''Smitty'' is a 2012 American family drama film directed by

David Mickey Evans David Mickey Evans (born October 20, 1962) is an American film director and screenwriter. His films tend to focus on children and the challenges of childhood. A baseball fan, Evans directed and co-wrote ''The Sandlot'' (1993). Life and career Ev ...

and starring

Mira Sorvino Mira Katherine Sorvino (; born ) is an American actress. She rose to stardom with her performance as a prostitute in the comedy film ''Mighty Aphrodite'' (1995), which won her both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Academy Award for Best S ...

Peter Fonda Peter Henry Fonda (February 23, 1940 – August 16, 2019) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. He was a two-time Academy Award nominee, both for acting and screenwriting, and a two-time Golden Globe Award winner for his a ...

and

Louis Gossett Jr. Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. (May 27, 1936 – March 29, 2024) was an American actor. He made his stage debut at the age of 17. Shortly thereafter, he successfully auditioned for the Broadway theatre, Broadway play ''Take a Giant Step.'' Gossett co ...

Plot

Amanda leaves her son Ben with her estranged father Jack, a grumpy Iowa farmer, after he gets in trouble too many times in Chicago. Jack successfully straightens the boy out with good food, farm chores, and a dog; the dog's former owners could not afford to keep him, and Ben names him after Mr. Smith, a wise storekeeper who befriends him.

Cast

as Jack *

as Amanda * as Ben *

as Mr. Smith *

Jason London Jason Paul London (born November 7, 1972) is an American actor, known for his roles as Randall "Pink" Floyd in director Richard Linklater's film '' Dazed and Confused'' (1993), Jesse in '' The Rage: Carrie 2'' (1999), and Rick Rambis in '' Out Co ...

as Russell * Gabrielle Bui as Tia *

Booboo Stewart Nils Allen "Booboo" Stewart Jr. (born January 21, 1994) is an American actor, musician, and visual artist. He is known for playing Seth Clearwater in '' The Twilight Saga'', Warpath in '' X-Men: Days of Future Past'', Jay in the Disney televi ...

as Peebo *

Lolita Davidovich Lolita Davidovich (born Lolita Davidović; July 15, 1961) is a Canadian film and television actress, best known for portraying Blaze Starr in the 1989 film '' Blaze'', for which she received a Chicago Film Critics Association Award nomination. ...

as Judge Greenstein

Production

Filming occurred in Iowa.

Release

The film premiered at the WorldFest-Houston International Film/Video Festival in April 2012.

Reception

Tracey Moore of

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an American nonprofit organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.

awarded the film three stars out of five. Nancy Adamson of the ''

Midland Reporter-Telegram The ''Midland Reporter-Telegram'' is a daily newspaper in Midland, Texas. It is located in the heart of the vast 54-county Permian Basin of West Texas, a geological region which produces 70 percent of the oil in Texas. The newspaper's special c ...

'' graded the film a C. Duane Byrge of ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' gave the film a positive review and wrote, “...but there is a great big Middle American audience out there for this heartfelt entertainment.“

References

External links

* * 2012 films American drama films Films about dogs Phase 4 Films films Films set in 2010 2012 drama films Films set in Iowa Films shot in Iowa 2010s English-language films 2010s American films {{2010s-US-drama-film-stub