How To Kill Your Neighbor's Dog Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
One man's pet is another man's peeve.
Shy, chain-smoking, insomniac Peter McGowan is an L.A. playwright with a string of hits that preceded his current ten years of failed productions. His mother-in-law is sinking into senility, a stranger is meandering the neighborhood claiming to be him, neighbors have a new dog that barks all night; his wife wants to have a child, and he does not: he's become impotent. He's working on a new play when a single mom moves in next door with her 8-year-old daughter. His wife immediately invites the girl into the McGowan household. Will this child stir Peter's paternal feelings? Will she also help him get his dialogue right? And what of his doppelganger and the neighbor's dog?
| Kenneth Branagh | Peter McGowan |
| Robin Wright Penn | Melanie McGowan |
| Suzi Hofrichter | Amy Walsh |
| Lynn Redgrave | Edna |
| Jared Harris | False Peter |
| Peter Riegert | Larry |
| David Krumholtz | Brian Sellars |
| Johnathon Schaech | Adam |
| Kaitlin Hopkins | Victoria |
| Suzy Joachim | Allana |
| Brett Rickaby | Janitor |
| Lucinda Jenney | Trina Walsh |
| Derek Kellock | Amy's Father |
| Stacy Hogue | Babysitter |
| Peri Gilpin | Debra Salhany |
| Michael Kalesniko |
7.10 out of 10 (1346 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Fabulous writing, fabulous acting, wonderful movie!!!
posted on 24 May 2009Kenneth Branaugh is (and always has been) one of those
"do-no-wrong" actors in my book. I have loved him in just about everything I have ever seen him in. This movie was (to put it mildly), no exception. I LOOOOOOOOVED this film. Very funny and very moving.
GREAT flick!
If you like Tennenbaums...
posted on 12 May 2009...you'll love this movie. It too uses a lot of big words and high concepts. It too has too many storylines that don't connect (ever). It too features a bunch of rich people feeling sorry for themselves for no apparent reason (maybe pondering the meaninglessness of their meaninglessness?). It too has a bunch of too-cool-for-the-room humor that you will only get if you are very smart and very clever.Don't get me wrong, there are good things about this movie, but they barely make it watchable start-to-finish. Branaugh, Hofrichter, and Harris all deliver spectacular performances and there scenes together prove to be the glue that holds this thing together.Of all the things in this film I didn't enjoy I will focus solely of the putrid performance of David Krumholtz, as the flamboyantly gay director, Brian Sellars. It is, simply put, the most two-dimentional, stereotypical, and offensively poor depiction of a homosexual I have ever seen on film. Seriously folks, it is painful to watch, and Krumholtz ought to be blacklisted for it.
Jon Monsarrat review: charming & funny
posted on 27 Dec 2008I'm an action movie guy -- I get bored in the melodramatic scenes in dramas or romantic comedies. "How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog", however, is a straight comedy, and it's laugh-out-loud funny and intellectual without being too arty.Kenneth Branagh is great as usual, but the film isn't of the powerful and elite theatrical stuff he normally does. It's rather like "Dead Again", in being typical Hollywood with a few interesting twists and some very clever lines and interactions. There film has something to say, sort-of, but it's not especially deep, and I'm sure I totally missed lots of in-jokes for theater performers.The only negative comments I'd make: (a) the film involves a disease, whose symptoms I entirely failed to pick up on (b) was it just a bad videocassette I rented, or is the sound quality awful?Who should see this film:-- theater actors, writers, stagehands-- comedy lovers who aren't expecting any action or romance-- action buffs: when your spouse tries to get you towatch a romantic comedy, make an attempt to switch to this oneI rate "How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog" a 7 out of 10.
Passionate recommendation
posted on 30 Oct 2008I saw this film at the 2001 Philly International Film festival, which was the 1st time I attended. This was the best of the 8-10 movies I saw at the festival. It will make you laugh. This film needs more help to be released widely, in my opinion. I cannot say enough how fantastic this movie is.
