‘Must Love Dogs’ wears heart on its sleeve
Worlds have been at “War,” “Batman” began again, Weddings have experienced “Crashers” and Wonka went back to the “Factory” during colorfully successful movies this summer. As with most warm-weather seasons, numerous blockbusters have dominated screens with big stars, grand effects and high concepts, leaving viewers with romance in their hearts facing a cinematic drought during the last three months.
That hugs-and-kisses dry spell ends with “Must Love Dogs,” a charming PG-13 picture that wears its heart on its sleeve and, despite an abrupt ending, should leave romantics feeling warm and fuzzy.
Director Gary David Goldberg, creator of feel-good TV shows such as “Family Ties” and “Spin City,” simply wants to deliver an old-fashioned romantic comedy heavy on feel-good elements, likable characters and predictable plot twists. There’s nothing very original about “Must Love Dogs,” but that’s part of the charm of the PG-13 picture that delivers some laughs and tears while making us feel good about spending time with the broadly drawn but emotionally caring characters on the screen.
In the story, thirtysomething preschool teacher Sarah Nolan (Diane Lane of “Under the Tuscan Sun”) is trying to recover from a divorce that she never saw coming and resulted from her husband becoming involved with a woman 15 years younger than his caring wife. Although Sarah figures to spend a long time experiencing lonely nights, her two well-meaning sisters (Elizabeth Perkins of “The Ring Two” and Ali Hillis of “Greener Mountains”) take it upon themselves to get her to again embrace life by signing her up for an Internet dating service.
Sarah, of course, receives some predictably bizarre responses, including one from a sad-sack guy who cries continually and another from a creepy older man who only goes out with women in their early 20s. Afraid of being hurt again, Sarah carefully approaches the dating world. She only lets down her guard with two attractive men, a boat builder (John Cusack of “Runaway Jury”) addicted to watching “Dr. Zhivago” and a single parent (Dermot Mulroney of “My Best Friend’s Wedding”) whose young son is in Sarah’s preschool class.
There’s no doubt which suitor will eventually win Sarah’s heart, but during that trip to find true love, the woman proves very human. She makes mistakes in judgment, sometimes forgets the really important things in a relationship and realizes that playing the game of love requires a participant to take some real risks along the way.
The talented Lane knows exactly how to play Sarah so that we care for her even when she seems to be sabotaging her own happiness due to guilt over her failed marriage. The actress enjoys nice support from the ever-reliable Cusack, who gives his shell-shocked – and too- good-to-be true – character a slightly remote personality to suggest his fear of opening his heart again.
Goldberg assembled a strong supporting cast, including Christopher Plummer (“The Sound of Music”) as Sarah’s widowed 71-year-old Irish father who has a roving eye for the ladies and Stockard Channing (“Grease”) as a lonely sixtysomething woman also deeply involved in the Internet dating game.
Although “Must Love Dogs” (the title comes from a line in an Internet dating ad) may not set your heart on fire, the picture should leave you with a soothing afterglow. That’s thanks to the feel-good work of Lane and Cusack who make us root for their characters to be happy in a world where relationships can all-too-quickly become more disposable than a dozen wilted roses.
FILM REVIEW
“Must Love Dogs”
Grade: B
Starring: Diane Lane, John Cusack, Dermot Mulroney, Elizabeth Perkins, Stockard Channing and Christopher Plummer; screenplay by Gary David Goldberg, based on a novel by Claire Cook; produced by Goldberg, Suzanne Todd and Jennifer Todd; directed by Goldberg.
Running Time: 97 minutes.
Parental Guide: PG-13 rating (strong sexual content).
Web site: www.mustlovedogsmovie.com.