'Dog' shows how to fetch the meaning of life

The Baltimore Sun

Year of the Dog reinforces what dog owners already know: In a world where things are not always what they seem, the love of a good pooch is one of the few things we can count on.

It's also a film about how pets bring out the unexpected in all of us, a notion riffed on by writer-director Mike White to comically poignant effect. The result may be too calculatedly smug for some tastes, a deadpan version of the old "Happiness is a Warm Puppy" wall plaques. But dog lovers will laugh, cry and rejoice that they're in the presence of a filmmaker who understands.

Year of the Dog (Paramount Vantage) Starring Molly Shannon, Peter Sarsgaard, Laura Dern. Directed by Mike White. Rated PG-13. Time 92 minutes.

Copyright © 2021, The Baltimore Sun, a Baltimore Sun Media Group publication | Place an Ad
72°