Because of Winn-Dixie
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: February 18, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
54
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews
Positive:
9
Mixed:
16
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
PremierePeter Debruge
Most likely chosen for its shaggy-dog looks, Winn-Dixie is actually a great deal more special than you'd expect, a fitting analogy for a film no parent should be too quick to dismiss. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
To Winn-Dixie's great credit, both as a book and as a dandy, dignified movie, there's nothing condescendingly lesson-like in the wisdom India acquires. Read full review
75
USA TodayClaudia Puig
A sweet, family-friendly retelling of a touching and funny Newbery Award-winning children's book. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Hartlaub
Matthews holds his own with his experienced co-stars, and his half- talking/half-singing explanation of his criminal past is the movie's best scene. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeTy Burr
In pace, sensibility, and big, beating heart, this is a child's first indie film, and it's the better for it. Read full review
75
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
The casting of Daniels, Tyson and Saint, all of whom underplay effortlessly, was shrewd. Read full review
75
Portland OregonianMarc Mohan
Should satisfy its 8- to 12-year-old target demographic. Read full review
70
Dallas ObserverMelissa Levine
Both screenwriter Joan Singleton and director Wang take the time to draw real people and feeling relationships. Read full review
70
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Robb is remarkably assured; there isn't a false note in her performance. Read full review
60
VarietyLael Loewenstein
Uneven though it is, Because of Winn-Dixie, based on Kate Di Camillo's novel, is tough to dislike. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineAngel Cohn
A sweet film with no big action moments may be a hard sell to young male audiences, but it's nevertheless a quality story that the whole family can watch together. Read full review
58
Seattle Post-IntelligencerPaula Nechak
It's a methodical, friendly fairy tale in which everyone is good and the outcome is a given. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
Some might even find the leisurely pace a nice break from the rapid-fire approach favored by most kids' entertainment. Read full review
50
Village VoiceBen Kenigsberg
The story seems awkwardly positioned between coming-of-age realism and whimsical fantasy. Read full review
50
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
Jeff Daniels is a compelling-enough actor to lift almost any film out of mediocrity, but even he has his work cut out for him. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
Can't decide what it wants to be when it grows up. Read full review
50
The New York TimesAnita Gates
A harmless, pleasant comic drama, but elements that may have seemed delightfully eccentric on the page take on unfortunate new tones when translated to film. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Bland, amiable, innocuous. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesKevin Crust
Never quite works as a film. The failure to create appropriate cinematic metaphors reduces it to "happiness is a warm puppy" superficiality. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
Limiting the potential overripeness of the material with tact and sincerity, he (Wang) generally makes the most of his resourceful cast; only the dog overacts. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
Veterans Eva Marie Saint and Cicely Tyson make welcome appearances. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Sweet and warm-hearted, but there is another film with a similar story that is boundlessly better, and that is "My Dog Skip" (2000). Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
Thanks to director Wayne Wang ("The Joy Luck Club"), there are also artistic touches that keep this movie from sticking to the roof of the mouth the way peanut butter does to Opal's pet. Read full review
50
New York PostLou Lumenick
Only mildly diverting and way too long for a movie aimed at kids. Read full review
40
EmpireAnna Smith
It means well, but it's all just a bit too tired a formula - even by the standards of a kids film. Put this one in the top field to 'rest'. Read full review
38
Chicago TribuneRobert K. Elder
Tries hard to be sweet but plays like "Pollyanna" with fleas. Read full review
38
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
The problem is that director Wayne Wang seems deaf to the tonal differences between coming-of-age, magic realism and children's comedy. Read full review
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