The Dog Lover's Guide to Dating

After being underwhelmed by Hallmark Christmas movies this year, I wasn't expecting much out of their first post-Christmas movie. I was wrong. Very wrong. This movie was well written, acted, and directed. It was thoughtful and never over the top and kept my attention for two hours. I thought the lead actress, Rebecca Dalton, did an especially good job in this very likable movie. Come to find out, she is the wife of one of my favorite Indy Car drivers, James Hinchcliffe. I think it was a very watchable movie that any dog lover will find enjoyment. Hallmark really did a nice job on this movie and I look forward to other new movies in 2023.

I really like watching Rebecca Dalton and this is a good role for her. She is always upbeat. She is very easy to look at. She and Corey Sevier have decent chemistry if not sparkling.

One of the first scenes is Sevier's Simon chasing Simon the dog as the dog wrecks havoc with picnics in the park. Sevier tries to channel Dick Van Dyke's comedy by clumsiness and does an ok job.

Simon is rather a sad excuse and needs Dalton's Alex to show him to man up in life both with dogs and girlfriends. Meanwhile Alex is obsessed with her father's abandonment to the point to hiding in her dog world. As so often the case in rom/coms, the two romantic leads help each other change their lives.

Throw in a charity gala to save the dog rescue center (didn't I just watch that movie before Countdown to Christmas or that was probably another channel). Meanwhile the obviously appealing Alex has attracted the attention of a local veterinarian who helps with the gala. Things progress about how you'd expect. No great highs or lows or surprises. One aspect that might set these characters apart is how directly they confront each other with honest evaluations, but only in terms of degree.

This was a nice break from Christmas movies, but other than Dalton's charm, nothing to stand out.

Movies that focus on dogs kind of cheat. Everybody loves dogs (or at least they should) and so viewers are already inclined to enjoy themselves when watching dog centric movies. But I've seen a lot of average dog movies including many on Hallmark (most recently, A Very Corgi Christmas). The mere presence of dogs can't hide a movie's flaws. But I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

I'm not Corey Sevier's biggest fan, but he was quite good in Noel Next Door, and he was good again here as Simon the Ad Man. I just didn't like his clothes which featured goofy suits, silky polka dot shirts (with an unflattering Saturday Night Fever vibe), turtle necks, etc. Ugh. He definitely did NOT go for the Don Draper look at all (even though that Mad Men name got dropped in the movie).

Rebecca Dalton, on the other hand, who'd look great in a burlap sack, was usually walking around in very flattering yoga pants and attractive but subdued tops. She played Alex, a beautiful, warm, and engaging dog trainer with no idea how to feed dogs, at least based on the opening scenes (Jacob the vet needs to educate her on dog diets). She was very very watchable. Hallmark needs to lock her down into an exclusive movie deal.

I also enjoyed the filming location in St. John's, a city on Newfoundland island, the easternmost part of Canada. If they ever mentioned the movie being set in an American town, as they normally are despite most Hallmark movies being filmed in Canada, I missed it. The area looked beautiful and the colorful buildings looked quite charming.

The movie was very well written. It was based upon an actual guidebook called "The Dog Lover's Guide to Dating: Using Cold Noses to Find Warm Hearts" that was written 20 years ago by a dog trainer named Deborah Wood. The premise?: "Studies show you're three times more likely to meet someone if you have a dog with you." That guidebook was turned into a romantic movie by new writers Catherine Reay and Kate Somerville. And when Simon and Alex meet, they both have dogs with them. Alex's sister Sarah was a well written character with some great lines delivered by a compelling Emily Stranges. Although younger than Alex, Sarah is much more at peace with their POS father ("You're just letting Dad's mistakes make the most important decisions for you"). I also liked that the competition (Chloe and Jacob) were quite likable. Jacob, played by Justin Nurse, is a handsome veterinarian who volunteers and will do literally anything to help Alex. Chloe, played by Eliza King, is a model turned successful fashion designer. She's a kind dog loving woman who knows what she wants (and what she doesn't):

Simon: "That drink order was really something" Chloe: "Well, why would I compromise when I know what I like"

There's also a fun scene where Alex and Simon realize they're really attracted to each other:

Simon: "This next part should come really naturally to you. You have to remain rigid." Alex: "Very funny. Never mock a woman with an axe in her hand."

Simon is described as "thoughtful, funny and reliable". I sure hope my daughter finds somebody like that one day.

But, once again, in the world of Hallmark, the depiction of money and business issues simply ignores reality. The only solution to the Shelter suddenly losing their lease is for them to buy the property? I don't know what the real estate values are in Newfoundland, but having a nonprofit Shelter buy the building seems like it might be a bit of a stretch and would require more than a last minute lightly attended silent auction.

I pointedly didn't watch this movie when it first came out. Instead, I began watching it a week later with every intention of turning it off. But I was drawn in by Rebecca Dalton and found the movie much more entertaining than I had anticipated. I grade Hallmark on a curve, so that's why this gets an 8.

I like almost all decent Hallmark movies and I am almost always grading on the "Hallmark curve" not expecting perfection but a nice watch. But, I do expect the movie to not insult the audience with childish slapstick and stupid lines. I only watched half because I just couldn't take it anymore so take that confession for what it's worth. It is exceedingly rare for me not to finish a Hallmark flick.

As usual I blame the writing and not the actors who are just doing their job with that they are given. The leads were fine, I have no issues with their performances, but by trying to be way too cute, obvious and bland the writers ruined the story.

It wasn't the best film in the world but it wasn't the worst ever This film has good messeges but they are delivered to straight forward and they make them feel stupid

The actors are doing a very good job but the filming wasn't the best

Things would come out of nowhere and the way the scenes were changing were just a simple black screen => next scene

It just had some non copyrighted music, nothing special

I liked the whole dog trainer theme of the movie but everything else was "meh"

My favorite character was probably Radar, Alex's dog/partner I wouldn't rewatch this, but I will admit I am not the biggest romance movie fan.