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Nico the Unicorn
With a disabled leg, a deceased father, and status as the new boy in a small Vermont town, 12-year-old Billy has the proverbial three strikes against him. But things start to turn around when his waitress mom (the saintly Anne Archer) allows him to keep a scraggly pony he rescues from a con artist. And when the pony gives birth to a unicorn, and a pretty local girl assists Billy with the birth, things seem to be seriously looking up. But some nasty classmates discover their secret and soon everyone from police on horseback to news helicopters to the armed charlatan are chasing Billy and Nico up into the mountains. This fairly tale for grade schoolers has some real suspense and a magical ending that isn't too sentimental. Mom has a cop love interest (Michael Ontkean), but they keep it pretty tame. The mother pony does give her life to protect the foal; however, the carnage occurs off screen. This 95-minute film will most interest children 5 to 10 years of age, although true horse/unicorn lovers up to age 13 may enjoy it as well. --Kimberly Heinrichs
Owd Bob
You'd have to be some sort of an ogre to go wrong with Owd Bob. If warm, old-fashioned dog flicks aren't your thing, maybe stunning scenery is; green hills and azure seas don't get much more gorgeous than on Ireland's Celtic-breeze-whipped Isle of Man. Should neither of those appeal, though, it's easy to settle for simple good acting. Babe's James Cromwell stars as Adam McAdam, a grumpy old bugger who ticks away lonely days tending the farm alongside his champion sheepdog Zac. Then comes the day his orphaned American grandson, David, is dumped at his doorstep. McAdam, a pretty poor excuse for company, can't keep David from befriending neighbor girl Maggie Moore. Bad blood between the Moores and the McAdams runs deep, but the conflict du jour centers around dogs--Owd Bob, Maggie's pup, aims to put Zac to shame in the upcoming sheepherding tournament. Leading up to the contest, parallel story lines swirl around: Maggie's mom is dying, and a crew of local cronies suspect Zac, who's lately been spotted licking blood-stained chops, of being a sheep killer. While tensions between David and his grandfather escalate, David moves out, Maggie loses her mom, and the dogs do their stuff, with Zac coming out the victor. There's still the matter of the sheep murders, though. In a dramatic pup frame-up, Owd Bob is the fall guy, and only old man McAdam can save him from being destroyed. It's a sad ending for Zac, but one that allows McAdam's well-buried love for his grandson to surface. Whatever propels you to spring for this film, break out the family-sized popcorn bowl. Owd Bob's penchant for bringing folks together is as powerful in living rooms as it is onscreen. --Tammy La Gorce
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