“Must Love Dogs” is the conventional romantic comedy that we have seen in many motion pictures. Despite likeable performances by Diane Lane, John Cusack, and others, the screenplay by Gary David Goldberg is simply rehashed material. Goldberg also produced and directed.
Lane and Cusack play people who are recovering from recent divorces. Matchmaking attempts by family and friends eventually lands the two together. This has been done before, with better results, by Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn, or by Doris Day and Rock Hudson. Even Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello had better material to work with.
As noted, the supporting cast is quite exemplary. Veterans Christopher Plummer and Stockard Channing stand out as Lane’s father and his girl friend. Others include Elizabeth Perkins, Ali Hillis, Glenn Howerton, Dermot Mulroney, Krikor Satamian, Victor Webster, Suzy Nakamura, Colin Egglesfield, Ben Shenkman, and Julie Gonzalo, who would later become a regular on the TNT revival of “Dallas” (2012-1014).
Due to the charisma of its cast, “Must Love Dogs” does qualify as a watchable movie, and did have some moderate success at the box office for Ubu Productions, Team Todd, and Warner Bros. Pictures.
Must Love Dogs (2005)
cinema
My Review
“Must Love Dogs” is the conventional romantic comedy that we have seen in many motion pictures. Despite likeable performances by Diane Lane, John Cusack, and others, the screenplay by Gary David Goldberg is simply rehashed material. Goldberg also produced and directed.
Lane and Cusack play people who are recovering from recent divorces. Matchmaking attempts by family and friends eventually lands the two together. This has been done before, with better results, by Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn, or by Doris Day and Rock Hudson. Even Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello had better material to work with.
As noted, the supporting cast is quite exemplary. Veterans Christopher Plummer and Stockard Channing stand out as Lane’s father and his girl friend. Others include Elizabeth Perkins, Ali Hillis, Glenn Howerton, Dermot Mulroney, Krikor Satamian, Victor Webster, Suzy Nakamura, Colin Egglesfield, Ben Shenkman, and Julie Gonzalo, who would later become a regular on the TNT revival of “Dallas” (2012-1014).
Due to the charisma of its cast, “Must Love Dogs” does qualify as a watchable movie, and did have some moderate success at the box office for Ubu Productions, Team Todd, and Warner Bros. Pictures.