.

If memory serves, there was no incongruously flirty "tomboy" girlfriend in Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's original story; this character was played up to give the film greater appeal, probably. Still, Dale Rosenbloom does well in capturing the essence of the novel, which thoughtfully plays up the issue of animal rights. "Shiloh" and the humans perform well, with Mr. Wilson (as Judd Travers) adept at conveying the villainous owner of Shiloh is actually a wounded man. He has the right to kick Shiloh around, or does he?

******* Shiloh (11/10/96) Dale Rosenbloom ~ Blake Heron, Scott Wilson, Michael Moriarty, Ann Dowd

Heartwarming story with real values for family viewing. Well written script is faithful to the Phyllis Reynolds Naylor bestseller which won the Newbery Award. Scott Wilson excels as Jud Travers bringing a palpable menace to the character while at the same time making him a fully believable human being with his own back story. Blake Heron shines as the boy who falls in love with the dog and fights to keep him. An engaging performance from a young man with promise. Rod Steiger adds distinction to the film and emotional weight in his portrayal of the kindly store owner. Anne Dowd is the perfect Mom, gently chiding and always loving. Michael Moriarty lays down the law as the father with a sense of humor and engagement with his children. Dale Rosenbloom wrote the screenplay and directed the film with a finely tuned sense of the heartbeat of the story. A film that will be evergreen for the generations.

I think that this is just the cutest little movie! It is about the special relationship between a boy and a stray puppy that he finds, the little floppy ears are the most irresistible thing in the world.

This movie was well done, especially with the casting. Michael Moriarty (Bang the Drum Slowly and Law & Order) plays a believable discipline-oriented father. He turns out to be the character that you both love and hate.

I saw this with my two nieces (4 and 6 years old) and we all cheered. I might warn though that there are some scenes which imply abuse of animals, so be sure to watch this movie with your children.

In the first 5 minutes the kid works on showing us how not to use riffle by pointing it around, followed by unbelted car ride with his father. I saw nothing even remotely watchable in this move and about halfway through turned it off. A complete waste of time unless you like animal cruelty and self torture, which me and my 6 year old are not.

Oh and speaking of torture the actors look like they are being torture by the script. Feel sorry for the poor guy that had to edit this, but not like he spent much time. Think I will pay the library for this movie just so I can destroy the DVD and save others from this. IF you see this movie run, run, run!

kids who say this is a corny film may want to watch it when they get older- they will appreciate seeing the good side of human nature which is only brought out by a dog.(Hint: when you are an adult, kids, you will not will not be in such a hurry to grow up and be cynical).

Shiloh is a beagle who was abused, and adopted by a boy who gives him a good life. The father is portrayed by Michael Moriarty; the veterinarian is empathic, as played by Rod Steiger.

Please watch this film. It is great for younger kids- but also for adults who need a lift. The film was very highly rated by Siskel and Ebert, who also highly recommended it. 9/10

Shiloh is a very sweet and charming film, and I guarantee that the whole family will love it. It has nice music, good acting and an above average script. Of course the pace is a bit slow, and the story rather thin in places. On the other hand, the music is absolutely beautiful, and Shiloh was absolutely adorable. The script was very touching and beautifully crafted, making this very gentle and moving to watch. Blake Heron is wholly believable as Marty, and I felt the connection between him and Shiloh. Scott Wilson gives a very good account of himself as the hateable yet sympathetic Judd Travers, and David Moriaty and Rod Stieger also give nice supporting performances. The cinematography was fantastic, even looking at it made the film twice as engaging, and the song Are There Angels? was sung by the ever lovely Sheena Easton, who has done some soundtrack singing before on FernGully, Pebble and the Penguin and the sequel to All Dogs Go To Heaven. Overall, a charming and heartwarming film, that the whole family will treasure. 8/10 Bethany Cox

This movie was a cute movie about a boy and a dog that absolutely love eachother but the dog's owner is very, very protective of all of his dogs and doesnt want Marty(the boy) to have Shiloh, its a touching story and movie, i personally thought the book was better but dont take my word for it, go out and watch it for yourself!!!

