Year of the Dog (I) (2007)

A secretary's life changes in unexpected ways after her dog dies.

Director:

Mike White

Writer:

Mike White

Stars:

Molly Shannon, Laura Dern, John C. Reilly

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Molly Shannon	...	Peggy
Laura Dern	...	Bret
Regina King	...	Layla
Thomas McCarthy	...	Pier
Josh Pais	...	Robin
John C. Reilly	...	Al
Peter Sarsgaard	...	Newt
Amy Schlagel	...	Lissie
Zoe Schlagel	...	Lissie
Dale Godboldo	...	Don
Inara George	...	Holly
Liza Weil	...	Trishelle
Jon Shere	...	Pound Employee
Christy Moore	...	Al's Girlfriend (as Christy Lynn Moore)
Audrey Wasilewski	...	Audrey

Storyline

Peggy is single, childless, in her 40s, a lonely executive assistant in a friendly office. Her dog Pencil is the love of her life, and when he dies after eating some sort of toxin, Peggy's life spins out of her control: a friendly neighbor invites her for dinner; a friendly staff member at her vet's calls with an abused dog he recommends she adopt - she does, and also finds herself attracted to this fellow. She becomes a vegan, supports animal-rights causes, and embroils her brother's young children in these concerns. Saving dogs and other animals become such a passion that her mental health and her job may be in danger. Are regaining control and finding love beyond her reach?

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Plot Keywords:

dog | love | animal | vegan | office | 

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Taglines:

Has the world left you a stray?

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some suggestive references

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 August 2007 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

El año del perro

Filming Locations:

Altadena, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$108,223 (USA) (13 April 2007)

Gross:

$1,538,703 (USA) (22 June 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Black & White Productions, Plan B Entertainment, Rip Cord Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The website where Molly makes her card is a real website for making greeting cards.

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Quotes

Peggy: It's nice to have a word that can describe you. I've never had that before.

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Connections

References Babe (1995)

User Reviews

A lovely, quirky little movie

I like animals, I don't LOVE them. I don't even have a pet. However, that's not what this movie is about. Although many people will go expecting to see an animal lover's film or a hilarious comedy. The movie itself is not some screwball romantic comedy. And it certainly is NOT an animal rights propaganda film.

This is simply the story of woman who is like an animal that has been kept in a cage it's entire life and then, one day, was released into society. The uncertainty is so overwhelming that she reacts in irrational ways, "crazy" you might say. Genetically enhanced pigs are like this - they have panic attacks when released from their cages and a larger piece of the world becomes available. Peggy takes small, hesitant steps and slowly builds a life for herself that SHE wants, that makes her happy, where she can feel respected rather than relegated to the role of a mirror for the people around her. It took the death of a dog for her to realize that she was in an emotional cage.

Molly Shannon is truly perfection in this film. She's a joy and a study in wonderfully subtle film acting. Most won't see this compliment in her performance, but I noticed.

If you enjoy movies which make you think, than this is for you. If you want to see mindless, bubble gum entertainment (there's nothing wrong with that...sometimes) than stay away from this film. You just won't understand it.