My Dog: An Unconditional Love Story

Director Mark St. Germain's ode to canines offers a heartfelt look at the effects dogs have on their human owners, here specifically focusing on the stories of a handful of celebrities. Actress Glenn Close talks about her med student dad's rescuing of dogs from labs, fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi giggles as he admits to feeding his dogs from the table, and pianist duo Cipa and Misha Dichter look on as their dog tears the stuffing out of a toy. Other participants include Richard Gere, Greg Louganis, director Lasse Hallstrom, singer Nellie McKay, playwright Edward Albee, poet Billy Collins, and Law & Order costars Richard Belzer (who takes his dog to premieres) and Christopher Meloni (who recalls his family's heartbreak when their older dog was put to sleep before the actor left for college). Standout vignettes include Didi Conn's autistic son Danny's adoring fixation on canines, the late Lynn Redgrave's choice of a puppy that helped her cope with cancer, and a segment on the need for adopting animals (according to the box, 20 percent of every dollar earned by the filmmakers will be donated to nonprofit animal welfare charities). DVD extras include deleted scenes and interviews, and filmmaker bios. From the poignant to the funny (on her dogs' behavior, New York Post gossip columnist Cindy Adams says “Who cares? My husband wasn't well trained either”), this touching look at man's best friend is highly recommended. Aud: P. (J. Williams-Wood)