Must Love Dogs (2005)

A forty-something preschool teacher looks to the personals for a change of pace and a relationship, with hilarious results.

Director:

Gary David Goldberg

Writers:

Claire Cook (novel), Gary David Goldberg (screenplay)

Stars:

Diane Lane, John Cusack, Elizabeth Perkins

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Diane Lane	...	Sarah
John Cusack	...	Jake
Elizabeth Perkins	...	Carol
Christopher Plummer	...	Bill
Dermot Mulroney	...	Bob
Stockard Channing	...	Dolly
Ali Hillis	...	Christine
Brad William Henke	...	Leo
Julie Gonzalo	...	June
Glenn Howerton	...	Michael
Ben Shenkman	...	Charlie
Jordana Spiro	...	Sherry
Kirk Trutner	...	Deli Guy
Victor Webster	...	Eric
Michael Spound	...	Marc

Storyline

Preschool teacher Sarah Nolan, divorced for eight months, is still grieving the end of her marriage. Although she didn't see it as being perfect, she probably would have stuck it out as what she saw as the "for better or worse" obligation of the wedding vows, that is if her ex-husband, Kevin, didn't end it for what ended up being leaving her for a younger woman. She is urged by her over-supportive family, comprised of her many siblings, their partners, and her widowed father, to get back into the dating scene, something she has been reluctant to do in not feeling ready. As such, her most proactive sister in the matter, Carol, sets her up on an Internet dating site. Within her less than prepared state, Sarah does go along with meeting men by the means offered to her. Beyond especially her female siblings, Sarah is given unique perspectives on the whole issue of dating and commitment by her father, Bill, who is exploring dating after losing who was the love of his life in Sarah's mother...

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Plot Keywords:

dating | dog | teacher | date | blind date | 

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Taglines:

The hardest trick is making them stay.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros [France] Warner Bros. [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Armenian

Release Date:

29 July 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Frau mit Hund sucht Mann mit Herz

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,855,321, 31 July 2005, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$43,894,863, 30 October 2005

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Team Todd, Ubu Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Final cinema movie written and/or produced and/or directed by Gary David Goldberg.

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Goofs

When Sarah runs out of the shop where she's having a manicure, she has flip flops on and toe separators on her feet. After she talks to Jake and turns around to go back to finish her manicure, the separators are gone.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Rebecca: The best place to meet a guy is at the supermarket. You don't need to waste a lot of time there, either. You see a guy holding a list, you know he's married. He's in the frozen food section carrying a small basket, he's single. I like to hang out by fruits and vegetables, there's a better chance of getting a guy who's healthy.

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Crazy Credits

During the credits, two Newfoundlands are shown, with the following caption: "No animals were harmed during the filming of this movie. Though we were petted within an inch of our lives."

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Connections

References Love Story (1970)

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Soundtracks

Don't It Feel Good
Written by Angelo Petraglia (as Angelo T. Petraglia) and Stephanie Bentley (as Stephanie Kay Bentley)
Performed by Stephanie Bentley

User Reviews

fun movie

Saw this movie as a preview last night. I think they have a real winner. Perhaps even a major hit. Good movie, strictly a chick flick.

Some excellent writing. Some very clever banter and very funny segments.

Some of the plot seemed not credible and off, and the overall premise is fairly corny, although with some original touches. The kids and animals are adorable, and add good color to the movie, although Newfies generally slobber a lot. Setting seems to be in a combination of Boston, Boulder, LA, and San Diego, with blue collar folks living in modest houses with lavish interiors. Must be nice to be in grad school, living in a trailer, and driving a BMW M3 convertible.

But Diane Lane is utterly winning, classy, and stunning, when she is not rather convincingly looking a little dowdy and aging.

Cusak is really "on." The chemistry between Cusak and Lane is palpable. To me, but not the other three viewers with me, a point of lack of credibility was that Lane's character would have any ambivalence or uncertainty toward the Cusak character. The camera loves them both.

All of the supporting acting is great, particularly Stockard Channing as the brassy girlfriend of the father. That would have been an easy part to leave two dimensional, but Channing is nuanced/deep. Elizabeth Perkins is completely credible and engaging as one of the sisters trying to get Diane Lane back into the game after a divorce. Chris Plummer is perfect as the father--handsome, loving, wise, and sad. The Lane character's entire family is sweetly supportive and believable.