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Year of the Dog

(2007, Rated PG-13, Comedy, Starring Peter Sarsgaard, Molly Shannon, Regina King)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 11, age appropriate for kids over 13; suggested age 13.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    SNL alum shines as grieving, lonely animal lover.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 13 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Peggy forges her boss' signature to donate funds to animal-rights charities but later apologizes. The heartbreak of losing her dog results in Peggy discovering her inner animal activist.
  • Violence:

    Images of animals used in lab tests are shown on a computer. Disturbing scenes of a dog near death and its owner's overwhelming grief. Off-screen, an aggressive dog kills a much smaller one, and viewers see another crying pet owner. A small child is told that pigs and chickens are murdered to be her food.
  • Sex:

    A couple makes out loudly in front of Peggy. Layla wears low-cut tops. Peggy and Newt share an awkward kiss. Al's girlfriend does a sexy dance.
  • Language:

    Sparingly used: "bitch" (in the "dog way"), "piss," "cripple," "hell." Peggy compares a slaughterhouse to the Holocaust.
  • Consumerism:

    Several brands are occasionally featured: Mercedes, Oompa Toys, Gymboree, and Victoria's Secret,
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Peggy gets drunk on New Year's Eve (while babysitting) and has wine on a date. Layla suggests getting "wasted" and offers Peggy the anti-anxiety drug Xanax before taking it herself.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Year of the Dog

Parents need to know that this dramedy chronicles a pet lover's transformation into a hardcore animal-rights activist. The film portrays veganism and animal adoption positively and casts a negative light on game hunting, wearing fur, and eating meat. Molly Shannon's character is socially awkward and incredibly lonely, so there are some tear-jerking scenes of her after her beloved dog's accidental death. Children who have pets and/or love animals may be disturbed by photographic images of animal cruelty, a wall of mounted stuffed animals, and three instances of pets dying.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how Peggy's character is portrayed. Does the movie link her depression with "craziness"? Is that accurate? What do you think about her belief that humans disappoint but animals always have love to give. Is it healthy for someone to love their pet(s) more than other humans? Families can also discuss how the media deals with social issues like animal rights. Are movies and TV shows an appropriate forum to deal with those issues? Why or why not? Was Peggy justified in taking her niece to the animal sanctuary? What about when she ruins her sister-in-law's fur coats? Kids: What do you think about animal rights?

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    A Great Movie

    This movie is the second best black comedy I've seen. (the other one was Waitress) This film is about the transformation of a dog lover to an animal activist. So she slowly becomes a maniac, to put it bluntly. She does illegal acts to show her activism, but unlike the adult reviewer, I don't think it's propaganda. Yes, I thought the threat to kill was a little too much. Also there's an image of a wall of mounted stuffed animals, two images of animal experimentation, a near-visit to a slaughterhouse and some mild cursing. But it's a good film that teaches us that everyone has something to love.

  2. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title off for age 17 and give it 0.0

    entertaining? no. propaganda? you bet!

    I've never liked Molly Shannon. This movie did nothing to change that. It portrays a descent into madness in response to a pet's death. I'm a HUGE dog lover, but vegans and animal-rights activists take it to a wacky extreme, and that's what Shannon's character does. If you say that's not madness, (SPOILER ALERT), attempted murder of the neighbor you suspect of killing your dog certainly IS. Described as a dark comedy, this movie is all dark and very little comedy.

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