Must Love Dogs (2005)

A thirty-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 (Diane Lane), 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 (Elizabeth Perkins), 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 (Christopher Plummer), who is exploring dating ...

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

The dog "Mother Theresa" was played by two six-month old Newfoundland puppies named Molly (who did most of the work) and Maeve (who performed the water scene) Both of whom appeared at the end of movie together. Writer, producer, and director Gary David Goldberg adopted both puppies at the end of filming.

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Goofs

When Sarah's family are trying to set her up at the beginning of the movie, her sister Carol shows her a photo of a man with his wife. When Carol turns to stick it on the fridge, the man and wife photo is already there.

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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 Doctor Zhivago (1965)

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Soundtracks

I Never
Written by Jenny Lewis
Performed by Rilo Kiley
Courtesy of Brute/Beaute Records and Warner Bros. Records Inc.
By Arrangement with Warner Strategic Marketing

User Reviews

McDonalds Movie

My friend commented this is a McDonald's movie - that is, you don't go to Macca's expecting haute cuisine and the title and summary at the back of the DVD cover should have tipped people off that this is a Cheese Burger movie. ( Plain, slightly boring, inoffensive) John Cusack and Diane Lane play angst ridden characters, slightly caricatured ( no one I know is quite as oddball as Jake- is Cusack being typecast?- or quite as neurotic as Sarah). The movie IS somewhat clichéd but the dogs are very cute as are the kids ( if slightly precocious at times). The sisters are more realistric - mine could be just as mean under the guise of honesty and just as meddling. Christopher Plummer as the Dad was a shock ( esp with Irish accent) - but Stockard Channing plays the girlfriend very well - mature aged vanity and all.

I liked this movie - a pleasant way to end a Monday night...

Details

Official Sites:

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

Country:

USA

Language:

English Armenian

Release Date:

29 July 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Must Love Dogs

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,855,321, 31 July 2005

Gross USA:

$43,894,863

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$58,231,520

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