How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog

– The story of Peter McGowan, a chain-smoking, impotent, insomniac playwright who lives in Los Angeles..

Type:
Movie
Rating:
7.00 / 10
Duration:
One Hour and 47 Minutes
Release Year:
2000
How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog (2000)

The story of Peter McGowan, a chain-smoking, impotent, insomniac playwright who lives in Los Angeles. Once very successful, he is now in the tenth year of a decade-long string of production failures. He finds himself bonding with a new neighbor's lonely young daughter who has mild cerebral palsy; and during one of his middle-of-the-night strolls, he encounters his oddball doppelgänger.

Producing Country:
Filming Locations:
Genre:
Editor's Pick for:
Release Date:

05 Mar 2003

Language:

English

MPAA Content-Rating:
R – Restricted

Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. Contains some adult material. Parents are urged to learn more about the film before taking their young children with them.

Director:

Michael Kalesniko

Writer:

Michael Kalesniko

Main Actors:

Kenneth Branagh, Robin Wright, Suzi Hofrichter, Lynn Redgrave

Plot:

Shy, chain-smoking, insomniac Peter McGowan is an L.A. playwright with a string of hits that preceded his current ten years of failed productions. His mother-in-law is sinking into senility, a stranger is meandering the neighborhood claiming to be him, neighbors have a new dog that barks all night; his wife wants to have a child, and he does not: he's become impotent. He's working on a new play when a single mom moves in next door with her 8-year-old daughter. His wife immediately invites the girl into the McGowan household. Will this child stir Peter's paternal feelings? Will she also help him get his dialogue right? And what of his doppelganger and the neighbor's dog?

Awards:

6 wins.

Production:

Artistic License

Ratings:
Internet Movie Database:
7.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes:
58%
Metacritic:
40%