Must Love Dogs

I finally got around to seeing Must Love Dogs, with Diane Lane, John Cusack, and Christopher Plummer.

I'm a big John Cusack fan, and only slightly less so of Diane Lane (and only slightly less so, Christopher Plummer).

Must Love Dogs is a good flick. Not real deep, and it's a comedic drama (or dramatic comedy), so it's not quite the grins and giggles depicted in the previews (which is fine with me). It's more Lane's movie than Cusack's, but it's got a lot of heart, does a good job showing the pain and awkwardness of post-divorce dating, and has some good relational dialog (a particularly good scene between Lane's Sarah Holan and Plummer's father (Bill) characters was unfortunately cut from the film, but is available in the DVD extended features).

I'm also incredibly encouraged by Dermot Mulroney, who works hard, often, and solidly in every film in which I've seen him (at least since Young Guns). I could do that.

The movie has a couple of hokey sentimental moments that detract from the story, but they're brief, and at least are entertaining in their own right.

Overall, a worthwhile film, if only from the top-notch caliber of talent.