A shy boy grows up in 1940s Mississippi with the help of his beloved dog, Skip. starring Frankie Muniz, Diane Lane, Luke Wilson, and Kevin Bacon. Jay Russell directs from the screenplay by Gail Gilchriest; Based upon the 1995 Random House memoir by Willie Morris. Produced by Mark Johnson & John Lee Hancock and Broderick Johnson & Andrew A. Losove; Executive Producers: Russell and Marty Ewing. a Mark Johnson/John Lee Hancock production for Alcon Entertainment. "In Memory of Willie Morris - 1935-1999". Produced in 1999. Premiered on January 8, 2000 • Released in New York and Los Angeles on January 12, 2000, before the expansion to the general release on March 3 of that year.