MUST LOVE DOGS

US, 2005, 98 minutes, Colour.
Diane Lane, John Cusack, Elizabeth Perkins, Christopher Plummer, Dermot Mulrooney, Stockard Channing, Ali Hillis, Ben Shenkman.
Directed by Gary David Goldberg.

If you wonder what on earth a film with a title like this could be about, then a reminder that Personals columns (and on-line dating services) have this kind of pithy indication of tastes and interests of the advertisers. When Sarah (Diane Lane) secludes herself after her husband leaves her, her sisters take over and put a notice on a we-site, including this canine requirement. As usual, there is a comic collage of all the unlikely and unsuitable types who answer such ads.

In the meantime, boat-builder Jake (John Cusack) is moping because his wife has left him. This is not a suspense thriller or mystery, so it’s a matter of watching how these two eventually come together, their attraction and their clashes. In other words, an information technology era romantic comedy.

Fortunately, Diane Lane is at her best and, though not glamorous, most attractive. John Cusack has done this kind of genially bewildered gentleman before. There is a big cast of Sarah’s Irish Catholic extended family (who reflect the current bypassing of the religious and moral heritage – ‘blame the nuns’), especially Elizabeth Perkins as her controlling older sister and Christopher Plummer, nicely patriarchal, as her father. Stockard Channing turns up as a seeming gold-digger who tailors her on-line messages to suit her imagination rather than reality.

This is one of those comedies where everyone does something stupid, comes to their senses, faces reality with a bit more honesty and tries to do something better with their lives. Its success comes mainly from the audience-friendly performance of the two stars, especially Diane Lane.

1. A 21st century romantic comedy? Style, themes, characters? Romance in a computer age?

2. The tradition of screwball romantic comedies, from the 30s? The meeting, losing, gaining – formula? The film’s variation on these themes?

3. Urban US, homes, families, schools, malls, cinemas, the river? Authentic atmosphere? The songs and the musical score?

4. The film as cute and nice? People making mistakes, people falling in love, sex, commitment?

5. The title, computer dating and messages? People busy, using the short cut of computers? People lonely, the lonely hearts columns? The range of advertising? Friends putting in the profiles? The crass touches? The false information? The variety of replies, the different types? The collage of Sarah’s dates? The man crying, the man telling her he expected younger…? Men and women caught up in this kind of dating? Truth and lies – and the example of Dolly and the fifteen-year-old boy?

6. The portrait of Sarah: forties, her husband leaving her, her not knowing why? Living alone? Careless about her appearance and about dating? Her shopping – and buying food just for herself and the plea for the butcher to sell her bargains? Her teaching, her rapport with the children? Meeting Bobby and attracted to him? The accidents? Her family, her sisters and their interfering, the whole family bringing photos for her dating? Her love for her father? The bonds within the family, the Irish Catholic background? Her self-image, low? Her feeling guilty about what happened in her marriage? Her reaction to the advertisements – to the messages, listening to them? The initial dates and their effect? The attraction towards Bobby, talking with him, his buying the dog for his son, his praising her for her being a good teacher, visiting his home and finding June there, the one-night stand, the reaction and her attack on him? The irony of her going on a meeting – and finding it was her father? The effect of all this experience on her?

7. Jake, making his boats, his love for his wife and her leaving him? Charlie and their talks, Charlie trying to fix him up? Watching Doctor Zhivago so many times? The sale of the boat and the man wanting to cut it in half and put it on his wall? Charlie fixing up the dating? Sherry and her work at the office, her being dumb – and their going to see Doctor Zhivago and her crass comments? Going on the date with Sarah, the talk, the awkwardness, the dogs? Taking her to the Armenian restaurant? Their passion, driving over the city to find condoms, not finding any – and the aftermath? His visit, helping Michael home? Returning, finding Bobby, being disillusioned?

8. The portrait of Sarah’s sisters, Carol, older, intruding, wanting the gossip, pressurising her, their putting the information on the Internet? Their own lives, families? The conversations with Sarah?

9. Sarah’s father, idolising their mother, going on the date and meeting Sarah, the party, his recitation of Yeats? Meeting Dolly, the bond with her, the other women, the chance meeting with Jake and his repeating Jake’s words to Sarah?

10. Sarah, being sad, alone, feeling she had messed everything up? Her gay friends, coming over, taking her out to get the manicure? Seeing Jake, chasing him, seeing him with Sherry? The coincidence of her father meeting Jake? Going to the river, the women’s team and rowing, swimming – with the dog? The reconciliation?

11. Jake, his decision to sell the boat, wanting to row one more time?

12. The humour with the dogs, Jake’s dog, its obeying orders? Mother Teresa?

13. Dolly, type, her relationship with Sarah’s father, not knowing whether he would commit or not but attracted to him? Being very direct with Sarah? Getting her help with the boy from San Diego?

14. The two gay men, their friendship, anniversary, helping Sarah?

15. The portrait of family, the extended family, their all helping, bonds?

16. Themes of love, romance, age, loneliness, sex, commitment?