Dog Park (film)

Dog Park is a 1998 American/Canadian romantic comedy film written and directed by Bruce McCulloch.

Plot
The main character Andy is a writer of newspaper classified ads who has been going from relationship to relationship since eighth grade. He loses custody of his dog when his girlfriend, Cheryl, breaks up with him for another man--a punk rocker named Trevor. Andy then meets Lorna, a children's TV show host, but she is too obsessed with her own dog. She's also still hurt emotionally because her boyfriend was Trevor, who left her for Andy's ex, Cheryl. Andy meets her in a bar and has to take her home as she's ill. They both begin making out, but it stops there as she throws up. He knows she works for the TV station and sends her roses and a note requesting a relationship. She decides not to pursue. He moves on by putting himself in a dating auction. She spends some time alone and finally goes out on a date with the clerk from the video store, Callum. It's not much of date, but he helps her out in a big way with the message he leaves on her machine.

Andy gets involved with another woman, a nutritionist named Keiran who believes a lot of sex is beneficial. Meanwhile, Cheryl takes Andy's dog to a psychiatrist, who tells her that her promiscuity is traumatizing the dog. While both Andy and Cheryl do their best to share custody, problems arise as Cheryl and Trevor break up and she tries to win Andy back unsuccessfully. Keiran figures out Jeri's boyfriend Jeff is having an affair with Rachel. When Rachel goes to the obedience school graduation to see Jeff's dogs get their diplomas, the dogs run to Rachel and Jeri deduces the affair. They break up. Andy runs to her side to console her. Both Andy and Lorna have feelings for each other, but aren't sure how to follow through with it. Andy being with Kieran and Lorna being with Callum help them come to a very important conclusion. They meet up at the bar they first met at... and start a relationship.

Reception
Dog Park received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes the film currently holds 36% of apravation, based on 25 reviews. At Metacritic it holds a 46/100 score, based on 14 reviews. Mick LaSalle from San Francisco Chronicle wrote: "Dog Park is clever and pleasant and holds interest. Janeane Garofalo is restrained as a cynical and sensitive magazine editor, and Bruce McCulloch, who wrote the script and directed the picture, plays her boyfriend. McCulloch has mostly written himself out of the movie. He gives himself a couple of strong moments but otherwise keeps his focus where it belongs, on Wilson." Ken Fox from TV Guide gave the movie three out of five stars. Lisa Schwarzbaum from Entertainment Weekly gave it a B- grade and wrote: "No disrespect is meant by saying that this shambling romantic comedy, written and directed by "Kids in the Hall" alum Bruce McCulloch, clings to a sensibility that’s imperviously, uncompromisingly Canadian. The pace, the punchlines, and the characters of Dog Park all land just a little north of target, even though the notion that canine playgrounds make good pickup grounds for humans would appear to be an imperviously, uncompromisingly L.A. idea." Leonard Maltin called the film "Howling bad... with unlikeable leads and meandering sub-plots". Like most viewers, he did enjoy Mark McKinney as the dog therapist.

Awards

 * Genie Awards
 * Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role - Mark McKinney
 * Nominated for Best Original Screenplay — Bruce McCulloch
 * Canadian Comedy Awards
 * Nominated for Film Directing — Bruce McCulloch
 * Nominated for Film Writing — Bruce McCulloch
 * Nominated for Film Performance Male — Mark McKinney