Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Molly Shannon | ... | Peggy | |
Laura Dern | ... | Bret | |
Regina King | ... | Layla | |
Tom McCarthy | ... | Pier (as Thomas McCarthy) | |
Josh Pais | ... | Robin | |
John C. Reilly | ... | Al | |
Peter Sarsgaard | ... | Newt | |
Amy Schlagel | ... | Lissie | |
Zoe Schlagel | ... | Lissie | |
Dale Godboldo | ... | Don | |
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Inara George | ... | Holly |
Liza Weil | ... | Trishelle | |
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Jon Shere | ... | Pound Employee |
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Christy Moore | ... | Al's Girlfriend (as Christy Lynn Moore) |
Audrey Wasilewski | ... | Audrey |
Peggy (Molly Shannon) is single, childless, in her forties, 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? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
I'm a sucker for movies about people and their pets. This film stars former SNL player Molly Shannon as a secretary whose personal life revolves around her beagle, Pencil. When he passes away unexpectedly, she has to find another reason to go on. The film first hints that she'll discover the world of humans around her, particularly men, as two new ones (John C. Reilly & Peter Saarsgard) enter her life. But it smartly steers away from the obvious and veers into a more original voyage of self-discovery. My only real problem with the film is that a lot of the supporting characters are a little too caricature-esquire (notably Shannon's boss, played by Josh Pais), but writer/director White does a good job of redeeming them for the most part. A very touching, gentle film that's well worth your time.