Sweet and sentimental and cliched, but there are plenty of movies that do sweet and sentimental and cliched much better. I almost wanted to like this movie because Diane Lane is stunning (I fell in love with her in Unfaithful) and Dermot Mulroney is gorgeous (even if he does play the “incorrigible” bastard…not really a spoiler as you can see that one from twenty miles away) and there were a few strands of dialogue that were so true and funny I couldn’t help but smile, but I really couldn’t excuse a poorly constructed movie for a few lines. In fact, most of the dialogue was awfully awkward, and not in a good way. Overall, this is just another lazy chick flick that appeals to a denomination of moviegoers that has already been won over by better films in the genre.

diane lane just seems to get better w/age. she’s beautiful.

I like John Cusak, and he was really the best thing this movie had going for it. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great either, and unfortunately the chemistry between Cusak and Diane Lane wasn’t really there. Also, the humor was a bit forced at times, and at other times downright not funny. There was a reason this was $6 in the bargain bin. But it was an entertainng way to spend a few hours, a cute romantic comedy to end a blah sort of day.

Cusak and Lane play the boy meets girl part well, with Plummer and Channing offering a charming counterpoint. But for once I enjoyed a movie for something other than the acting, directing or plot. This movie was just as much fun to hear as it was to watch. Gary David Goldberg’s screenplay is based on a novel by Claire Cook, so I don’t know who gets credit for the dialog, but it is fresh and crisp in a way I have not seen recently in a romantic comedy. And the soundtrack is stellar, including Cheryl Crow’s “First Cut Is the Deepest” among many great tunes.

I watched Must Love Dogs for the second time earlier this week. I bought it used on DVD when we were walking around the Ave with Piper and her husband recently.

It is a fun John Cusack movie that makes me smile and laugh. It’s certainly not his best film, but it’s enjoyable and not as annoying as some of his recent romantic comedies like America’s Sweethearts and Serendipity.

i’d probably sit through anything with john cusack in it and he was enjoyable in this. i wouldn’t say the movie itself is worth going out of your way for, but not a bad thing to have around on a rainy afternoon. rates higher than your average lifetime movie, that’s for sure!

Sarah (Diane Lane) is recently divorced and has a huge family who is always trying to set her up with someone. In fact, her sister Carol (Elizabeth Perkins) sets up a profile for Sarah on perfect-match.com including the qualification, “Must love dogs,” as it pertained to an earlier conversation they had joking about personals ads.

Sarah goes out with a number of losers, but two candidates seem to be coming back to her mind over and over again.

Bob (Dermot Mulroney) is a recently separated father of one of Sarah’s preschool students. Sarah knows going out with him will only complicate matters between the student-teacher relationship, but Bob seems very interested in her and he’s really cute.

Jake (John Cusack) is also recently divorced. He builds boats and has an egotistical friend. Other than that, we don’t know much about him. In fact, for a movie costarring John Cusack, there’s really way too little of him in it. Cusack’s character is quirky, funny and poetic (sort of like every other character Cusack ever plays) and it would have been nice to see more scenes with him and Sarah together, or really even him alone.

This was a good movie, but it was just missing something. The movie’s focus was apparently trying to make Sarah and Jake’s relationship work out, but everything sort of fizzled. There were few scenes with Lane and Cusack together and far too much focus on Mulroney’s character. Of course there was conflict when Jake found out about Bob, however it was as anticlimactic as the movie’s ending.

It was funny, there were some cute dogs and I really wish I could give it a higher rating, but the plot just wasn’t fleshed out very well. This is definitely worth seeing if you’re a Cusack fan or enjoy a light hearted romantic comedy. Wait for this on cable, don’t bother paying to rent it.

great movie, makes you want to believe that love is still out there!