The Retrievers: Christian Review and Content Guide

In our review of The Retrievers (2001), we will explore the family-friendly film from a Christian perspective. Includes a parent guide.

Synopsis of The Retrievers

When siblings Liz and Widdy are uprooted from their home in the big city and relocated to a quiet, small town for their dad’s new job, neither of them is happy about the change. Frustrated and resistant, they struggle to adjust—until a stray golden retriever shows up on moving day. The dog, later named Pilot, keeps reappearing and eventually becomes a beloved part of the family.

But Pilot doesn’t join the Lowrys alone—she’s pregnant with six golden retriever puppies. After the puppies—Georgia, Wanderer, Bandit, Milkshake, Chewy, and Mr. Dumas—are adopted into new homes, Pilot becomes withdrawn and unhappy, running away and barking at various houses in search of them. Realizing she misses her pups, the Lowry family sets out on a heartfelt mission to “retrieve” each puppy and reunite their dog family—learning lessons about love, sacrifice, and what truly makes a family along the way.

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The Retrievers (2001) Christian Review: A Nostalgic but Flawed Family Film

One movie I can’t seem to forget from my childhood is The Retrievers, a film made for Animal Planet. It’s not especially groundbreaking or technically impressive, but it’s definitely memorable—at least for the nostalgia. Honestly, when I started thinking about it the other day, I realized how much I still remember about the film and even the music (even though it’s been years since I’ve seen it).

The Retrievers is one of those kid-friendly movies we had on disk, so we rewatched it many times growing up.

And honestly, it’s still really entertaining. If you can suspend your plot-related disbelief and focus on the themes of love and family—both biological and found—plus the adorable dogs, it becomes a charming watch. With only a few mild or intense moments (and those are handled gently), it’s a great choice for a family movie night. It also offers thoughtful opportunities to discuss the family’s behavior and attitudes through a Biblical lens.

A Summary That Says It All

Common Sense Media describes this movie as “Adorable puppies are the highlight of illogical movie” and that’s a great way to describe it.

The driving force of the film—the idea that a family can give away puppies and then have the audacity to ask for them back—creates a memorable plotline. Yet, it’s so unrealistic that viewers need to suspend their disbelief to enjoy it—or simply watch it for fun with their kids.

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A Christian Perspective on Family Dynamics in The Retrievers

Widdy and Liz aren’t exactly the greatest role models—they’re selfish, rude, and constantly complaining. Their dad is portrayed as the bad guy, but after rewatching the movie recently, I realized he really isn’t.

Yes, he makes mistakes and struggles with his work/life balance, but the family moved because of a new job, and he even acknowledges that starting a new position is always more demanding. Instead of supporting him, his wife and kids complain and treat him with disdain, making comments like, “I didn’t know if you’d be here tonight,” rather than offering encouragement.

Although the job remains demanding, Tom eventually stands up for himself and his needs, ultimately embracing a healthier balance and reprioritizing his family. It’s a subtle but valuable reminder that even parents can grow—and that Biblical parenting includes humility, sacrifice, and grace on all sides.

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Puppy Bonding and Poor Behavior: A Mixed Message

Despite their flaws, the family bonds over Pilot, the golden retriever. She brings a renewed sense of camaraderie between the kids, which deepens when she has her puppies. Liz and Widdy’s newfound love for each other makes for a heartwarming watch—but they’re still far from perfect.

When the puppies are adopted, Liz and Widdy are rather rude to the adopters—lashing out at people who genuinely just want to adopt a dog. Additionally, in some moments, they’re still unkind to each other, showing that their relationship is not fully healed.

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Hypocrisy and Moral Dilemmas: A Biblical Lens

There’s also the issue of hypocrisy. Pilot is missing her puppies, so Tom suggests retrieving just one—and the rest of the family enthusiastically agrees to go after Chewy. But Matthew 5:37 (ESV) says, “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No,’” and they’re not keeping their word.

They gave the puppies away. Realistically, you can’t just take them back. But after Chewy’s adopter (played by Betty White) practically begs them to, they convince themselves it’s okay to try reclaiming the others. Chewy’s situation was very unique—he was named Chewy for a reason—and a destructive puppy doesn’t belong with an elderly woman who owns lots of delicate furniture. But just because one adopter changes her mind doesn’t mean the others would follow suit.

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Privacy Issues and Inappropriate Help from Store Workers

The decision to go after the other puppies kicks off a chaotic journey. To start, Tom lies and calls in sick to get the time off needed to help his family beg for the puppies back. The family splits up—boys and girls grouped together—to track down each adopter. (They didn’t take names, addresses, or any other information when giving out the puppies; they just handed them out for free, red flags or not.)

They start asking around town and press local shopkeepers to reveal personal information about the adopters, including where they live—which, in most cases, is extremely illegal. Several employees freely give out this info, and one even flirts with Tom, trying to bribe him into giving her his number before handing it over.

Karen, Tom, and Liz are all flirted with at various points, but in Tom’s case, it adds nothing to the plot. At least in the case of Karen and Liz, the flirtation helps flesh out the adopters’ personalities; however, we don’t need that for a store clerk who’s on screen for a few seconds. One employee even acknowledges she isn’t supposed to give out the information—but does it anyway.

Honestly, if it’s that easy to violate someone’s privacy in Placerville, I’m glad I don’t live there.

