Remembering "Dog Park"

This is an odd little romantic comedy starring Luke Wilson, Natasha Henstridge, Janeane Garofalo and Kids in the Hall alum Bruce McCulloch. As the title suggests, canines are heavily involved. The story follows Andy (Wilson in one of his first movie roles), a magazine writer who has just been dumped by his girlfriend Cheryl (Kathleen Robertson) and his efforts trying to get over that relationship, and the parallel story of Lorna (Henstridge), who plays a children's show host who has also had bad luck with men. A chance meeting at a bar introduces these two characters and through some clever interconnections involving their friends, their respective chain of doomed relationships and of course, their dogs.

Andy and Cheryl are having a custody issue over his dog Mogli and Lorna's dog Peanut is having a discipline problem, and as such, they both visit Dr. Cavan, a pet psychiatrist, for different reasons. Mark McKinney's performance as Dr. Cavan would have fit quite well in a Christopher Guest movie, and seeing as McCulloch directed this movie, he probably trusted his former castmate to riff in a few of the scenes, and it shows.

Now, this movie was not well received when it was released (Rotten Tomatoes has it at 35% and the IMDB at 4.9/10), but it may be something that you would like. But there is another reason that I am recommending this movie. Ever person I have ever shown this movie can relate to one of the relationship models portrayed in it as something that has happened to them. Plus, there are some really funny KITH references and a nice burn to a relative of one of the major players in the film that can't be missed. It isn't a monument in celluloid I admit, but it is an entertaining way to spend 91 minutes of your life.

Tags: dog park, janeane garofalo, bruce mcculloch, luke wilson, natasha henstridge, mark mckinney, romantic comedy, canadian, kids in the hall, imdb, rotten tomatoes