Gone Doggy Gone is a pleasantly goofy satire with side-splitting performances. The film stars a married couple, Abby Harmon and Eliott Harmon (Kasi Brown and Brandon Walter, respectively), who live in Los Angeles. They seem like the perfect couple but are workaholics in a stale marriage. Abby focuses mostly on their adorable Yorkshire Laila.
Jill Tozer (Shaina Vorspan) is a lonely, socially awkward dog sitter. She is the only person the Harmons trust to take care of Laila. Unfortunately, Jill gets dumped by her boyfriend and laid off from her job due to downsizing. Then Eliott receives a promotion, and the couple decides to move to San Francisco and take Laila with them. Jill considers Laila to be her “BFF” and decides to kidnap her. A cat-and-mouse chase ensues where the Harmons and their friend Kat (Kate Connor) embark on a road trip in pursuit of fleeing Jill.
The story spirals out of control when the Harmons hire a private investigator, Dan (Jeff Sloinker), to bring their beloved Yorkie back. However, things do not go as planned when Dan develops a crush on Jill and begins having second thoughts.
Along the desert of New Mexico, Abby and Eliott have a moment of self-discovery and decide to stay in Los Angeles, where Abby will start her clothing line while Elliot works from home. As the plot unfolds, Jill eventually returns Laila to her rightful owners with Dan’s help. Seven months later, we see the Harmons ready to embark on another adventure of raising a family.
A cleverly-written film that would appeal to public library patrons who are dog lovers. Gone Doggy Gone is a terrific film thanks to its crisp cinematography, plenty of laughs, and ability to strike an emotional chord.