Year of the Dog is a 97-minute punch to the gut. Molly Shannon stars as Peggy, a lonely secretary whose dog dies within the first ten minutes of the film. The dog's death sets in motion a whole out-of-control shift in Peggy's life. Without ruining too much, the events that follow include veganism, abused animals, rejected love, and forcing opinions on small children. Things get pushed to the extreme and it's not pretty. This is not the light-hearted movie that it may appear to be.The movie also stars Peter Sarsgasrd as a sympathetic staff member of Peggy's vet, John C. Reilly as Peggy's hunting-loving neighbor, and Laura Dern as Peggy's ultra-controlling sister-in-law.
Rating: 2/5
Recommended for:People who need a good cry/kick in the gut.
Extended Review: The movie went to extremes. Every actor comes across as fully committed to their character. It's just difficult to watch someone's life get taken over by an idea and be willing to sacrifice every human relationship they have. You expect it to be funny because of Molly Shannon's reputation, but there will be few if any moments of laughter.
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