“What happens to the dog?”
That is a line that pops up throughout the new dramedy The Friend, which asks that question in different ways and plays with our own experiences in watching movies centered on man’s best friend where whether the dog lives — or dies — is front of mind. And indeed (partly) the title star of this movie is a majestic and huge Great Dane named Apollo (Bing), but “The Friend” is also a woman named Iris (Naomi Watts), a New York City professor and writer who was the best friend to Walter (Bill Murray), a celebrated author and womanizer, married three times among other relationships, but devoted to the 5-year-old Apollo and vice versa. That is until the unthinkable happens and Walter unexpectedly dies, a suicide that sends his circle into a tailspin and Apollo into unending grief and lack of understanding of what happened to his master.
That is the premise for this moving, funny, humane and quite unforgettable tale, an adaptation of Sigrid Nunez’s National Book Club-winning novel by writer-directors Scott McGehee & David Siegel that becomes an irresistible experience that anyone who ever loved a pet must see.
It all opens with a dinner party where we meet Walter and his group of wives, lovers and longtime friend Iris as they converse in one of those very New York brownstones, a group of intelligentsia at a seemingly normal gathering. But shockingly it is followed closely by the same group and others at the funeral for Walter, who we learn committed suicide leaving behind his group of loved ones and admirers to wonder why he left them this way, and one loyal grieving dog wondering the same thing.
Walter’s current wife, Barbara (Noma Dumezweni), not a dog lover like her husband, presents Iris with a note left behind by Walter saying she is the only one he can possibly trust to take Apollo since she is a true dog lover and friend to both him and his pooch. She points out to Barbara that she is actually a cat person and anyway can’t have pets in her 500-square-foot rent-control apartment where she has lived forever. Nevertheless, reluctantly she temporarily takes in Apollo, searching for a rescue or someone else, but at the same time finding their mutual grief and questions give them something in common, even though he has now completely taken over her bed. She sleeps on the floor.
First wife Elaine (Carla Gugino), second wife Tuesday (Constance Wu), daughter Val (Sarah Pidgeon) who most didn’t know he even had, neighbor Marjorie (Ann Dowd) and publisher Jerry (Josh Pais) weave in and out of Iris’ situation with Apollo and her impending eviction if she doesn’t get rid of him. We learn much about their lives and the effect this man had on them, and especially the unique friendship Iris had with Walter. There is also a slow bonding with this depressed canine that, despite her best efforts to move on from this moment, makes it nearly impossible to do so humanely. But no, this is defiantly not a dog movie, but one where this animal, not up to any cutesy tricks, feels every bit a character like any of the humans here. It is also very much about grief and all the questions posed when a friend takes their life, senselessly it seems. How do you deal with what is left behind?
And yes, what happens to the dog?
McGehee and Siegel (The Deep End, What Maisie Knew) have crafted a wonderfully human, quintissential New York movie that makes you realize Hollywood so rarely does this kind of thing anymore — so when you see it, you know it, and you treasure the fact these are recognizable human beings we can relate to. That goes especially for Iris, a flustered woman but a good person trying to make the best of this situation, for both her and Apollo. Watts is consistently fine in just about everything but here has one of the best roles of her career, never going over the top but subtly perfect in every way as she also has to deal with her own loss. She also narrates the story and at one point muses about other dog movies like Old Yeller where the four-legged star dies, and she asks why that has to be the case. She probably has the best screen leading male she has ever worked with in Apollo, a remarkable and heartfelt performance that ranks with the great screen dog portrayals of all time. Bing, a non-pro who turned up in a casting search, plays him, and his own morose heartbreak will also break yours. Big shout-out to trainer Bev Kingensmith. Give this dog an Oscar.
The supporting cast is excellent, and of course Murray is right on the money making his few scenes sparkle. New York City has also never looked better, so shout out as well to cinematographer Giles Nuttgens.
The film is having its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival and will also be playing Toronto and New York fests as well. It is looking for distribution and hopefully finds one that will give it all the treats it deserves. The Friend is a gem.
Producers are McGehee, Siegel, Mike Spreter and Liza Chasin.
Title: The Friend
Festival: Telluride
Director-screenwriters: Scott McGehee & David Siegel
Cast: Naomi Watts, Bill Murray, Carla Gugino, Constance Wu, Noma Dumezweni, Sarah Pidgeon, Chloe Xhauflaire, Ann Dowd, Felix Solis, Tom McCarthy, Owen Teague, Josh Pais, Apollo
Sales agent: CAA
Running time: 2 hr 3 mins