Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Heavy-handed drama is well-acted but manipulative.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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The Dog Lover
What's the Story?
THE DOG LOVER chronicles the story of how animal rights activist Sara (Allison Paige), who works for the fictional United Animal Protection Agency (an anti-breeder animal advocacy and lobbying organization) is tasked with a risky assignment. She's asked to pose as a veterinary student to work undercover as an intern for Daniel Holloway (James Remar), a hunting-dog breeder who's vocally opposed to Prop 12, a bill the UAPA wants to pass that would make breeding illegal. The UAPA believes that if Sara infiltrates Holloway's dog-breeding farm, installs hidden cameras, and reports unsafe practices, they'll have a case to take down the Holloways (including Dan's wife, veterinarian Liz, played by Lea Thompson) and move forward with their proposed legislation. But as Sara gets to know the Holloways -- and even falls for Daniel's adult son, Will (Jayson Blair) -- she realizes that there's such a thing as safe breeding and begins to question the lengths to which the UAPA will go to take the Holloways (and all breeders) down.
Is It Any Good?
This moralistic, movie-of-the-week-style drama offers decent performances but an off-putting agenda courtesy of its conservative oil-billionaire producer, Lucas Forrest. All of the performances are finer than the material demands, with Remar and Thomspon particularly adept at playing salt-of-the-earth fourth-generation dog breeder Holloway and his vet wife. Blair is well cast as their self-sacrificing son, a kind and intelligent farm boy who gave up more sophisticated ambitions to help his stressed-out father with the family business.
As for Paige, she's best known as a soap actress, and she's definitely good at amping up the drama. Unfortunately, most of the drama in The Dog Lover hinges on the corny, predictable "twist" that while she participates in the UAPA with pure intentions as an animal lover, the actual organization is revealed to be more interested in fundraising campaigns and smearing decent breeders than saving animals. It's ironic that a movie that makes claims about the manipulative aspects of animal rights groups would itself be so manipulative.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether The Dog Lover has a political agenda. Is it OK for movies to promote specific points of view/ways of thinking? Do you need to agree with those positions in order to enjoy the movies that take them?
Does the movie make you curious about the story on which it's based? How accurate do you think it is? Why might filmmakers choose to alter facts when making a movie based on a true story? How could you find out more?
Who do you think the movie's intended audience is? What message do the filmmakers want them to take away from watching?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 8, 2016
- On DVD or streaming : July 5, 2016
- Cast : Lea Thompson , James Remar , Allison Paige
- Director : Alex Ranarivelo
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : ESX Entertainment
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Animals
- Run time : 101 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : thematic elements, brief disturbing images and some language
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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