You'll laugh, you'll cry
posted on 16 Oct 2008I really enjoyed this film. I saw it on the last night of the Toronto International Film Festival, it was the closing Gala. There are lots of great one liners in the film, mostly delivered by Kenneth Branagh. The young girl who plays Amy was very good. The scenes between her and Branagh are wonderful.
waist of time
posted on 11 May 2008If this should have been a comedy, it has been the worst one I've ever seen. I tried to think what genre it was, I couldn't even do that. I tried to look at it as a comedy, I tried it as a drama, but nothing. The entire movie I tried to figure out what does the title have to do with the actual movie. The neighbor's dog appears late in the movie and the worst part about it is that the main character isn't even trying to kill the dog, the movie's plot has absolutely nothing to do with the killing of that dog. The movie is about the way some guy feels about how he's life would be if he had a child. It was a total waist of my time.
Intelligent Comedy, Worth Watching
posted on 02 Mar 2008I liked this movie - for a change we have here an intelligent comedy, smart dialogs, a conventional story that succeeds to almost never fall in the romantic routine. The story is set in Los Angeles. A British-American play-writer goes through a mid-life, mid-career, mid-relationship crisis. He is happily married, but the couple is childless, mostly probably because he is a champion of egocentrism and does not seem to like children very much. All this changes when a neighbor with an eight-year old daughter moves in. You have indeed seen the story in many other movies, but the masterful acting of Branagh with good support from the rest of the team, the sarcastic description of the content-empty life in the artistic circles in Los Angeles, and the witty relationship between the European roots of the character and his Americanized life make the film both interesting to watch, as well as true in message. 8 out of 10 on my personal scale.
A promising debut
posted on 06 Jan 2008How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog is the directing debut of screenwriter Michael Kalesniko, and it shows. An excellent cast, intelligent dialogue, nice ending and all over well-made doesn't help, as Mr Kalesniko have had editing problems with his own script - he has forgotten the golden writing rule of killing your own darlings.Evidently the director/writer Kalesniko feels that writing is hard, and frustrating, therefore a large part of the film is about the lead character (well played by Branagh) having problems writing his latest play, which maybe could be interesting for his (Kalesniko's) friends and family, but certainly of little importance to the general public. It is old ground which has been covered before, numerous times, and better, to boot.If the film was re-edited I think it could be a smashing hit, if it concentrated on the lead character's family life, and his neighbours (including the excellent dog), and not so much on this stage production that never really takes off. It is neither funny enough, nor moving enough, even if the role of the theater's janitor (played with such bravado by Brett Rickaby) is a premium class gem. That the play's director flips every other scene and starts to sing instead of directing is weird, that's all!Other first class acts are Suzy Hofrichter as the young Amy, and Lynn Redgrave as the demented mother, and Jared Harris as Branagh's doppelganger. Robin Wright Penn plays the role of Branagh's wife with confidence, while I have seen better performance from Branagh. So I'm looking forward to Michael Kalesniko's next film, and hope he re-releases this one, in a shorter, better, version.I'll give it a 9 for the acting, 9 for the dialogue, but 3 for the editing (tempo, majestro, tempo!) and a 4 for the over-all impression!So, in conclusion a 5/10, so not good, but promising!
Smart and Fun !!
posted on 12 Sep 2007This movie is about a cynical and satirical writer with a wife who's character is practically just the opposite of him, fun, open, lively and talkative. As they get new neighbours with a young, mildly disabled girl the story starts to unfold. It's sometimes a laugh out loud funny (witty remarks by Peter hehe ) and sometimes gives you some things to consider. Don't really have much time now, but overall the movie is well made, characters likable and the movie nicely brings them closer to the audience, you can understand them. It is a movie to watch in the evening when you don't feel like watching all that cgi and shooting and just want something more peaceful,intelligent with quite some laughs in between. Recommended.
