Critic Reviews
Must Love Dogs (2005) Rank 3 Reviews
Expert Review Summary
based on (243) reviews
Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating
Reviews by Score:
Empire Movies (Brendan Cullin)
Apollo Guide (Cheryl DeWolfe)
Sweet, funny, touching, and contemporary. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Apollo Guide (Cheryl DeWolfe)
San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)
filmcritic.com (Sean O'Connell)
Hollywood overexposes young starlets, from Lindsay Lohan to Scarlett Johansson, and puts distinguished veterans on pedestals. Yet the industry has no idea how to handle an actress once she reaches her late thirties or forties. Lacking suitable offers ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at filmcritic.com (Sean O'Connell)
The Movie Chicks
Sarah (Diane Lane) is getting lots of advice (and photos) from her well-meaning family who all want to see her happy again (post divorce stress syndrome?) and preferably in love. The trick is even though they all have suggestions on "who and ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at The Movie Chicks
The Boston Phoenix
Daytona Beach News-Journal (Fl.) (Jeff Farance)
Providence Journal (Michael Janusonis)
Entertain Your Brain! (Shawn McKenzie)
The Phantom Tollbooth
A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)
Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Must Love Dogs is standard romantic comedy stuff made passably entertaining by a solid cast of actors that excel at making these sorts of movies. Based on the novel by Claire Cook, this tells the story of a recently divorced school teacher named Sarah (La ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Nehring The Edge
Premiere Magazine (Sara Brady)
Sacramento News & Review (Bob Grimm)
ninth symphony films
Cinema Laser (Derek M. Germano)
Although the plot is totally predictable in a romantic comedy sort of way, MUST LOVE DOGS ($29) greatly benefits from sharply drawn characters and a terrific cast that brings them to life. MUST LOVE DOGS stars Diane Lane as Sarah, a recently divorced ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Cinema Laser (Derek M. Germano)
Reel.com (Sarah Chauncey)
Haro Online
It is hard to imagine two more likable actors than Diane Lane and John Cusack. On screen they come across as genuinely good people, and frequently play characters that engender a lot of sympathy with audiences. So it's mystifying why these two would ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Haro Online
DVD Verdict (Patrick Naugle)
DVD Town (John J. Puccio)
Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Just when you think you have Goldberg figured, he springs fresh surprises. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Watchable, grown-up romantic comedy with likeable performances and some witty lines.The BackgroundThe majority of romantic comedies seem to be about people who are either in their mid-20s (e.g. A Lot Like Love) or, at most, their early 30s (e.g. Hitch), ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
It's a frisky romantic comedy with a great title and wonderfully appealing performances from Diane Lane and John Cusack as computer-dating matchups. So it seems churlish to bark that writer-director and Emmy winner Gary David Goldberg ( Family Ties, ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
DVD Clinic ("Quigles")
A divorced woman does everything she can to find a decent man, including going on to PerfectMatch.com, with which she finds some very bizarre choices. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at DVD Clinic ("Quigles")
Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Must Love Dogs is standard romantic comedy stuff made passably entertaining by a solid cast of actors that excel at making these sorts of movies. Based on the novel by Claire Cook, this tells the story of a recently divorced school teacher named Sarah (La ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
The Cinema Source (Mark Plante)
Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
It's a frisky romantic comedy with a great title and wonderfully appealing performances. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
UpcomingDiscs.com (David Annandale)
The Cinema Source (Mark Plante)
Chicago Tribune (Michael Wilmington)
Writer-director Gary David Goldberg's script is full of complex and lively love patter, which Cusack especially rattles off with sometimes breakneck speed. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Chicago Tribune (Michael Wilmington)
Charlotte Observer (Lawrence Toppman)
Reminds me of the golden retriever that lived next door long ago: endearing, consistently sweet-natured, ready for a brisk turn around familiar territory as long as no strenuous intellectual demands are ever made. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Charlotte Observer (Lawrence Toppman)
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Ed Blank)
Characters in "Must Love Dogs" worry about their expiration dates.
Dolly (Stockard Channing), much married and weighed down with aquamarine jewelry, is on the high end of 60 and working at being 40.
