# Shiloh 2: Shiloh Season (1999)

### reviewed by
Mark O'Hara

    Shiloh 2:  Shiloh Season

    A Film Review by Mark O'Hara

It's a sure bet the family will enjoy 'Shiloh 2', the film based Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's 'Shiloh Season', the second book of the 'Shiloh' trilogy.

Young Marty Preston (Zachary Browne) has saved the beagle Shiloh from the clutches of a ne'er-do-well neighbor, Judd Travers (Scott Wilson). But Judd resurfaces, his drunkenness and bad temper escalating. Marty's father Ray (Michael Moriarty) believes Judd is hunting without permission on Preston land, and to make things worse, Judd makes overtures toward reclaiming Shiloh. At one point Judd's dogs run loose, and one of Marty's sisters is bitten on the leg. Clearly, Judd is a threatening presence.

Then something happens to Judd Travers. Lassie-like, Shiloh leads Marty to Judd's overturned truck, saving the man's life. Will Judd ever lose his apparent hatred? Marty sets out trying to befriend him, following the example of his loving dog Shiloh.

As Marty, Zachary Browne is mostly convincing; he is even endearing during his confrontations with Judd Travers, Browne's eyes full of sincerity and fear.

As Ray Preston, Michael Moriarty turns in an average performance. His acting skills are apparent, yet he plays the role with little or no expression: too low-key are his replies and warnings in conversations with other characters. His wife Louise, played by Ann Dowd, is much stronger in her portrayal of a concerned parent. In one scene, protecting her daughter and other children from the vicious dog, Mrs. Preston swings a broom with frantic protectiveness. Just as she is believable in her disdain of Judd, her husband Ray acts unbelievably laid-back toward the main who seems to pose a threat to the family.

Rod Steiger plays Doc Wallace, the wise mentor to many of the area children. Steiger's experience is visible in his natural manner, even in his expert blocking: the scenes in which he appears are very watchable and well-directed.

Scott Wilson sketches Judd Travers with convincing hatefulness. His drunken staggers are not overdone (although his frequent drunk driving without a sheriff giving chase is inexcusable). Even when the script gives him too little to say, Judd maintains a sour face and convinces us he is a hard nut to crack.

What is not so well done is the portrayal of seventh graders. One scene has all the children on a school bus, talking civilly and woodenly about the dog attack. The kids in Marty's class are entirely too quiet and cooperative with their new teacher, Miss Talbot.

As one might expect, there are many opportunities for sentiment in the story. But in general, director Dale Rosenbloom keeps the tone from becoming too sickly sweet.

Music by Joel Goldsmith assists the story unobtrusively, and a theme song by Rita Coolidge does a nice job of closing the narrative.

A warm-hearted story with an all-important message, 'Shiloh 2: Shiloh Season' will capture the fondness of any viewer. With a story that only seems simple, the film is a solid bet for family enjoyment. In an age in which so many filmmakers refuse to target children, 'Shiloh 2' captivates with a mixture of fun and intelligence.

Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com

The review above was posted to the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).
The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the review and has no editorial control. Unless stated otherwise, the copyright belongs to the author.
Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.
Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.
The formatting of the review is likely to differ from the original due to ASCII to HTML conversion.

Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews