Miami dentist, Ted Brooks, (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.) is about to get thrown into a whole new world when he receives word regarding the reading of a will. Ted, who is in his 30's, had no idea he was adopted and now he has discovered that his birth mom has recently died and left him her estate - in Alaska! Fun follows as Dr. Brooks makes his way to the icy state, learns to deal with the elements, and discovers what all he has inherited. (Hint - see title of the movie.)
The Mention of Adoption
Yes, Ted discovers he was adopted late in life. Not at all what is recommended by many adoption professionals who believe that a child should know throughout his/her lifetime. So I hope no one makes parenting decisions based on Disney movie plot lines.
When Ted is finally told of his adoption by his adoptive mother his reaction is over acted as he faints dead away. There is no real conversation with his adoptive mom and no real emotion is shown, but hey, this is a movie for younger kids. Ted does fly to Alaska to take care of his birth mother's estate and does find his birth father. Ted spends much of the movie following his birth father around. Ted is intrigued about how he came to be and is interested in spending time with his birth father, who in the beginning, seems uninterested in him.
The movie ends with Ted incorporating his birth family roots and his adoptive family's interests into his life as he practices dentistry (his adoptive father's career) in Alaska (the state his birth parents love).
I do think that the movie is cute and is an easy way to bring the subject of adoption, reunion, and family into the home. I also like how a happy reunion, with all sides of the adoption triad, is depicted.
The Cast
There is a lot of star power here with Cuba Gooding Jr. as Ted Brooks, James Coburn as Thunder Jack Johnson, and Nichelle Nichols as Amelia Brooks. Remember Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura in Star Trek?
I enjoyed watching the performances but did find Gooding over the top. He did a lot of screaming and over acting, but my kids thought he was funny.
I loved the dogs and they were spot on with their characters! (wink)
To Sum It Up
There are plot holes and some scenes that may make you groan, but the movie is fun for kids. That's the bottom line - it's a kid's movie. The dogs make the show - at least they did for me.
More Information
Snow Dogs came out in 2002 and was directed by Brian Levant. It is rated PG for mild, crude humor. It runs 99 minutes.
More Resources Regarding Adoption Reunions and Talking with Children About Adoption
