A Different Kind of Dog Movie
When you hear 'movie about a woman and a Great Dane,' your brain probably goes to a slapstick comedy about knocked-over vases and drool. The Friend is the exact opposite. Based on the celebrated novel by Sigrid Nunez, this is a quiet, New York-centric exploration of the 'messy middle' of grief.
The film succeeds because it doesn't anthropomorphize the dog. Apollo doesn't have a 'voice-over' and he doesn't do tricks to make Iris smile. He’s just a massive, grieving animal who misses the same person Iris does. That shared, silent understanding is where the movie finds its heart.
The 'Literary' Hurdle
Parents should know that this is a 'literary' adaptation in every sense. It deals with the ethics of writing about other people's lives and the complicated legacy of a man who was a great mentor but a pretty terrible husband. It's the kind of movie that feels like a book—lots of internal monologue and small, observational moments. For the right kid—the one who's always got their nose in a contemporary novel or is interested in the 'craft' of storytelling—it will be a revelation. For everyone else, it might feel like homework.
Handling the Heavy Stuff
The suicide of the friend is handled with a lot of nuance, but it is the shadow that hangs over the entire 119 minutes. It’s not a 'spoiler' to say the movie is about death; it’s the entire premise. If your family has recently dealt with a similar loss, this could be either very healing or very difficult. Use your best judgment on the timing.