A Hidden Gem
posted on 03 Apr 2007I discovered this movie while browsing through Netflix. How I never heard about it before I don't know. But this is an excellent movie. Great cast, great writing. I liked all the story lines, which at first seemed disparate but neatly tied together by the end. Suzi Hofrichter as Amy is particularly good, but the whole cast is just wonderful. Even the uncredited Daniel Stern in a small but hilarious role. Robin Wright Penn is, as always, beautiful. And the scenes between Branagh and Peri Gilpin (of Frasier) are absolutely brilliant. I'm now the proud owner of a copy and plan to make sure all my dates, friends and relatives see it. If you haven't yet - do. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
Film goes nowhere
posted on 08 Mar 2007This film starts out as a dark comedy but about halfway through it turns on the sentimentality. Story is about a Los Angeles playwright that is in production with his new play and is having a terrible time with re-writes. Kenneth Branagh plays Peter McGowan and along with his play he and his wife Melanie (Robin Wright Penn) are trying to conceive a child and he is having difficulty with that also. Peter chain smokes and is not to crazy about kids but he is introduced to his new neighbors daughter Amy (Suzi Hofrichter) who has cerebral palsy. Melanie's mother Edna (Lynn Redgrave) is suffering from advanced senility and lives with them and Peter is having a difficult time concentrating on his play. And he also has a difficult time sleeping at night because his neighbors dog keeps barking so Peter goes for midnight walks and meets a man from England (Jared Harris) that has been telling everyone that he is Peter McGowan when in fact he's just an obsessed fan. This film is directed by Michael Kalesniko who wrote the screenplay for "Private Parts" and he displays a knack for showing the struggles of a writer but aside from that this is a film that meanders until it eventually wears itself out. Redgrave seems completely wasted as the senile mother of Penn. She has one effective scene with Branagh as she lies in bed but other than that her role is relegated to wandering about their home in a trance. Penn plays her role rather straight forward but she displays real charm that I think she's never really shown before on screen. Not a complicated part but she gives it her all. The film starts out with showing all of Peters quirks and difficulties but once that is done the film wanders and meanders until its reduced to Peter getting very sentimental over his neighbor Amy. Branagh is believable as a writer but all the events that go on around him are not.
We have all faced some of the same problems.
posted on 08 Mar 2007I really had little idea as to what this was going to be, but being a fan of Kenneth Branagh's work, and hearing that is was a bit comedic, I gave it a shot. From the very first minutes of the movie, you know that you are in for "something special". As always, his timing when delivering a humorous line and his adroit methods of playing off a co-star, are in full force here. Robin Wright does an excellent job as his usually ignored wife, and the remainder of the cast, as you will see, was well directed.The "real" standout in this film is the dialogue. The writing is superb...so much so, that I am going to watch it again, to pick up the lines I missed while I was either laughing or savoring an exquisite film moment.He is totally in charge of the role given him here and really does hate the neighbor's dog ( as you would too), but the dog is only a segment of what is a bigger picture of a man fighting his personal torments, and all the while, doing it with a smile.Why there wasn't more publicity about this film is beyond me. If it is to become a "cult" classic, then so be it, but it will definitely become some kind of classic. I have written other comments on this site for movies, and consider myself an "excellent" judge of what entertains and what does not, no matter who is in it, and I heartily recommend that you get a glass of your favorite whatever, and sit back and watch a great movie unfold. I would suggest that you are older than thirty to REALLY have fun with this vehicle.Oh yes, let the credits role after the movie ends....in a few moments there is a scene that you WILL need to see. It's just one...but it's important. Get the popcorn and turn it on. You can thank me later.
Wit and charm in both characters and script
posted on 26 Feb 2007The script gives Branagh a full range of comedy styles to work with - scathing comments, witty repartee, crude slapstick - it all works together well because the thread is coherent and always looks beyond the humor to the realistically portrayed underlying moral issues. These issues include disability and how it is experienced not only by those living with a disability but, more importantly, by those close to them. Another issue is the McGowan's differences of opinion on having children and how their growth in their relationship and themselves affects this. Laugh-lovers, however, should not despair, as the script does not degenerate into maudlin or overblown consideration of these issues - rather it deals with them as they come up, realistically, but with good doses of humor along the way, rather like in 'real life'.
Deserves a general release
posted on 21 Sep 2006I saw this film over the weekend in the Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema and thought it was terrific. Intelligently-written, staggeringly well-directed for someone making his feature film debut, with a game cast of name actors and impressive new faces -- too bad it can't find a proper distributor. It deserves to find a bigger audience (and if given the chance, it would).
