Must Love Dogs, the latest rom-com to spit out of
the always-oiled-but-a-tad-wonky Hollywood machine (which
hasn't been running as well since the days of When Harry
Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle), is as vanilla
as the genre gets.
It's as predictable as a cat near a feathery pillow and what
it does have going for it is merely just a anthology of the
best bits from romantic comedies before it.
Still, and like those that would rather munch on a vanilla
ice-cream than down a double-choc mint-explosion with boysenberry
sauce, it's still going to tickle someone's tastebuds.
I suppose the tip-off that this one's going to be just another
predictable rom-com is the casting. Diane Lane's making a
name for herself - as beautiful as she is, and as talented
as she is - as the romantic comedy sovereign these days after
her roles in one of the genre's better efforts Under the
Tuscan Sun, and Dermot Mulroney's been cast as the likely
amiable male lead in every soppy thing since My Best Friend's
Wedding.
We should know what to expect, right?
The surprise addition to the cast though is John Cusack.
Always solid, Cusack usually selects projects on their worth,
and if they are romantic comedies they're usually brilliant
- like 1989's Say Anything or his earlier effort, The
Sure Thing (1985). Though he apparently wrote most of
his dialogue himself, and that does help flesh his character
out a bit more here and there, he's definitely thrown the
dart off the board this time. But everyone's entitled to slum
it now and then.
In a nutshell, she's (Lane) desperate, dateless and 'kinda
pretty' (yeah, right - and John Cusack has to attend speed-dating
nights to get the hook-up, right?). Thanks to her sister (Elizabeth
Perkins), she finds her mug and bio adorning the space of
a personal ad. He (Cusack), nudged on by another too, answers
her ad. They meet. Sparks fly. Unfortunately, she's also caught
the eye of another man (Mulroney), the father of one of the
children she cares for at a pre-school. Decisions, decisions…
Everyone here - and that also includes Christopher Plummer
and Stockard Channing, playing Lane's father and new stepmother,
respectively - deserves a lot better than the material on
hand. Unfortunately, that was never going to happen in a film
from Gary David Goldberg.
The guy might be able to do TV magnificently, having created
Michael J.Fox hits 'Family Ties' and 'Spin City,' but without
a laugh track, a shorter running time and out-of-house scripts,
he's lost at sea.
Still, Must Love Dogs has its moments - a couple of
good moments actually - and Lane's always a delight to watch.
If you're a fan of hers, or Cusack's, you'll no doubt want
to check this beast out, but don't go looking too hard for
any teeth. DVD
Extras The DVD includes some additional scenes (just what we needed huh?), and a gag reel (which is a bit more tolerable). Conclusion:
Movie 60% Extras: 55% 
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