Year of the Dog (2007)

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

Director:

Mike White

Writer:

Mike White

Stars:

Molly Shannon, John C. Reilly, Peter Sarsgaard

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

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
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 | office | neighbor | 

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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:

11 May 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

El año del perro

Filming Locations:

Altadena, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$108,223, 13 April 2007, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,540,141, 28 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

Layla: I believe that there is somebody on this planet for us all. Even retarded cripple people get married. You just have to be open. So maybe your dog died so your love life could live.

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Molly Shannon/Linkin Park (2007)

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Soundtracks

Jingle Bells
Written by James Pierpont
Performed by Jimmy McGriff

User Reviews

A Really REAL Film

"Year of the Dog" is by no means a Hollywood movie. No "perfect" characters here. No "perfect" story. Don't get me wrong, I love a good Hollywood movie. By all means, bring on the popcorn! We do, indeed, need that sort of entertainment in this day and age. I truly love it!

I'm just saying that this film is another breed altogether. "Year of the Dog" deals with situations, realities, and characters one might actually encounter in real life.

This film is brilliant in that it doesn't take sides. An animal lover (like myself) can watch it, and feel fulfilled and amused. A non-animal-lover (unlike myself) can likewise watch it, and feel fulfilled and amused.

Quite a tightrope writer/director Mr. White has created for himself. . .and completely succeeded at traversing. Bravo sir!

It's ultimately a story about how different sorts of people find a way of dealing with the painful events in their lives.

The actors are all on top form (particularly Regina King, Molly Shannon, Laura Dern, Josh Pais, and Peter Saarsgard--not to mention all the beautiful animals).

One could view this story as an exploration of "Dysfunction in modern America". Or, one could view this story as an exploration of "How to deal with dysfunction in modern America".

Take your pick...