Personality disorder comedy
posted on 06 May 2006The film is about a writer struggling with his block, his wife struggling to have children and the sweet girl next door who brings life to the writer and his wife. The film is not necessarily blockbuster quality and will do better on video rentals and sales. I saw a rough cut, so I cannot comment on the sound or editing. There are funny moments, and you will love the relationship between Kenneth Brannagh's character and the little girl. Can't give away any more!
Bow Wow WOW!
posted on 13 Nov 2005How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog is a bright, refreshing movie with a leading role tailor-made to Kenneth Branagh's comedic skills. He plays Peter McGowan, an English playwright living in Los Angeles, who is entering middle-age with all its attendant woes. He is ably assisted by a cast which includes Robin Wright Penn as his angelic wife and Suzi Hofrichter as a young neighbor girl who teaches him about life. A comedy made for literate adults is a rarity these days -- this is a beguiling one that will keep you thoroughly amused by the sharp dialogue and the pitch-perfect performances. You will leave the theatre in an upbeat mood, humming those classic Petula Clark tunes.
Our kind of movie - funny!
posted on 03 Aug 2005We caught this film on cable last week and were shocked. No, not by the title - but how did we not hear about this movie? I'll say upfront, I'm not a Branagh fan, but I do love Robin Wright Penn. But Branagh blew me away with this performance - he's finally been given a great script by someone other than Shakespeare and run with it. The writing is smart and funny, the supporting cast is just terrific, especially the girl playing Amy. When I checked here, I saw the writer/director is the same guy who wrote Private Parts, one of my favorite films.If I try and put my finger on what touched me the most in this movie, I guess it's that the people were all so "real" and so I ended up caring very much what happened to them all. I'd love a sequel to see what happens to them after this episode in their lives!Who should see this film: Everyone who likes smart, funny writing and acting told in an adult way; and anyone who likes something other than the typical Hollywood blockbuster.
Smart, funny and original
posted on 12 Jul 2005How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog is a smart, funny, original comedy for grownups - a rare pleasure these days. The witticisms fly fast and furious, but Kenneth Branagh, as playwright Peter McGowan, has the verbal dexterity to toss them off naturally. It's a pleasure to be reminded of what a versatile and accomplished actor he is in non-Shakespearean roles. The main plot of the movie, which involves Peter's reluctance to have children, and his growing relationship with a neighbor child, flirts with sentimentality, but avoids it thanks to the sharp writing and performances. The style of the movie and its original, quirky subplots lift it well above the ordinary.
There are Rewards to be Found Beyond the Title
posted on 08 Jul 2005First of all, the biggest obstacle to enjoying and appreciating this movie is the fact that the title alone is going to keep it out of most people's hands. Let's face it, when the average, discerning viewer browsing the local video store shelves comes across one called `How To Kill Your Neighbor's Dog,' it immediately gets mentally shuffled into the mindbox right alongside such obtuse fare as the consummately repugnant and forgettable `Surf Nazis Must Die,' (which, by the way, is a title I never thought would issue forth from my fingertips for any reason whatsoever, but it happens to work here) or the likes. I mean, slapping on such a designation is like insisting on a strike three call with the first pitch when you're the batter. Then again, there's that old saying about judging a film by it's cover. Take `Office Space,' for example; who in a million years would have expected something as entertaining and insightful from Mike Judge, the guy who gave the world Beavis and Butthead, for crying out loud?
