[DVD Darling]
I'm a sucker for a sappy movie involving a dog, and the cover of Darling Companion (as well as the back cover blurb) certainly led to think this was going to be a sentimental pet/owner story along the lines of the heartbreaking Hachi. It turned out to be more of a quirky story about human relationships. Written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan, Darling Companion is very similar in tone to some of Kasdan's earlier works, particularly The Big Chill, Grand Canyon and French Kiss. Beth (Diane Keaton) saves an abandoned dog from the side of a highway, then adopts it and quickly falls in love with "Highway". Beth's work-obsessed ego-centric surgeon husband, Joseph (Kevin Kline - one of Kasdan's favorite go-to actors), proceeds to lose the dog in the woods of Colorado when the family has gathered for a wedding at their summer home. What follows is an ensemble comedy, as various friends and relatives spend the next several days roaming the woods, searching for the missing dog, and forging, breaking and mending bonds with each other. This is a slow-paced movie, which relies on the viewer's interest in the characters and their evolving relationships to maintain interest rather than a rigorous plot. The performances are charming, particularly Kline, Keaton, Dianne Wiest and Richard Jenkins. The setting and music are engaging, and I highly recommend this if you enjoy "character studies", rather than plot-driven films. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Grand Canyon or The Big Chill.] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [Subscribe to Scott's monthly booklist newsletter It's All Geek to Me! - on the Books, Movies & More newsletter sign-up page].
[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Darling Companion web site ]
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