Favorite Flicks: Shiloh 2: Shiloh Season

©1999 Warner Home Video
Running time: 96 min. Rated PG
Michael Moriarty, Scott Wilson, Zachary Browne

Based on the novel Shiloh Season, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

PLOT

Can a person really change? That's the question behind this sequel to Shiloh, the 1997 film that addressed issues like animal abuse and the importance of honesty and courage. Shiloh 2 focuses less on the beagle himself than on the relationship between Judd Travers (Shiloh's original and abusive owner) and Marty Preston. When Marty's father confronts Judd about hunting on Preston property, Judd threatens to take Shiloh back. Harsh feelings escalate when Marty confesses to spying on Judd for fun. The tide begins to turn when an intoxicated Judd wrecks his car near the Preston home and Shiloh alerts Marty to the accident. While Judd recuperates from his injuries, Marty reaches out to Judd to see if he can bring out a warmer, gentler side.

HUMANE MESSAGES & OTHER GOOD POINTS

• Provides numerous examples of compassion, selflessness, courage, and forgiveness and is an excellent addition to any unit on character education.

• Emphasizes the loving relationship between Shiloh and Marty, who includes Shiloh in nearly all of his activities and refers to him as a family member.

• Addresses the issue of tethering dogs. When asked, a veterinarian tells Marty that chained dogs are scared, not mean; once they're unchained, most dogs can learn to be kind and loyal. (But that doesn't mean that dogs should be allowed to roam. See below for more.)

POINTS TO PONDER

From a humane perspective, few movies are perfect. Following are potential problems with the film that you may wish to address with your children or students.

• Shiloh is allowed to roam. Dogs allowed to roam face many dangers, including cars, wildlife, leghold traps, and disease. Remind students that dogs should be walked on leashes or kept within a fenced area for their own safety and for the protection of other people and animals. (Though Shiloh is allowed to roam, the scene in which Judd's dogs chase and bite Marty's sister clearly illustrates the public safety hazard posed by free-roaming dogs.)

• Some scenes may be frightening to younger viewers, as when Judd threatens to shoot Marty.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

A lesson worth learning. Doc Wallace tells Marty, "Kindness in life is something you have to learn." Ask students what they think Doc means in the case of Judd Travers and also in their own lives. Have students write an essay describing a personal incident in their lives that taught them to be kind to another person, animal, or the environment. Students may send their essays to KIND News, 67 Norwich Essex Turnpike, East Haddam, CT 06423, for possible publication. They should include their name, age, address, and a color photo.

Pets are family too. In one scene, Marty explains to Sam that Shiloh is a family member who needs his protection. Have students bring in photos or drawings of their furry, finned, or feathered family members and write paragraphs describing their pets. (Students without pets at home may choose to write about a neighbor's or relative's pet or one that they someday hope will join their family.) Combine students' photos, art, and paragraphs in a pet family album and store the album in your classroom's reading corner.

Three's company. For her book Shiloh, author Phyllis Reynolds Naylor won the Newbery Medal, one of the highest awards in children's literature. Complete a teaching unit on Naylor by having students read and write book reports on the Shiloh trilogy: Shiloh, Shiloh Season, and Saving Shiloh. For more information on Naylor, visit the Teacher Resource File at http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/naylor.htm. To read Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's KIND News interview, click here. For additional recommended reading, click here.