The Dogwalker starts off strong, but loses steam towards the end.
The Dogwalker (1999)
Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins
Synopsis: Jerry Cooper (Will Stewart) is a down-on-his-luck Los Angeles schemer who spends his days on the sun-soaked streets of Hollywood and his nights in his car. One day, Jerry's luck changes drastically when he rescues an elderly matron, Alma (Carol Gustafson), who has been knocked down by Lucky,... Jerry Cooper (Will Stewart) is a down-on-his-luck Los Angeles schemer who spends his days on the sun-soaked streets of Hollywood and his nights in his car. One day, Jerry's luck changes drastically when he rescues an elderly matron, Alma (Carol Gustafson), who has been knocked down by Lucky, her misbehaving bull mastiff. Jerry, uncharacteristically, takes Alma to the hospital and upon meeting her desperate daughter Helene (Stepfanie Kramer), lands an unexpected job as Alma's caretaker and dog walker. In between athletic romps with Lucky and card games with Alma and her eccentric suitors, Jerry fends off the amorous advances of Helene and her seductive teenage daughter (Nicki Aycox). Quickly, he realizes that his new job is more than he can handle alone and moves in three of his drifter pals (Tony Todd, Cress Williams, and Walter Jones) to help care for Alma's card-playing cronies--and to help Jerry plot an elaborate burglary of his new home. Writer-director Paul Dugan, a Los Angeles native, poetically captures the soulful beauty of the city and its aimless, beach-bum inhabitants. This eccentric, character-driven film dares to tackle issues of age, class, and race with equal parts comedy and tragedy. [More]
Genre: Comedies
Starring: Will Stewart, Stepfanie Kramer, Tony Todd, John Randolph, Allan Rich
Reviews
An indie that benefits from amusing characters, strong thesping and taut situational humor.
Trying hard to be cute, The Dogwalker is instead as muddled as can be, tripping up the film as if its ankles were entwined in its own leash.
It's mighty tedious for the viewer who has to contend with unpleasant characters, hit-and-miss performances and awkwardly staged scenes.
A pleasingly unpredictable stroll across all of the boundaries that we believe separate us -- and that actually do.
This isn't a retooled genre piece, the tale of a guy and his gun, but an amiably idiosyncratic work.
A well-made but emotionally scattered film whose hero gives his heart only to the dog.


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