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Year of the Dog

Quirky indie comedy spotlights the underused Molly Shannon

By Geoff Berkshire, Metromix

April 27, 2007

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"Year of the Dog" proves that sometimes, comedy hurts. This eccentric indie about an average secretary ("Saturday Night Live's" Molly Shannon) whose dog dies mixes tragedy with deadpan comedy for unique results.

Peggy's (Shannon) life is simple enough: A normal day involves listening to her boss (Josh Pais, "The Station Agent") bitch about not getting a bigger raise, hanging out with her marriage-obsessed co-worker (Regina King, "Ray"), visiting her overly sunny brother and sister-in-law (Thomas McCarthy, "Syriana," and Laura Dern, "Jurassic Park") and going home to her adorable little dog Pencil. But when Pencil expires suddenly, Peggy's whole world collapses.

Successful screenwriter Mike White makes his directorial debut here and the film has more in common with his darker indie comedies ("Chuck and Buck," "The Good Girl") than his broader studio work (the Jack Black flicks "Orange County" and "The School of Rock"). It also demonstrates his typical mix of hipster cynicism with an underlying sweetness that keeps his satirical writing from becoming too dark or judgmental.

The movie's strong supporting cast also includes John C. Reilly ("Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby") and Peter Sarsgaard ("Garden State") as potential love interests for Peggy, who both have issues of their own.

Ultimately, the movie belongs to Shannon. Lately her career has been limited to supporting roles in film and television, and she seizes this rare opportunity to take the lead. Unlike her famously spastic "SNL" characters (including Courtney Love and Catholic school girl Mary Katherine Gallagher), Shannon plays Peggy with restraint and limited kookiness, but still scores major laughs.

But her (and the film's) most impressive achievement? No matter how quirky and unpredictable "Year of the Dog" becomes, Shannon's fully fleshed-out performance makes it feel real.

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