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Sleeping Dogs Lie
EMAILPRINTRoadside Attractions / Samuel Goldwyn Films LLC

Generally favorable reviews
Based on 13 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 4 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Comedy | Drama
Written by: Bob Goldthwait
Directed by: Bob Goldthwait
Release Date:
Theatrical: October 20, 2006
DVD: April 10, 2007
Running Time: 87 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: R for strong and aberrant sexual content, drug use and language
Starring Melinda Page Hamilton, Bryce Johnson, Geoffrey Pierson, Colby French, Jack Plotnick, Brian Posehn, Morgan Murphy, and Steve Agee
Bobcat Goldthwait has written and directed a story that adeptly explores honesty, family, forgiveness and courage. By frankly probing our relationships and idealization of the absolute virtues of honesty, Sleeping Dogs Lie is a funny and perceptive dark comedy. (Roadside Attractions)
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database View The Trailer Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman
Hamilton, in her movie debut, is a find: the kinkstress next door.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Robert Wilonsky
[Goldthwait] handles it beautifully, crafting from such rough stuff something astoundingly sweet and sharply funny about forgiveness, unconditional love, tenderness, and the things we hide just to get ourselves from one day to the next.
Read Full Review >The Hollywood Reporter Duane Byrge
Carnal, crazy and, most amazingly, heartwarming love story.
Read Full Review >Premiere Sara Brady
In the end, it's not Amy's secret that's the most shocking thing about Sleeping Dogs, it's Hamilton's fearless commitment to making what could have been just a cheap punch line into something warmer, richer, and far better.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Ruthe Stein
Lacks the marquee names and production values of big studio romantic comedies, but it connects on an emotional level most of them fail to do.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Stephen Holden
Sleeping Dogs Lie doesn't pretend to be more than it is: a blunt, provocative comedy sketch whose visual look is almost as bare as that of an episode of the underappreciated Home Box Office series "Lucky Louie." The acting, especially by Ms. Hamilton, is better than serviceable.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Mark Olsen
Rather than the escalating gross-out spectacular it could have been, Sleeping Dogs Lie is an unexpectedly thoughtful look at what it takes to make relationships work.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Maitland McDonagh
There are no laughs to be had here, though, unless you count nervous titters and frat-boy sniggers at the very thought of, you know.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone Peter Travers
Goldthwait's movie, shot on video that makes it look dragged through puppy poop, is an unholy mess. But it also possesses a quick wit and an endearing tenderness toward Amy as honesty wrecks her life. It's sweet, doggone it.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman
Goldthwait explores his themes more thoughtfully than you'd expect, but ultimately, we know just how things will end. And what's subversive about that?
Read Full Review >Variety Todd McCarthy
A game and winning performance by Melinda Page Hamilton is the only saving grace.
Read Full Review >LA Weekly Chuck Wilson
A movie with a premise and an ad campaign promising sexual outrageousness, Sleeping Dogs Lie turns out to be rather tame.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 7.0 (out of 10) based on 4 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Chad S. gave it a6:
A true dog lover, had they written "Sleeping Dogs Lie", would emphasize Amy's other sin(which is arguably worse than bestiality): After sex, sex that she initiated, she dropped off her pooch...at the pound...to be euthanized. Talk about your love 'em and leave 'em stories. It recalls(well, not really) that passage in "Lolita" in which Nabokov describes the angst a canine experiences when its master puts an end to their game of "fetch the ball". Now consider Amy's dog, sitting in his cage like a furry Magdalene sister, probably wondering aloud to himself, "Ruff...Ruff...Ruff! Ruff!... Ruff..."(translation: I was just lying there minding my own business, and then...) It's not Amy who should feel humiliated, it's the dog. John(Bryce Johnson) breaks up with Amy(Melinda Page Hamilton) for the wrong reason. Her parents miss the bigger picture, too. Although "Sleeping Dogs Lie" does a mind-bending job of reconciling gross-out humor within a romantic comedy, the film is dishonest about who we should really feel sorry for.
