I didn't know much about this movie, but it sounded funny. And it is! It's low-key, intelligent, quirky humor, and it works in this gem. There are some pretty hilarious segments. Molly Shannon plays Peggy, the sweet, pretty, single office assistant who loves her little doggy but has somehow never found a man. She is the center of some fun office humor. When her dog dies (haha! See how funny!) she adopts a troubled dog and starts to fall for a guy who is helping her train it. But he says he can't be in a relationship because he is celibate. Why? We'll never know. . . .
Due to his influence, Peggy becomes a vegan. She finds every animal rights group around and gets involved in distributin petitions and sending them money (from her boss's bank account. . . .). She even adopts rescued farm animals as a gift to her brother's family for Christmas. Their reaction is underwhelming, of course. "There's a pig named after me on a farm somewhere. . . ."
Her sister-in-law, played by Laura Dern, is the over-protective mother of two. I have been around people like this--worried about allergies, showing the right movies, protecting little ears. Of course we all want to protect our children, but she plays the caricature perfectly.
When Peggy keeps her niece and nephew for the weekend, she takes the kids to meet the chickens named after them at the farm. They have fun, then she tells them about the chicken farm down the road. The little girl is traumatized, which makes Peggy's brother rather unhappy.
Peggy has a rough time. I want her to be happy, but she has a string of bad luck with men. There's not a lot profound in this movie, but it's certainly enjoyable. Bottom line, two and a half stars.
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