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CS Weekly Archive > DVD > 09/07/07
Going to the Dogs
by dennis sampson
Year of the Dog
Mike White (also directed)
 
 
Year of the Dog thinks it’s a comedy. Or at least it wants to be. While its jokes don’t work, neither does its dramatic throughline. The story is simple: after Peggy (Molly Shannon) loses the love of her life, her world is crushed. She finds solace in dogs and becomes an activist to save as many of the animals as she can. Regardless of genre, Mike White’s (The School or Rock) film plays as a character study, and Peggy is uniquely drawn and sympathetically portrayed...at least during the first half of the film. It’s only after her “period of enlightenment” (read: save the canines) that she becomes so grating, annoying, and ultimately insane, we lose not only all empathy for her, but respect as well. Her actions are irrational, her reasoning is incomprehensible, and her mentality is moronic. It’s a challenge to recall a movie with a protagonist this irritating. Peggy’s obsession and the narrative eventually merge, providing the same beat over and over. The copious extras (commentary, deleted scenes, and featurettes) are noteworthy for their abundance, but do little to shed light on the film’s writing process.
Year of the Dog
Paramount Home Video
Rated PG-13; 96 min.
$29.99
Buy it now
Dennis Sampson is a commercial production coordinator and unproduced screenwriter. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his better half, Susan, and their dog Tripp.
Year of the Dog courtesy Paramount Home Video
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