“Air Bud” is a 1997 family comedy film directed by Charles Martin Smith. The film follows the story of a golden retriever named Buddy who has a unique talent for playing basketball. Buddy is found by a young boy named Josh Framm who is struggling to adjust to his new school and life in a small town. Josh takes Buddy in and discovers that he can play basketball, leading to the dog becoming the star player of Josh's school basketball team.
The film was a commercial success and spawned a franchise of sequels and spin-offs. The Air Bud franchise includes movies featuring Buddy playing various sports such as soccer, football, volleyball, and baseball. The franchise also includes a television series and several direct-to-video movies. The popularity of the Air Bud franchise has led to the creation of similar movies featuring talented animals, such as “MVP: Most Valuable Primate” and “Air Buddies”.
| Directed by | Charles Martin Smith |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Robert Vince William Vince |
| Written by | Paul Tamasy Aaron Mendelsohn |
| Starring | Michael Jeter Kevin Zegers Wendy Makkena Eric Christmas Bill Cobbs Air Buddy |
| Music by | Brahm Wenger |
| Cinematography | Mike Southon |
| Edited by | Alison Grace |
| Production company |
Keystone Pictures Buddy Films, Inc. |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution (United States) Malofilm (Canada) |
| Release date | August 1, 1997 |
| Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United States Canada |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3 million |
| Box office | $27.8 million |