(Still, in retrospect, Beavis and Butthead wasn't half bad...). The point is, writer/director Michael Kalesniko did himself a major disservice with his title, which may have been a shock value attempt to grab some attention that didn't really work out. But if you can overcome what for most will surely be an entirely understandable prejudice against this one, you'll be in for a treat. And in the final analysis, it points up the wisdom of not dismissing any movie out-of-hand.Hollywood denizen Peter McGowan (Kenneth Branagh) is a successful playwright, but in the show biz tradition of `what have you done for me lately?' he is having trouble getting his latest play off to a running start. Rehearsals have begun, but even director Brian Sellars (David Krumholtz) can't seem to find the magic. And poor Peter is experiencing a heavy hit of writer's block that is preventing him from fixing it, and working out of his home doesn't seem to be the answer. Wife Melanie (Robin Wright Penn) is supportive, but they have no children of their own, and pursuant of her natural motherly instincts, she has taken on eight-year-old Amy Walsh (Suzi Hofrichter), daughter of new neighbor and single mom Trina (Lucinda Jenney), to babysit. In addition to which there is a `False Peter' (Jared Harris) roaming about the neighborhood, a fan, apparently, who has taken on Peter's identity, and to top it all off, the neighbor's dog just will not quit barking. Suffice to say Peter is not seeing the world through rose colored glasses these days, but there has to be an answer to his many and myriad dilemmas; now all he has to do is find it.Perhaps sabotaging his own film with a title that instantly relegated it to `cult' status was Kalesniko's way of getting into his alter-ego's skin and exploring Peter's conundrum and his possible reactions. And if such was the case, it worked. Because once you give this film a chance, you'll find that it's funny, poignant and actually filled with some pretty astute insights into and observations of the human condition. This is a black comedy/drama, to be sure, but at the heart of the film there is a dramatic story that will evoke no small amount of empathy and compassion from the audience. Which is to say, with this film you get so much more than what you bargained for; it is decidedly NOT what you're expecting based on the title alone. There are a couple of instances in which Kalesniko succumbs to a bit of unnecessary low-brow humor, but it's not enough to detract from the whole. In the end, this film dips deeply into the pockets of human nature to extract the kind of sentiments (without being sentimental) rarely found in a film of this genre, and it makes a positive and lasting impression.The role of a transplanted Brit insomniac playwright with writer's block must have seemed like a character out of a dream for Kenneth Branagh, who totally immerses himself in Peter and comes up with a winning and memorable portrayal. The character was obviously well written to begin with, but Branagh takes hold of the part and runs with it, making it entirely his own by lending the kind of depth and nuance to it that really brings Peter to life. The development of the character is effected extremely well, too, as initially, Peter is a guy who is not necessarily likable, with quirks and peccadilloes aplenty. But as the story progresses, so does Peter, and there's some tender moments along the way that are quite unexpected, given the attitude and bearing Peter starts out with. And it's the way Branagh brings his character around that makes it work; it evolves rather than coming from a sudden left turn out of nowhere. Peter finally has a `breakthrough,' and it comes from a place that is completely unanticipated.
It's a solid performance, and one of the rewards that comes from successfully navigating past Kalesniko's questionable title.Robin Wright Penn is also impressive in her role as Melanie, though it's not too much of a stretch for her artistically. But it's one of those straightforward `normal' characters that seem so easy to play they are often taken for granted (Easy? Let he among you who has acted in front of a camera without once looking at it cast the first stone). The real find here, however, is the young Hofrichter, who is endearing and totally effective as Amy, a young girl with her own challenges to overcome.The supporting cast includes Lynn Redgrave (Edna), Peter Riegert (Larry), Johnathon Schaech (Adam), Derek Kellock (Amy's Father) and Peri Gilpin (Debra). Happening upon this film is like ordering a hamburger and being served filet mignon for the same price; and it makes `How To Kill Your Neighbor's Dog' a thoroughly satisfying and fulfilling cinematic experience.
Give it a try. 8/10.
How to watch a movie and love it!
posted on 05 Jul 2009I did not expect a lot from this movie, since it was in the budget section. Kenneth Branagh, a truly remarkable actor, was perfectly cast as the writer, playwright and not so wanting to be a father to be.Branagh had me laughing and crying.... Amy was a great character for a child, and a great little actress. As annoying as she could have been, she wasn't, but rather endearing in the life of her two neighbors. Krumholtz was annoying, the only one.This is a movie that I would recommend to fans of Branagh as a gem! He was great (and buffed) in Frankenstein, and more curmudgeonly in this one - as "Pete" told him. Nevertheless, he came across as the real deal and made me wonder why he doesn't have kids yet!! Why not Kenneth? You'd be a great father. Is he a mirror of his character?