Bill (Christopher Plummer), permanently ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Ed Blank)
USA Today (Claudia Puig)
A breath of fresh air amid the superheroes, aliens and bombastic explosions of summer. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at USA Today (Claudia Puig)
Miami Herald (Connie Ogle)
View it as a fat-free but tasty cinematic treat in the middle of the long, hot summer. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Miami Herald (Connie Ogle)
JoBlo's Movie Emporium ("JoBlo")
This might be yet another case of low expectations ultimately helping me to enjoy a pretty basic “chick flick”, but if what you’re looking for in a romantic comedy is your standard two appealing lead characters, a few clever jokes here and there, plenty ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at JoBlo's Movie Emporium ("JoBlo")
Cinema Source (Mark Plante)
rec.arts.movies.reviews (David N. Butterworth)
Attractive, witty, and exceedingly cute movie seeks undiscerning viewers for good times and more! ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at rec.arts.movies.reviews (David N. Butterworth)
Killer Movie Reviews (Andrea Chase)
Click here to listen to Diane Lane's interview for UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN. In MUST LOVE DOGS the outcome is never in question. We know that divocee Sarah ( Diane Lane ), though currently experiencing the doldrums that come with having been ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Killer Movie Reviews (Andrea Chase)
Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema (Mark Pfeiffer)
For better and worse, the pieces comprising Must Love Dogs are borrowed from every other romantic comedy. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema (Mark Pfeiffer)
Movie Parables (Michael Elliott)
It is a charming, old-fashioned romantic comedy with enough modern touches to strike a chord with today's audiences. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Movie Parables (Michael Elliott)
San Antonio Express-News (Larry Ratliff)
Must Love Dogs ... unleashes snappy, smart dialogue that's good enough to make us want to sit and stay. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at San Antonio Express-News (Larry Ratliff)
Minneapolis Star Tribune (Jeff Strickler)
Must Love Dogs proves that you can teach an old genre new tricks. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Minneapolis Star Tribune (Jeff Strickler)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Eleanor Ringel Gillespie)
A somewhat generic romantic comedy blessed with a generous heart, bright dialogue and irresistible stars. Plus, it's not averse to taking risks. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Eleanor Ringel Gillespie)
Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)
...enough doses of the real world to elevate it above your average romantic-comedy fantasty. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)
Film Monthly (Kristin Schrader)
Miami Herald (Connie Ogle)
A romantic comedy is only as irresistible as are its temporarily star-crossed lovers. By this barometer, the enjoyably breezy Must Love Dogs boasts quite a pedigree. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Miami Herald (Connie Ogle)
Charlotte Observer (Lawrence Toppman)
Must Love Dogs reminds me of the golden retriever that lived next door long ago: endearing, consistently sweet-natured, ready for a brisk turn around familiar territory as long as no strenuous intellectual demands are ever made. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Charlotte Observer (Lawrence Toppman)
Newsday (Jan Stuart)
It manages to rework genre conventions with an exuberant wit and an authentic feel for the fits-and-starts madness of the mating game. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Newsday (Jan Stuart)
The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
And Cusack -- well, who doesn't love John Cusack? He's counting on it; this role is not substantially different from the one he played in "Serendipity"; apparently, this is what he does now. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
Entertainment Ave! (The Dude on the Right)
Box Office Prophets
Cinema Blend (Lexi Feinberg)
Westminster Community Times
7M Pictures (Kevin Carr)
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
The Sydney Morning Herald
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
The Cranky Critic (Chuck Schwartz)
Entertainment Insiders (Eric Lurio)
Martin Tsai's Blog
Exclaim! (Erin Oke)
The Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)
Wolf Entertainment Guide (William Wolf)
Film Freak Central
Actors Ink (Ray Wong)
eFilmCritic Reviews
Slant Magazine - DVD Review
Screen It! Entertainment Reviews for Parents
FromTheBalcony (Bill Clark)
UKscreen (Jason Korsner)
Worldcinema.lu (Franck Tabouring)
MovieFreak.com (Sara M. Fetters)
The Onion A.V. Club
New York Daily News (Jami Bernard)
Christian Spotlight on the Movies
Pajiba (Dustin Rowles)
allesfilm.com (Thomas Taborsky)
The Hollywood Reporter (Michael Rechtshaffen)
A thoroughly conventional romantic comedy with all the usual trimmings. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at The Hollywood Reporter (Michael Rechtshaffen)
Washington Post (Ann Hornaday)
These two generate real, slow-burning rapport, so that you're still pulling for them even during a gratingly preposterous climax. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Washington Post (Ann Hornaday)
Variety (Justin Chang)
To properly appreciate Must Love Dogs, one must first love John Cusack. Thesp's maverick turn steals the show in this otherwise middling romantic comedy, which retools standard meet-cute elements for the Web generation in pleasant but uninspired fashion. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Variety (Justin Chang)
Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
"Tepid sitcom romantic-comedy that's not a bow-wow but never gets out of the doghouse." ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
Reel Talk (Betty Jo Tucker)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Austin Chronicle (Kimberley Jones)
