Thank you to LD Entertainment for hosting my attendance at the Dog Days premiere.
Then ensemble rom-com is hardly a new idea. There are some I love. There are some I can barely tolerate. Most come off as “cute” fare that is perfectly acceptable viewing when you catch it on TV and you have nothing better to do. Ken Marino’s Dog Days manages to pull of the near impossible: it’s a movie that’s almost two hours long, with five separate story lines, that somehow manages to make you laugh out loud and ugly cry while you watch. (In the case of one scene, I actually laughed out loud while I was ugly crying-something I honestly had no idea it was possible to do.) Yes it’s cute. Yes it’s sweet. It’s also really, really good.
The common connection between the story lines are the dogs they love, and they impact they have on each of their lives.
Unlike many ensemble comedies, the script of Dog Days doesn’t force the individual stories to intertwine in awkward and forced ways. Instead, they act as five individual pieces that only connect when it makes sense to do so.
The movie’s supporting cast is full of scene-stealers of both the canine and human variety. If you’re not a dog lover, this movie might just convert you. I know I left the theater ready to head to a shelter and start the adoption process.
Dog Days is rated PG for rude and suggestive content, and for language. There’s a small amount of mild profanity, some kissing, some drinking, and a vague marijuana reference. My mom friends who screened the movie all indicated plans to take their younger children to see it upon release. Dog Days is in theaters everywhere Today!
Don’t forget to check out my behind the scenes look at the Dog Days world premiere!
From actor/director Ken Marino (How to Be a Latin Lover), Dog Days is a hilarious and heartwarming ensemble comedy with an eclectic cast of characters both human and canine. Elizabeth (Nina Dobrev) is a charming newscaster, settling into single life and battling the on-screen chemistry with her new coanchor and former NFL star Jimmy Johnston (Tone Bell) while seeking advice from her dog’s therapist Danielle (Tig Notaro). Tara (Vanessa Hudgens) is a spunky barista who dreams of a life beyond the coffee shop with her crush, hunky vet Dr. Mike (Michael Cassidy), while her friend Daisy (Lauren Lapkus), a lovelorn dog walker, is enamored with a client she hasn’t quite met yet. Meanwhile, Garrett (Jon Bass), owner of New Tricks Dog Rescue, pines after Tara while trying to keep his struggling dog adoption business afloat. Soon-to-be parents to twins, Ruth (Jessica St. Clair) and Greg (Thomas Lennon) reluctantly leave their big mischievous mutt in the care of Ruth’s brother Dax (Adam Pally), an irresponsible man-child in a band with his ex-girlfriend Lola (Jasmine Cephas Jones). Grace (Eva Longoria) and Kurt (Rob Corddry) anxiously await the arrival of their adopted daughter Amelia (Elizabeth Caro), whose life inadvertently converges with that of Walter (Ron Cephas Jones), an elderly widower who’s lost his overweight pug. Tyler (Finn Wolfhard), the neighborhood pizza delivery boy, befriends Walter and helps him search for his beloved pet. Dog Days highlights the everyday connections between people and their dogs in Los Angeles as they uncover life lessons and new relationships in this romantic comedy in the vein of Love, Actually and Crazy, Stupid Love.