If you look at the jacket, you would expect Shiloh to be about a cute dog that has an I.Q. of 150 who saves the day, or who perhaps accompanies some children on a long hike, fending off wolves and cougars. Or perhaps a dog that makes messes. It is nothing like that at all. Shiloh is a cute, but completely ordinary dog, who does nothing more exciting than licking people's faces and gobbling food.

It is a morality tale. There is the evil Christian who believes God gave us animals to use as we please, including sadistic pleasure.

There is the postman father who equates right with legal.

Then there is the hero, a boy about ten, who argues articulately again and again for a higher heart-centred morality motivated by his loving caring for the young dog Shiloh. He gradually wins over his mom, his dad and even the evil Christian. There is plenty of ambiguity and conflict. It is not a totally black and white tale.

Even though the boy is only ten, he is one of the most heroic figures in movies.

The sudden happy ending did not ring true for me. A more plausible ending would have had the villain eaten alive by his dogs, or some such bad karma.

I really liked this movie. It was believable, and the message about standing up for what's right is always worth repeating. No special effects or explosions, just a simple, poignant story told in straightforward fashion.

Marty, a boy of about 13 who lives in the country with his family, one day discovers Shiloh, a puppy who has run away. It turns out that Shiloh belongs to an ornery hunter named Judd who lives nearby. Judd only sees Shiloh as a tool for hunting and doesn't believe animals have any rights. For Marty, however, Shiloh quickly becomes a friend and companion.

The story unfolds around the struggle between Marty and Judd for ownership of Shiloh. That may sound a little corny, but issues of family, honesty, respect for other species and the importance of keeping promises soon become involved.

As an animal lover I found the story compelling and I'm going to watch it again soon with my grandchildren.

We all have those classic movies about animals that we watched when we were little ones, and hopefully if you've got any senses about you, still revisit as an adult. Well, most people have a few of those... I've got at least like twenty. One couple of movies that are very dear to me are Shiloh, and Shiloh 2: Shiloh Season, two indisputable classics that I was pretty much raised on, and have a burning nostalgia for. Shiloh boils down to one simple, loving archetype: a boy and his dog. Or, rather, a boy who desperately wishes to save a dog from going down the same road of violence and abuse that it's currant owner has. Marty Preston (Blake Heron, and Zachary Browne in the sequel because they just can't stick with one actor) is a young rural lad with a wholesome life and family, wishing for a dog of his own. Local roughneck and hunter Judd Travers (Scott Wilson) owns a whole pack of mutts that he mistreats when drunk, and aims to turn them all into vicious hunting dogs. When one small beagle escapes, it makes its way onto Preston land and suddenly Marty finds he has a new best friend. His stern father Ray (inimitable Michael Moriarty) warns him that the dog is probably Judd's, while his mother (excellent character actress Ann Dowd) urges compassion from her husband. Soon enough Judd comes looking, and conflict arises between the boy and the bitter old hunter. It's a children's story so nothing too messed up ever happens, but there's some touching lessons and surprising gravitas from both Moriarty and Wilson that is nice to see from such a seemingly innocuous, kid oriented franchise. Judd shows beautiful complexity in the sequel, the writing allowing Wilson to illustrate that not all mean people started out that way, and that with a little kindness and a lot of patience, old wounds can be burrowed into and treated. I first became a fan of Scott through the Shiloh films and he will always be Judd Travers to me. Marty finds a friend in Shiloh, getting right to the point of what these movies are about: friendship. New friends, old friends, and letting people in who need someone and don't even know it. It's great stuff, timeless to be sure, and always guaranteed to draw forth a smile. Rod Steiger lends his famous kind streak to the role of Doc Wallace, a convenience store owner with sagely wisdom for Marty and his fellow friends, as well as compassion for Judd. Now, there's a third film, also with Wilson but yet another different actor for Marty, and Moriarty sitting it out as well, which is why I haven't checked it out so far. Maybe it's time.