Akin to the kiddie comedies produced during Disney’s Dean Jones era, Gordy is the heartwarming tale of a piglet determined to keep his family from becoming part of a Denny’s Grand Slam breakfast. It’s sweet, uplifting and family-friendly. And while some teens may find Gordy (starring popular country singer Doug Stone) a bit corny, others will find its innocence a charming change of pace.
“I’m trying to rebuild a bridge of trust with the public that Hollywood has burned,” the film’s producer, Sybil Robson, told Plugged In.
Gordy is a good start. Talking barnyard animals. Cute kids. A tender romance. Bungling bad guys. A race against time. The story takes off when young Gordy sees his family loaded onto trucks and driven away. Realizing they’re in danger, he sets out to rescue them. But it’s a big country out there. Like Dorothy on her quest for the Emerald City, he makes friends along the way who help him achieve his goal.
Positive themes include loyalty, friendship, keeping one’s word, doing what’s right and praying in times of need. Gordy makes his own priorities crystal clear when he states, “There’s nothing better than a happy family.” Healthy parent-child relationships and a respect for marriage also figure prominently.
There are two minor caveats. In a honky-tonk bar, a young girl’s song tells the ladies to “check on your butt.” Also, a rather intense sequence follows Gordy’s family as they march through a meat processing plant (before junior saves the day). The latter won’t faze teens, but younger siblings may need reassurance that all will turn out well.
Though not as stylishly made as Babe (another wholesome talking pig movie that hit theaters in 1995), Gordy is a fun, G-rated romp. Moreover, if it can bring home the bacon on videocassette, Hollywood may rediscover the value of creating true “family fare.”
