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The Dog Problem

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This article is about the film. For the David Rabe play, see The Dog Problem (play). For the album by the Format, see Dog Problems.

The Dog Problem
Directed byScott Caan
Written byScott Caan
Produced byJonah Smith
Palmer West
StarringGiovanni Ribisi
Lynn Collins
Scott Caan
Kevin Corrigan
Mena Suvari
CinematographyPhil Parmet
Edited byJeffrey M. Werner
Music byMark Mothersbaugh
Production
companies
Dog Problem LLC
Thousand Words
Distributed byTHINKFilm
Release date
  • September 11, 2006 (2006-09-11) (TIFF)
CountryUnited States

The Dog Problem is a 2006 comedy film written and directed by Scott Caan. Along with Caan, the film stars Giovanni Ribisi, Lynn Collins, Kevin Corrigan, Sarah Shahi, and Mena Suvari. Don Cheadle appears in an uncredited role. The film premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival and was released on DVD on August 28, 2007.[1]

Plot

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Solo Harrington is a down-on-his-luck writer who has published an unsuccessful novel and accrued heavy debt on drugs and therapy. After being encouraged by his psychiatrist Dr. Nourmand to get a dog, Solo gets himself a scrawny little terrier, but the dog irritates him to the point that Solo doesn't give it a name. Casper, Solo's womanizing best friend, suggests that Solo sell the dog to Jules, a wealthy dog-lover, in order to pay off Benny, a loan shark who regular threatens Solo.

At a dog park, Solo meets Lola and becomes romantically interested in her. When Lola's pit bull injures Solo's unnamed dog, Solo must take him to the vet, borrowing money from Lola in the process. Solo and Lola's friendship blossoms into the potential for romance, but a series of problems stands in the way of the couple. Solo also starts to form a bond with his dog, which complicates his situation when Jules decides she wants the dog for herself.

Cast

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Reception

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The Dog Problem premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival.[3]

Based on 8 critics' reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, The Dog Problem has an approval rating of 63%.[4]

Erik Childress of eFilmCritic.com said the film is, "a romantic comedy which doesn't force its charm down your throat and instead allows the viewer in to peek around its quirks and discover the true heart beating within."[3] David Nusair of Reel Film Reviews called it "a quirky, thoroughly lightweight film that’s generally elevated by several engaging performances and Scott Caan’s confident, almost cocky directorial choices."[5] Eddie Cockrell of Variety wrote the film "is a distinct change of pace [for Caan], reining in the testosterone of 2003's Dallas 362 in favor of a moderately more benevolent worldview," and said "Collins displays an innate understanding of comedic timing", but said it is also "off-puttingly mannered" and the ending appeared to be lifted from the end of 2004's Sideways.[2] In his review for Screen Daily, Patrick Z. McGavin said, "The visual highpoint - a sequence that explains the dog's brief disappearance - reveals a young film-maker whose progress and maturity warrants full consideration."[6]

Music

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The film features a score by Mark Mothersbaugh,[2] and the music used during the title sequence is based on the Devo song "Gut Feeling".[7]

References

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  1. ^ "The Dog Problem - Releases". AllMovie. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Cockrell, Eddie (September 19, 2006). "The Dog Problem". Variety. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Childress, Erik. "The Dog Problem". eFilmCritic.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
  4. ^ "The Dog Problem". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  5. ^ Nusair, David (September 10, 2006). "The Dog Problem". Reel Film Reviews. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  6. ^ McGavin, Patrick Z. (September 19, 2006). "The Dog Problem". Screen Daily. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  7. ^ "The Dog Problem (2006)". Art of the Title.
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