Susan Mackin Movies
An unremarkable administrative assistant finds her life going to the dogs both literally and figuratively in actor/screenwriter-turned-director Mike White's dark comedy drama. An inexplicably cheerful office worker whose somewhat sad excuse for a life seems to revolve around her pet beagle Pencil, Peggy (Molly Shannon) seems to relate better to her four-legged friend than she does to most humans. Most of her person-to-person interaction revolves around doting on other people's children and treating her co-workers to daily donuts, and Peggy just doesn't find much solace in the company of her know-it-all sister-in-law Bret (Laura Dern) or her anxiety-prone boss Robin (Josh Pais). When Peggy's dog Pencil is taken before his time, the devastated dog-lover is wracked with guilt. Now desperate to fill the gaping void that has suddenly opened in her life, Peggy agrees to a date with her gun-nut neighbor Al (John C. Reilly) that ends in disaster when she begins to suspect that the boorish brute may have in fact poisoned her ill-fated pooch. Later, after adopting every dog at the local pound and transforming herself into an overzealous animal-rights activist, the increasingly unhinged Peggy reaches out to asexual activist Newt (Peter Sarsgaard) in a last-grasp attempt at forming a human connection that is met with casual indifference. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Molly Shannon, Laura Dern, (more)
- 2005
Larry (Larry David) almost drowns while swimming in the ocean. As he later tells it, in a moment of panic, he cries out to God, and is deposited safely on the beach. "Now maybe you'll start to be more respectful to people," Susie (Susie Essman) suggests, but Larry doesn't get her point. With his newfound faith, he decides to go to temple for the High Holy Days, but Jeff (Jeff Garlin) explains that one has to order tickets months in advance, and that the services are sold out. Larry eventually decides to go to a scalper (Paul Ben-Victor). Larry is initially thrilled to learn that his favorite deli, Leo's, has named a sandwich after him. But, when he finds out the ingredients are whitefish, sable, cream cheese, capers, and onions ("That's a disgusting sandwich"), he tries to have it changed. Leo (Ed O'Ross) agrees to allow Larry to change if someone will switch with him. Nat (Shelley Berman) seems to enjoy the whitefish, but suffers some kind of attack while eating it, and has to be rushed to the hospital, where, delirious, he whispers something that to Larry sounds like "You're adopted." Later, Ted Danson refuses to switch sandwiches with Larry, and at temple, he gets into a spat with Richard Lewis, who is jealous of Larry's sandwich. Also, a chief surgeon (Kenneth Kimmins) appears to get "the yips" on the golf course, and when Cheryl (Cheryl Himes) complains about Larry interrupting sex to answer the phone, he responds sarcastically, "Oh, sacred intercourse cannot be interrupted!" ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2004
Pregnant Kellie (Cynthia Watros) fumes when Drew (Drew Carey) misses their first sonogram to go out bowling and drinking with the boys. That's right: Their kid hasn't even been born yet, and already the couple is quarrelling over every single solitary aspect of parenthood. All this arguing proves to have a deleterious effect on the "sea monkey" in Kellie's womb, who expresses his dismay in a voice that sounds suspiciously like series regular Diedrich Bader. This episode originally aired in tandem with "Michigan J. Gus". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
