Must Love Dogs Synopsis: A forty-something preschool teacher looks to the personals for a change of pace and a relationship, with hilarious results. After a painful divorce, Sarah Nolan (Diane Lane) is reluctant to re-enter the dating scene. Determined to reignite Sarah’s love life, her sisters Carol (Elizabeth Perkins) and Christine (Ali Hillis) post a profile for Sarah on an internet dating site. Every date is a disaster, but there is a spark of something there when Sarah meets her date, Jake (John Cusack), at a dog park. Jake is intense but charming, and after a rocky start, she agrees to give him a second chance. To muddle things up a bit, Sarah is also attracted to Bobby (Dermot Mulroney), the father of one of her preschool students. And Sarah isn’t the only family member dipping into the wide world of internet dating. Her father, Bill (Christopher Plummer), also finds love online… with several women, including the eccentric Dolly (Stockard Channing). Watching John Cusack in a romantic comedy has always been something warm and comforting. He is consistently charismatic, taking a one-dimensional character and giving him plenty of depth and heart. Diane Lane delivers an equally engaging performance as an older woman trying to navigate a dating world where men are interested in finding women to carry their emotional baggage whilst also being 25 years old… maybe 18. With Perkins, Plummer, and Channing, the supporting cast is magnificent. It’s a shame they have a flimsy script to work with. Must Love Dogs has plenty of elements from other romantic comedies, many of which are extremely appealing, but it’s hard to deny the movie also feels somewhat contrived and flat. Cusack and Lane’s chemistry is what keeps this movie afloat. Must Love Dogs is a safe choice if you want a pleasant, cozy rom-com to watch on a lazy day. Watched: 08/10/2019Notable Song: The First Cut is the Deepest by Sheryl Crow