Bark!

I really wanted to see this movie because it has one of my favorite actors, Lee Tergesen, in it. While he did a great job as a leading man, the movie was very slow and the plot boring. The premise could have been dealt with better, perhaps with more insight into what caused Lucy to act like a dog. Vincent DiNofrio was also very good. There were a lot of scenes in the movie that make no sense, like when Lucy's parents come to visit. The relationship between Peter and the vet (Lisa Kudrow) made no sense at all. Also, the ending leaves a giant question mark to a movie that already makes no sense. This movie isn't really worth your time, unless you want to see Lee Tergesen in a staring role.

Having seen the film "Bark', I can but wonder why it has been classified as a comedy. Rather I found it to be a tragedy or perhaps a comment on instinct and human nature. What happens to the very thing that allows a person to communicate? The film answers this question in a way. The cast was capable, but were secondary to the main conflict I think. There was a good deal of discussion about "Bark" in this household and while there were few agreements, it was felt that this film was worth a look. Vincent and Hank seemed to remain true to their on-screen personas as did Lisa, although I have no idea why anyone would watch a film based soley upon her modest talents. Nevertheless, she did her part in this strange but thought-provoking film.

This is a very smart and nicely played dramatic comedy that really deals effectively with mental illness. I saw it at the Method Fest in Pasadena (www.methodfest.com) and the Producer talked afterwards which was interesting. Very intelligent, believable and fun writing from the Barker/Writer that conveyed the sensitivity of the author.

Vincent D'Onofrio was especially interesting and compelling in a hilarious harp playing intern role and of course Lisa Kudrow was a blast. I thought Heather Morgan was very sweet. Overall great cast.

Watch for the scene where they are all in the living room together as well as when Lucy's family shows up, amazing!

To be honest, I turned on this movie because I thought it would be a fun comedy to have on in the background. It's not. It's a sweet, poignant drama about a guy who's just trying to do what's best for his wife. Lee Tergesen (HBO's "Oz") is fantastic as Peter, the confused, loving husband of a woman who's suddenly started acting like a dog. The pain and love he's feeling shines through clearly, yet he's by no means perfect. He's just a guy who's had a unusual problem dumped on him, and the problem of trying to get people to take him seriously is one of his biggest problems. The best scenes are the ones in which he simply watches his wife; everything he's feeling, from the love to the frustration, comes pouring through. Heather Morgan is fascinating to watch as Lucy, his wife. Her physical acting is very good, very much in sync with how dogs often act. The supporting cast is great, too; nearly all of the characters have a purpose, rather than being scenery. Hank Azaria is wonderful as Peter's ne'er-do-well friend, Lisa Kudrow's cute as his neurotic, sexy vet, and Vincent D'Onofrio's coolly creepy as a psychiatric resident with a bit of an ethics problem and a desire to do something else. Together, all these characters form an odd collection, but it works. The key to this movie is to remember that--no matter what the critics say--it's not a comedy. It's a drama, though admittedly a quirky one, and a very good one at that.

Lee Tergesen and Heather Morgan saved the movie. Both actors played their parts beautifully. The movie has a very intelligent, sensitive story line, comedy only in the traditional sense - no one dies. Was pleased also that it was not a traditional "happy, Hollywood" ending.

Especially loved Lee "standing up" to the Psycho MD… won't give away the rest.

Lisa Kudrow was Kudrow… Is she really that ditzy in real life, that she's always cast in absolute idiot roles?

And what was with Vincent D'Onofrio? Have never seen him before so I don't know if he's just yet another idiot. His character was such a caricature.

What were all those "lunatic" people there for? They didn't really add anything to the plot. The plot stood on it's own. The "nuts" were superfluous.

Despite all but two of the cast, the movie is worth seeing. The theme of mental illness is extremely well and sensitively portrayed.