Why so much hype?

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Screenwriter and actor Mike White gives 'Saturday Night Live' alumni Molly Shannon an impressive starring showcase in this creditable filmmaking effort. Molly shines as Peggy, a secretary who gets along better with animals than she does with people. Her whole world is devastated when her beloved pet beagle Pencil is poisoned. Circumstances for her get more and more ridiculous as she begins to embrace veganism and animal rights activism, to the detriment of what few relationships she has with people.While it is understandable that we can lose some rooting interest for Peggy as she goes over the deep end, she's still a somewhat sympathetic and relatable character, at least for viewers who've never really "fit in". If you're going into this one blind, just be aware that it's more of a seriocomedy, with some rather dark elements, than a "girl and her dogs" laugh fest. As has been pointed out, the characters in this story that are the most compassionate about helping animals are shown to have some definite issues. Still, since they obviously have big hearts, one does hope for the best and hope that they get the help that they need.The acting is uniformly fine from a talented ensemble. Molly is well supported by Regina King, Laura Dern, Tom McCarthy, John C. Reilly, Josh Pais, and Peter Sarsgaard.While not all that realistic, this is a reasonably intriguing tale about one individuals' desperate need to find their purpose in life.Seven out of 10.

I am an avid animal lover and movie buff. I watched the movie because of the cast (John C. And Molly Shannon) and the fact that it was labeled a comedy. It isn't a comedy; not even a dark comedy. But that was no big shock as IMDb slaps "comedy" genre on almost every movie. Even if you love dogs, you won't enjoy this movie. As a matter of fact, it is in no way "heartwarming" and I struggle to find a reason anyone would like this movie.The movie was very slow and the plot was weak. It was very anti-climatic and when the credits started to roll at the end of the movie I was left frustrated. I even tried to find some sort of deeper meaning or literary value but there is nothing to find in this movie. There is nothing interesting in this movie. What is the point of a movie if the story is boring and goes nowhere? Poor Molly makes the worst choices in the roles that she chooses.

"Year of the Dog" is a quirky yet poignant comedy. It's not memorable for its laugh-out-loud moments (the few there are), but more for Molly Shannon's terrific and seemingly effortless performance as a woman who has spent her whole life trying to please everyone around her. It's when she finds a cause she believes in that she gradually learns that it's impossible to please herself and everyone else.Shannon is Peggy, a single, milquetoast, unassuming office worker who lives a quiet existence with her dog. You see from the beginning of the film that she has acquaintances, not friends. The camera shows people talking to her in the direct center of the shot, and therefore her eyesight. When the camera cuts back to Peggy, you normally see her just politely smiling and nodding, not responding.Peggy does not seem to mind this style of living. It's only when her dog dies of apparent ingestion of rat poisoning that her life spins out of control.You see Shannon crying a lot during these scenes, and she's very believable. Any person who has ever had a dog for a pet can understand how heartbreaking it is to move on from such a tragedy.From there, the story progresses well as Peggy finds herself going on a date with slovenly next door neighbor Al (John C. Reilly), only to find an open bag of rat poison in his garage that look like a dog went through it. She then gets to know Newt (Peter Sarsgaard), an animal shelter worker who keeps three misfit dogs at his home because he didn't want them to be put down. One of those dogs, by the way, rendered a smaller dog paralyzed. He, however, just doesn't want to see another dog die.Peggy apparently agrees, and begins a self-administered quest to live a vegan life. She brings vegan cupcakes into her office, has fellow workers sign petitions to ban lab testing, and even adopts every dog that is to be put down at her local pound.This film tells very little, and shows a lot, which gives it a lot of depth. The camera shots that represents Peggy's vantage points work amazingly well, considering how simple they really are. When Peggy, while at Newt's house, silently ponders photographs of Newt, one where he is with a woman, and one where he is with a man, no words really need to express what she is thinking. After all, the audience wonders the same thing.You also really feel for Shannon as her well-meaning acquaintances (Laura Dern, Regina King) gradually react to her newfound poli-social stance as if she's on drugs. You also understand the feelings of those who are not quite as sympathetic, such as her boss Robin (Josh Pais).In fact, Pais plays this role with a permanent sneer on his face, as if he's smelling something awful throughout the entire movie. He's one of those actors whose name is not well known, but you've seen him in other things. Still, after seeing this film, you will not be able to get his facial expression out of your memory.The extremes to which Shannon's character goes to protect as many animals as possible are just that: extreme. You can't help but feel for her as she tries to do as many right things as she can, only to find her life falling apart around her. The tragic irony surrounding this film is that she's not an alcoholic or a drug addict, but suffers similar consequences as a result of adopting too many dogs at one point.Of course, you don't blame her for wanting to save those dogs. After all, I'm a dog lover, and I hate to think about dogs dying simply because no one has adopted them. Then again, one dog is a responsibility, and the pet population, as you've probably heard Bob Barker say, needs to be controlled.The film does well balancing the empathetic with the slightly insane, as screenwriter Mike White tends to do with his more independent films ("Chuck and Buck" (2000), "The Good Girl" (2002)). White makes his feature directorial debut with this movie, and provides a great story with images that tell more than most CGI special effects. Even if you don't like dogs, you can't put this film down.

I am a fan of funny movies, idie movies, even mumblecore movies....but this movie is terrible. Not one scene in this trash even amused me. How can anyone see this as funny?I suffered through this movie with 5 other friends. Not one person, one time laughed. I was embarrassed to have bought this movie to show to them. Comments on the film:"A happy go lucky woman who has many friends who appreciate her and a job that utilizes her skills. She Has a nice home and she has her beloved dog Pencil. Presently, she chooses to be single. Then something happens that sends her into the dog eat dog world of searching for love."really? is this for the right movie? *meh