Must Love Dogs parents guide

Must Love Dogs Parent Guide

Overall C

When Sarah (Diane Lane) gets signed up for an Internet dating service, stipulating all interested parties Must Love Dogs, she ends up with pack of suitors howling at her door -- including the recently-rejected Jake (John Cusack) and the desperate-dad Bob (Dermont Mulroney).

Release date August 11, 2005

Violence B+
Sexual Content C-
Profanity C
Substance Use C+

Why is Must Love Dogs rated PG-13? The MPAA rated Must Love Dogs PG-13 for sexual content.

Run Time: 98 minutes

Parent Movie Review

Divorce can take a toll on a person’s self-confidence. But throwing one’s self back into the dating market can be even more frightening.

No one knows that better than Sarah (Diane Lane), a 30-something preschool teacher who has been traded in for someone younger and fairer. Rattling around her empty house, she struggles to keep her spirits up. Her family is concerned about her as well. Over dinner and drinks, her siblings offer her photos and phone numbers of several available options—some single, some married. Her older sister Carol (Elizabeth Perkins), however, goes one step further and sets up an account on an Internet dating service. Describing Sarah as a voluptuous catch, the profile also stipulates all interested parties “must love dogs.”

The ad solicits a host of replies from a host of prospective partners, some more appealing than others. It also catches the attention of Jake (John Cusack) a passionate boat builder who has just been dumped. His friends think he is in serious need of some social interaction. However he feels awkward about getting back in the matchmaking game and his initial meeting with Sarah at the dog park is clumsy and uncomfortable.

Still, Jake isn’t the only one interested in Sarah. The recently separated father of one of her students starts to pay special attention in parent-teacher interviews. Despite her convictions to maintain a professional presence in the classroom, Sarah soon realizes Bob (Dermot Mulroney) has extracurricular activities on his mind.

After being on her own for so long, Sarah claims her greatest worry about going out with a man is the possibility of intimacy. Yet she appears to spend a great deal of the film in a heated hunt for it. As a result, the script includes numerous sexual discussions between adults and comments from young children who openly discuss their parents’ extramarital affairs. Even Sarah’s widowed father gets in on the action by pursuing an affair with his online acquaintance (Stockard Channing) and several other older women. The only positive relationship advice in the film comes from a homosexual couple that appears to be the happiest pairing of all.

Like many romantic comedies, the movie relies on misunderstandings and coincidental circumstances to draw out the storyline. But the film falls short of giving any conclusive reasons for Sarah’s eventual choice. The characters’ lack of discretion may also leave parents explaining some delicate details of adult relations. With profanities, plenty of drinking and near nudity in the shower and at a strip joint, Must Love Dogs barks up the wrong tree for family friendly entertainment.

Running time: 98 minutes. Theatrical release August 11, 2005. Updated

Must Love Dogs Parents' Guide

Carol believes an Internet dating service is a great way for Sarah to meet a man. What are the advantages of signing up for this method of meeting people? What are some of the drawbacks? How would you ?market? yourself using 25 words or less?

Sarah’s family is very involved in her love life. Is it a positive thing? How important is family support during difficult times? Does your family offer help and how do they do it?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Must Love Dogs movie is December 19, 2005. Here are some details…

DVD Release Date: 20 December 2005

If your tail wags for tales of puppy love, check out Warner Home Video’s release of Must Love Dogs, in either wide or full screen. Included on the DVD are additional scenes and a gag reel. Audio tracks are available in English, with subtitles in English, Spanish and French.

Related home video titles:

A single young fashion designer gets some support from the handsome local pastor when she is given guardianship of her sister’s children in Raising Helen. A divorced mother with two daughters underestimates her own abilities while looking for The Perfect Man.