Air Bud

Air Bud (1997) is a family comedy you can watch online on iFILM. It follows a shy kid and a stray dog with one remarkable trick: the golden retriever can sink a basketball straight through the hoop.

Josh is eleven, newly moved to town and short on friends. On an empty court he runs into Buddy, a dog who's fled an abusive clown owner. When the boy spots how cleanly the retriever nails his shots, he starts bringing him along to practice. Before long Josh earns a spot on the school team and Buddy becomes its crowd-pleasing mascot. Trouble shows up when the old owner learns his runaway dog is now famous and wants him back for the money.

Charles Martin Smith directed, and the on-court stunts were done by a real dog named Air Bud, whose tricks kicked off a whole Disney franchise of sports-dog movies. A young Kevin Zegers stars as Josh. It's gentle, straightforward and warm, an easy pick for a movie night with the kids. Stream Air Bud online on iFILM.