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Growth and Letting Go: A Symbolic Turning Point

Though the family begins tracking down and begging for their puppies back, they (thankfully) show some restraint. When they see that a puppy is thriving in their new home, they choose not to ask for it back.

This becomes a pivotal moment for Liz. Georgia—her favorite puppy—symbolizes her attachment to her best friend Natalie. Letting Georgia go represents Liz’s willingness to move forward and accept Placerville as her new home.

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Puppy Tragedy and Honest Parenting

Another significant moment happens when Widdy and Tom go to retrieve Mr. Dumas. Renamed Sammy, he’s been adopted by a kind farmer who, unfortunately, doesn’t secure him properly before using a tractor.

The film doesn’t show anything graphic, but it’s implied that Sammy dies. The farmer even offers to replace him, but Tom chooses to be honest with Widdy. When Liz finds out, she immediately checks on her brother, showing genuine care for him—another pivotal moment in their relationship.

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A Disturbing Household and Questionable Adoption Decisions

Then there’s the most disturbing household of all: the messy and hazardous abode of the pizza delivery guys. The puppies they adopted—formerly named Bandit and Milkshake—were renamed Spongebob and Squidward. These adopters tie one puppy under the house, leave another without food or water, and even give them beer—all wildly irresponsible actions. Thankfully, Liz and Karen intervene and take the puppies away, and the new owners don’t seem to care. Even worse, the adopters hit on Liz and Karen.

The family had noticed red flags from the beginning and did little more than stress the importance of responsibility. They were so desperate to get rid of the puppies (mainly Tom) that they let them go, even though it was clear they weren’t going to a good home. It’s irresponsible—and honestly, pretty irritating.

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Breaking and Entering… for a Puppy?

Finally, there’s Wanderer—and the Lowrys’ attempt to get him back. Tom ends up breaking into the adopter’s garage because she isn’t home when they arrive (she’s not even expecting them), and he thinks it’s a better idea to break into her house (yes, he does this before breaking into her garage) than to leave a note and come back another day. His behavior in this moment feels a bit… erratic, and it seems like his newfound priorities are messing with his logic a little.

Tom finally confesses to his wife that he lost his job during this scene, and the family bonds over the conversation, learning more about Tom and Karen’s past and their relationship.

The family sleeps in their car overnight, and they’re honestly lucky the adopter doesn’t press charges when she arrives and finds random people sleeping in her garage. Wanderer is missing, and she demands monetary compensation to give him back—except she doesn’t even have the puppy anymore (another negligent owner). Wanderer is eventually found at a construction site, and while nothing bad happens, the music and camerawork intensify the situation.

A Tidy Ending That Doesn’t Add Up

But everything wraps up neatly: Tom lies to a potential client by pretending he still works at his old company, which somehow gets him rehired.

And to make things even tidier, his boss finds a litter of kittens in the woods—conveniently placed on a blanket with no mother in sight. They become office pets, and all is well. Oh yes—and the guy who adopted Wanderer to give to his girlfriend (the same guy Liz willingly gave the puppy to when she thought he was single) sends her a sweet package and note, suggesting that this guy with questionable judgment somehow has a future with Liz. Like we said, it doesn’t add up.

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FAQs for The Retrievers (2001)

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Conclusion: The Retrievers 2001

The Retrievers (2001) is a cute and nostalgic family film I enjoyed as a child. Is it perfect? No. Is it logical? No. But is it a fun movie for family movie night? Absolutely.

If you like cute, wholesome, and imperfect movies that end on a happy note and will uplift you and your family, this is one to add to your family night movie list.

And, check out our review of another fun family film, The Secret World of Arrietty.

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Parent Guide for The Retrievers

Nudity and Sexuality in The Retrievers

• Flirtations and calling women things like “babe,”
• Clothing sometimes shows cleavage and midriff
• Karen and Tom show marital affection including kissing, embracing, etc. and are seen in bed together (NO sexual acts).
• Characters talk about puppies being “babe magnets.”

Language in The Retrievers

Use of words/phrases like:

• “oh my god” x2, plus one other use of a similar phrase
• j*ez
• sucks
• doofus x2
• What the
• idiot
• “6 bleeding puppies”
• Old coot
• Mr. Dumas (similar to dumb *ss, but pronounced “doom-*ss’)
• snake
• shut up
• moron
• calling someone a gorilla
• genius (said sarcastically)
• punk
• homewrecker
• “horrible little dog”
• losers
• Mean old kids
• Butthead
• Hagfish
• Weed brain

Violence and Gore in The Retrievers

• Animal abuse by tying up a puppy under the house, mention of feeding it beer, not giving them ample food and water, etc. Not graphic; puppies quickly saved.

Frightening and Intense Scenes in The Retrievers

• A puppy gets run over by a tractor and passes. There is no gore, and the actual act is not shown, just implied. The situation is treated very gently and it’s an opportunity for Tom to explain the situation to Widdy.
• Another puppy gets lost at a construction site and everyone (including Pilot) looks for it; it’s intense and it feels like the puppy is in danger, but nothing bad actually happens.

Substances in The Retrievers

• Some characters offer Liz (underage) and Karen (Liz’s mother) beer, which they decline; these characters apparently give it to the puppies as well.

Religious Content in The Retrievers

• Someone says “Bless his soul.”

Cover Photo Credit: Screenshot of The Retrievers promo poster from IMDB under fair use for review/commentary/criticism. All rights retained by respective owners.