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10/05/07
Year of the Dog (2007)
69
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:139
Fresh:96
Rotten:43
Average Rating:6.4/10
Consensus: Year of the Dog is a warm and quirky comedy that never condescends to its eccentric characters.
Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins
Genre: Comedies
US Box Office: $1,470,625
Synopsis: Any dog-lover would be a fool to pass up this charming dark comedy from director/screenwriter/actor Mike White (THE GOOD GIRL, SCHOOL OF ROCK, CHUCK AND BUCK). Famous for her iconic portrayal of... [More]
Starring: Molly Shannon, Peter Sarsgaard, John C. Reilly, Regina King
Director: Mike White
Reviews for Year of the Dog
1 - 20 (sorted by rotten rating; Australian critics are listed first)
Top CriticDespite director Mike White's ability to make the heartfelt moments count, the film never makes the grade. The title prompts great expectations for animal lovers; the result is a bit like a doggie bag with a taste of everything, but not enough of anything
10/06/07
Top CriticClick to read the article
04/28/07
Top CriticClick to read the article
02/27/09
Oddball comedy about a lonely, dog-loving secretary, Peggy (played, with unsettling intensity, by Molly Shannon).
08/31/07
Year of the Dog is lucky to have a pack of dogs running through the film. They provide the only warmth and energy to be found.
04/27/07
Even Peggy gets to feel something at the end of the film. The same invitation is not extended to the viewer.
04/26/07
Shannon's journey into darkness seems to have no real purpose other than turning into a depressing spectacle.
04/20/07
You could see the film as the making of Crazy Dog Lady or as the story of a bereaved woman finding her true passion in life. Personally, I lean toward the former.
04/27/07
has good intentions and a golden heart, but that doesn't take you that far
04/12/07
The movie’s meaning seems to be: we’re all crippled in some way, so just live with it -- celebrate it, even. That isn’t satire; it’s moss-brained sentiment that turns 'sensitivity' into a dimly dejected view of life.
04/16/07
Top CriticSometimes you pan a deadpan comedy because it's effectively dead.
04/27/07
Shannon, a born comic sidekick, cannot carry the central role; disappointingly, the story sputters out into a sentimental finale.
08/31/07
Loses its way, as if uncertain how to point out its moral and make us laugh at the same time.
08/31/07
The supporting cast of Mike White's directorial debut offer plenty of laughs, but it always comes down to Molly Shannon being the movie's weak link.
01/22/07
"Year of the Dog" is ugly, boring and unfunny. The characters are badly drawn, poorly acted (and this with a killer cast, too). And the "it's hard to be a fanatic, but it's worth it" message is telegraphed in a particularly unappealing way
04/14/07
Amid fearsome cataracts of disdain, Shannon somehow survives
08/27/09
The characters in Year of the Dog are far more interesting than the events they take part in. And the setup is better than the payoff.
05/18/07
Year of the Dogis long-time screenwriter White's first turn as director, and he leans on the crutch of the written word to spell everything out. It leaves Dog with a conclusion that feels dictated rather than dramatized.
04/20/07
Stereotypical, uninteresting or just annoying characters saddled with a boring script and straight-on headshot cinematography add up to a film to miss.
04/24/07
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