GREYFRIAR’S BOBBY

Name: GREYFRIAR’S BOBBY
Item: GREYFRIAR’S BOBBY
Author: Review

“Unwavering Loyalty”

Family Content: +3 Some minor questionable elements. (Media-wisdom is suggested to discuss.)

Entertainment Quality:

	None	Light	Moderate	Heavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

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What You Need To Know:

GREYFRIAR’S BOBBY is a movie adaptation of the true story of a little Skye terrier in Scotland. He and his master, Old Jock, herd sheep on a farm outside Edinburgh. But when times get tough and Jock loses his job, he must separate from his best friend, Bobby, and find work in Edinburgh. Refusing to be left behind on the farm, Bobby escapes to locate Jock. He tracks him down, but shortly after, Jock dies of pneumonia. Bobby is determined to stick with and guard his master, and he makes the cemetery his home. However, when Bobby is taken for being unlicensed, the children of the town must make a desperate attempt to save him before it’s too late.

GREYFRIAR’S BOBBYis a clean, fun movie that beautifully portrays the loyalty between a master and his dog. Bobby is not only loyal while his master is alive, but even when he is dead, persistently guarding his grave night after night. Strong moral elements are shown throughout the movie, like loyalty, love, and compassion. Jock, the dog’s owner, is shown dead, so caution is advised for younger children.

Content:

(BBB, C, V, N, A, M):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

Strong moral worldview of compassion and loyalty. Bobby, the dog, is determined to stick to his master’s side even when his master dies and people try to take him away. The owner of a restaurant cares for the dog’s owner as he is dying. He also provides for the poor children in the town by giving them food and money. When the dog’s master passes away, the restaurant owner cares for the dog. When trouble finds the restaurant owner and dog, the kids pull together to help them. The bible is mentioned and shown by the dog’s master and a child prays before the meal;

Foul Language:

No foul language;

Violence:

A man is shown dead. A dog snarls; he also kills a rat. A man has a light scuffle with a police officer. A man slaps a child’s hand;

Sex:

No Sex;

Nudity:

Natural animalistic nudity;

Alcohol Use:

Three men are shown drunk walking down an alley, one of them holds a flask of beer and tries to get the dog’s master to have a drink. A man asks someone if they want a drink;

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

None; and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:

A woman lies about her husband’s health.

More Detail:

GREYFRIAR’S BOBBY is a movie adaptation of the true story of a little Skye terrier in Scotland. He and his master, Old Jock, herd sheep on a farm outside Edinburgh. But when times get tough and Jock loses his job, he must separate from his best friend, Bobby, and find work in Edinburgh. Refusing to be left behind on the farm, Bobby escapes to find Jock. He tracks him down, but shortly after, Jock dies of pneumonia. Bobby is left alone with no owner but is determined to stick with Jock. He sleeps on his grave in the cemetery, guarding it every night, and even when the cemetery caretaker kicks him out, Bobby keeps coming back.

A kind restaurant owner in town, Mr. Traill, who knew Jock, takes pity on Bobby and cares for him. Mr. Traill, a compassionate man, also takes care of many of the children in the town, feeding them and giving them jobs around his restaurant. The children all love Bobby and help care for him. However, things go south when the cemetery caretaker, who has taken a secret liking to the dog, directs the police to Mr. Traill, who is charged with harboring an unlicensed dog and taken to court. Mr. Traill is forced to either pay a hefty license fee or have Bobby put down. The cemetery caretaker, his plan in action, then comes to court and tries to license the dog himself. However, the children of Edinburgh devise their plan for rescuing Bobby, and they spring into action to help Mr. Traill.

While the movie is on the slower side, it does an excellent job of portraying the unwavering loyalty between a dog and its owner. The dog that portrays Bobby is well-trained and plays his part excellently. The fact that this is a true story and that Walt Disney himself helped produce it enhances the appeal of an already compelling movie.

The movie features numerous strong moral elements. Loyalty, love, and compassion are all themes throughout the movie. The dog displays loyalty to his master even after his master has passed away by guarding his grave every night. The restaurant owner, Mr. Traill, not only feeds and takes care of the dog but also the children in his neighborhood, spending time and resources on them. Jock, the dog’s master, even though he can’t read, owns a bible, and the kids pray before eating a meal. It does contain a scene that shows Jock deceased, and a few drunk men are shown with beer, stumbling down an alleyway and harassing Jock, so caution is advised for younger or sensitive viewers.