Movie Type: Animal Picture, Family-Oriented Comedy
Themes: Talented Animals, Football Players, Man's Best Friend
Main Cast: Kevin Zegers, Cynthia Stevenson, Gregory Harrison, Nora Dunn, Perry Anzilotti
Release Year: 1998
Country: US
Run Time: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: G
Plot
In this family canine comedy, a sequel to Air Bud (1997), Josh Framm (Kevin Zegers) finds it a problem when his widowed mother, Jackie (Cynthia Stevenson), starts seeing the community's new veterinarian, Patrick Sullivan (Gregory Harrison). Sullivan gives a football to Josh's golden retriever Buddy, and the athletic animal is soon girding for the gridiron. Coach Fanelli (Robert Costanzo) adds Josh as back-up quarterback to the jr. high team, and an accident takes Josh off the bench and onto the field. Meanwhile, two devious dognappers (Nora Dunn, Perry Anzilotti) see news footage of Buddy playing basketball and make plans to spirit him away to a Russian circus. Four dogs performed the tricks seen here. The character of Air Bud was created by Kevin DiCicco, but Buddy died not long after the first movie. The original basketball-shooting Buddy, a popular half-time attraction prior to the first film, achieved a lifetime total of some 22,000 baskets. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
Robert Costanzo - Coach Fanelli; Tim Conway - Fred Davis; Dick Martin - Phil Phil; Shayn Solberg - Tom; Suzanne Ristic - Principal Salter; Alyson MacLaren - Andrea Framm; Jay Brazeau - Referee; Jonathan Adams
Credit
Eric Norlin - Art Director, Elisa Goodman - Casting, Abra Edelman - Casting, Patricia Hargreaves - Costume Designer, Richard Flower - First Assistant Director, Richard Martin - Director, Bruce Lange - Editor, Melinda Seabrook - Editor, Michael Strange - Executive Producer, William Vince - Executive Producer, Anne Vince - Executive Producer, Brahm Wenger - Composer (Music Score), Rex Raglan - Production Designer, Mike Southon - Cinematographer, Robert Vince - Producer, Kevin Sands - Sound/Sound Designer, Aaron Mendelsohn - Screenwriter, Paul Tamasy - Screenwriter
Teenager Josh Framm (Kevin Zegers) becomes angry when his mother, Jackie, begins dating Patrick Sullivan, the town's new veterinarian. It all starts when Sullivan innocently tosses Josh's basketball-savvy dog, Buddy, a football one day, and he discovers that Buddy also has an uncanny ability to play the sport of football. Soon enough, Buddy begins playing on Josh's Junior High football team. Meanwhile, two Russian dognappers kidnap Buddy in hopes of having him perform in the Russian circus. It is up to Patrick Sullivan to help Josh get his dog back; and in doing so, they bond and Josh becomes comfortable with Patrick's intimate relationship with his mother.
Rating
Prior to the film's theatrical release, it was originally rated PG by the MPAA (as seen in the original theatrical trailer).[1] When the film was released in theaters, it was re-rated G by the MPAA. The same rating history happened with Babe: Pig in the City, another 1998 film about an animal.