Writer/director Gary David Goldberg pulls out all the "chick" clichés – from lit to flick – in this truly (dog)craptastic adaptation of the Claire Cook book about a newly divorced preschool teacher named Sarah who tries Internet dating. The film ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Austin Chronicle (Kimberley Jones)
Reeling Reviews (Robin and Laura Clifford)
Jigsaw Lounge (Neil Young)
PopMatters (Cynthia Fuchs)
zBoneman Movie Reviews (Kevin Jones & Adam Mast)
Must Love Dogs (not to be confused with the working title of Magnolia - 'Must Love Frogs'). ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at zBoneman Movie Reviews (Kevin Jones & Adam Mast)
Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)
Dallas Morning News (Matt Weitz)
The latest installment in film's ongoing habit of hooking itself up, Iditarod-like, to man's best friend for a little uplift in the adorability department. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Dallas Morning News (Matt Weitz)
PM Media Review (Mark Runyon)
While Must Love Dogs doesn't really cover any new ground or give us the Hollywood couple we wish we could see canoodling on the tabloids, it is a mildly enjoyable comedy that employs quick wit and clever dating situations. The ladies, looking for a ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at PM Media Review (Mark Runyon)
Now Playing Magazine (Brent Simon)
A high-end Lifetime production. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Now Playing Magazine (Brent Simon)
OhmyNews.com (Brian Orndorf)
Bangor Daily News (Maine) (Christopher Smith)
This lazily conceived movie wouldn't be much without the strength of its cast, which saves it the string of cliches that might have buried it. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Bangor Daily News (Maine) (Christopher Smith)
eFilmCritic.com (Erik Childress)
SearchSA.com.au (Christina Bruce)
Reel Film Reviews (David Nusair)
Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
Shadows on the Wall (Rich Cline)
Fantastica Daily (Ron Morales)
In Film Australia
Boston Globe (Wesley Morris)
While Lane is her typical winning self, the film is mawkish. The more we're cajoled to root for Sarah Nolan, the divorced preschool teacher she plays, the more Must Love Dogs stops resembling a movie and starts feeling like a greeting card. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Boston Globe (Wesley Morris)
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
It's fair to argue that there are not many romantic comedies available featuring middle-aged characters. So why, when one is made, does it have the same rhythm as what we get with similar movies for twenty-somethings? ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
New York Post (Lou Lumenick)
This movie is never more than a one-liner away from sitcom, yet it goes down like ice cream. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at New York Post (Lou Lumenick)
Philadelphia Inquirer
On what planet does Diane Lane, she of the double-dip-sundae bod, whipped-cream face, and cinnamon hair, go dateless? Only on planet Hollywood, where she is routinely cast as an underappreciated wife or overlooked single. Must Love Dogs ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Must Love Dogs is a product - a pre-packaged, easily-digestible motion picture designed with one particular audience in mind. You know the kind of film. You have seen it before, usually with names like Nancy Myers or Nora & Delia Ephron involved. Those wi ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Boston Herald (James Verniere)
TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide
Writer-director Gary David Goldberg's sweet-natured romantic comedy, based on Claire Cook's fluffy chick lit novel, is a pleasant 90-minute escape from dog-eat-dog reality, but its predictable plot guarantees that it will begin to fade from memory as ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide
Parent Previews
Like many romantic comedies, the movie relies on misunderstandings and coincidental circumstances to draw out the storyline. But the film falls short of giving any conclusive reasons for Sarah's eventual choice. The characters' lack of discretion ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Parent Previews
FromTheBalcony (Bill Clark)
Must Love Dogs is finished with the cookie cutter; it's time to pass it on. ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at FromTheBalcony (Bill Clark)
Steve Rhodes
As you sink into your theater seat for MUST LOVE DOGS, the thought that pros like Diane Lane and John Cusack will be entertaining you for the next hour and half or so is comforting. You suspect that this won't be one of those over-hyped films that will ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Steve Rhodes
Boston Globe
When a man is dumb enough to neglect or divorce Diane Lane in a movie, the upside tends to be: more for us. Who else in Hollywood is as believably self-doubting? A Lane picture nowadays involves her rediscovery of what we already know to be true -- that ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Boston Globe
Steve Rhodes <Steve.Rhodes@internetreviews.com>
One half of me wants to say that inMust Love Dogs,Diane LaneandJohn Cusackare absolute total cutiepies, smart actors who try to invest their characters with intelligence, charm, and a plausible romantic chemistry that transcends the standard ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Steve Rhodes <Steve.Rhodes@internetreviews.com>
EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)
Diane Lane is too sexy and bright to play a bland divorcee whose decision for the evening is whether to wear her hair up or down and be reduced to an insecure teenager ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)
Palo Alto Online (Jeanne Aufmuth)
Diane Lane in Must Love DogsStrong performances just barely rescue Dogs from succumbing to a tired formula and cliché-driven plot. Diane Lane (Unfaithful, Under the Tuscan Sun) is unlucky in love again as early-40-something divorcee Sarah Nolan whose ...read the complete Must Love Dogs movie review at Palo Alto Online (Jeanne Aufmuth)