As you may be able to tell, last night was romantic comedy night at the Canadian Cinephile’s house. Must Love Dogs received second billing on the night after Fever Pitch. Must Love Dogs is a 2005 romantic comedy directed by Gary David Goldberg (Dad). The film tackles issues of recently-divorced singles in their 40s as they hit the dating scene again and attempt to “market” themselves. It stands as a realistic and often heartbreaking discussion of dating and love when all hope appears to be lost. In that respect, much like Fever Pitch, the comedic aspect takes second billing. Given the cast and the smart script, however, I didn’t mind that at all.
Oversimplifying Must Love Dogs would be a shame and would do disservice to its intricate storyline. It is basically a very realistic conversation of a film, one that relies heavily on dialogue and wit more than it does romantic comedy setups. The characters flounder, make mistakes and come across as awkward and bizarre. The “first date” between the two leads winds up being about as strange and forgettable as possible, with loads of foot-in-mouth comments and paused silences. It is that type of cautious and often caustic reference to re-entering the “market” that makes Must Love Dogs an unexpected and engaging treat.
The lovely Diane Lane stars as Sarah Nolan, a fortysomething preschool teacher that recently lost her husband and still isn’t sure why. She is tremendously vulnerable as a result, as he had left her for a younger woman. Nolan is alone, often eating meals “over the sink” and constantly receiving love advice and encouragement from her family members to the point of it becoming invasive. She comes from a large family and has a bit of a playboy for a father (Christopher Plummer). Still, Nolan eventually decides to run with the pack and sets up a profile on one of the many dating websites.
John Cusack stars as Jake, another wounded soul. He also recently lost his wife and is in the throes of regret and self-pity, lost in a world in which he creates wooden boats for rowing that people only seem to want as antiques. Jake’s occupation seems to serve as a metaphor for his general approach to life, as he is witty and intelligent but often out of the picture in terms of romantic relationships. He sees himself becoming like a classic – just like the film Doctor Zhivago that he watches in the film – that nobody really has any interest in anymore. As a result, when Jake and Sarah eventually get together, Jake becomes so awkward and out of touch with how to function romantically that things go horribly and hilariously wrong.
The complexity in the story of Must Love Dogs comes in introducing more elements to the plot, such as the potential for a relationship with the “perfect dad” of one of Nolan’s students, played by Dermot Mulroney. The film works to play up Nolan’s general confusion and desperation, as she appears to fall head over heels with both Jake and Mulroney’s Bob, leading to a regretful one night stand with Bob that ends with his true motivation becoming known and poor Sarah feeling like a fool. The film is rich with texture in that respect, filling the characters with a sense of regret and error while at the same time respecting the entire experience. It is about people being thrown to the wolves of the mature adult dating scene and about people feeling lost and trying to be found, sometimes even to be discovered by the wrong person.
Must Love Dogs works because it emphasizes that notion that nothing is ever “over”. Love can be discovered again, but it takes work and it takes time. Many mistakes are going to be made over the course of life, but with the support of family and friends, a person can regain ground and confidence. It is a film about love of many kinds, as shown through scenes with Nolan and her sister – one of the more tender scenes of the film – her father and with Jake. Unexpected bliss and happiness can be found in the most unlikely of places sometimes, it seems, and Must Love Dogs does a notable job in providing hope and an engaging narrative to those in need.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it has one of the smartest scripts in a long time and features enough intelligent dialogue to keep most people satisfied. It may be well over the heads for some people, as it is far from a simple film and does require more effort to watch than Fever Pitch. Still, Must Love Dogs is a more rewarding experience as a result. The direction is not distracting and the cast, also featuring Stockard Channing in a gloriously touching and real role, is tremendous with one another. Must Love Dogs is one of the more rewarding and surprising experiences in terms of romantic comedies in recent years.
7/10
