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Love at First Bark

Love at First Bark

Romance · TV Movie · 2017

Portland interior designer Julia Galvins (Jana Kramer) adopts a dog and seeks the help of expert and handsome dog trainer Owen Michaels (Kevin McGarry). When she is hired to design a nursery and a “puppery,” as well as plan a puppy shower fund-raiser for a pregnant client and her pregnant dog, Julia asks Owen’s advice, and their friendship just might turn into something more.

Movie details

Love at First Bark

2017 Romance · TV Movie 1h 30m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.4 / 10

Community rating

Portland interior designer Julia Galvins (Jana Kramer) adopts a dog and seeks the help of expert and handsome dog trainer Owen Michaels (Kevin McGarry). When she is hired to design a nursery and a “puppery,” as well as plan a puppy shower fund-raiser for a pregnant client and her pregnant dog, Julia asks Owen’s advice, and their friendship just might turn into something more.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Love at First Bark?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Mike Rohl

Written by

Jessica Scott · Erik Patterson · Nicole Baxter

Jana Kramer

Jana Kramer

Julia Galvins

Kevin McGarry

Kevin McGarry

Owen

Anna Van Hooft

Anna Van Hooft

Sherry

Natasha Burnett

Natasha Burnett

Cindy Howard

Reese Alexander

Reese Alexander

Wyatt Salas

Sarah Edmondson

Sarah Edmondson

Cassie Guggenheim

Andrew Moxham

Andrew Moxham

Jonathan Guggenheim

Court is in session

Put Love at First Bark on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.