This was my first Sundance Film Festival movie. It was surprisingly funny...the acting was great and it was refreshing to see an original story...and this one has definite shock factor. Bob Goldthwaite definitely has a twisted mind and braves bringing it to the screen. If you get the opportunity to view this movie...go for it. However it most certainly is not for young people. The conservative will need to be willing to open their minds to a sense of humor even though acceptance will be an impossible feat for pretty much anyone. The irony of the movie is how real the fear of exposing your deepest, darkest secrets to anyone, including the person you are closet to and love most in the entire world. I still say....some things are meant to stay secret!
38 Reviews
Loved it
njenkinson26 April 2009
Bob Goldthwait? Interesting...
Once you get past the "disgusting thing", this movie makes you think about how honest we are with those we love. How much information is too much? Is withholding something the same as lying? Do we really need to share everything with someone in order to be close with them? Does someone need to know everything about you to truly love you?
I thought it was well written and acted. I don't recall seeing Melinda Page Hamilton before this, but I thought she was great. Her parents also did a good job with their roles.
I'd watch it again.
Once you get past the "disgusting thing", this movie makes you think about how honest we are with those we love. How much information is too much? Is withholding something the same as lying? Do we really need to share everything with someone in order to be close with them? Does someone need to know everything about you to truly love you?
I thought it was well written and acted. I don't recall seeing Melinda Page Hamilton before this, but I thought she was great. Her parents also did a good job with their roles.
I'd watch it again.
I guess some things ARE just best left unsaid...
johnnyboyz7 October 2018
Good grief, what HAVE I stumbled upon in Bobcat Goldthwait's 2005 film "Sleeping Dogs Lie"? How is one supposed to respond to it? By lauding it? By providing it with a lukewarm response? By despising it and turning off five minutes in? I would certainly recommend the film, but to whom? And how? For sure, what is admirable about "Sleeping Dogs Lie" is its refreshing amount of self-confidence, in spite of its level of budgeting; it is also periodically funny and possesses a surprisingly rich palette of characterisation in the supporting department. But what to really MAKE of any of it?
Thematically, "Sleeping Dogs Lie" seems to want to be about the past and the secrets from years, even decades, gone by which one might harbour; but also how one responds to the fact one possesses these secrets and, more broadly, how they impact on life once they've been shared. One character, for instance - a woman who was a bit of a floozy in the 1960's who slept around with rock stars - is now a rock-solid Christian in her middle age. For sure, the film covers some fairly repugnant ground when it unearths the things people '...are not proud of', but this is not an exploitation film and possesses too much brain to merely dismiss off the bat.
In a broader context, the film is about the impact of the societal reforms of the 1960's and its effect on the generations born into the wake of them, but it is about these things without necessarily reaching a conclusion on them, never-mind attacking them. Amongst the many things (what some would refer to as poisons) that characterise the western world today, people smoke drugs; women undergo abortions; many engage in pre-marital sex and many other poor souls are addicted to all manner of nasty vices. It is along these lines that the film's defining event takes place when, alone in her university dorm room ten years ago, Amy (Melinda Page Hamilton) performs a sex act - but an act performed on someone very specific whom it would be both too coarse to actually put down into words right here AND be unfair on the grounds it would spoil the surprise...
The burning question is as to why she did it; indeed, why would it even cross a sane individual's mind that they might try such a thing? It is not a question even she can answer - she just couldn't resist... The film does not venture particularly deeply into these waters, either because it is not depicting people who are aware of the West's Cultural Revolution or because the makers of the film don't want to look at themselves for too long in the mirror. It concludes that it was, in her own words, a moment of madness and since she was alone and no one has since been told, the event passed into a form of personal mythology as the years progressed.
In the current year, Amy is a nursery school teacher and gets engaged to John (Bryce Johnson), but her old secret is beginning to gnaw away at her and she can't help but tease herself at addressing it. At work during break, she sits and talks with a male co-worker about honesty in a relationship and sexual turn-on's in a room which gloriously juxtaposes their conversation with Kindergarten mise-en-scene that includes stuffed animals and the ridiculously low table at which they sit.
Misleadingly, Goldthwait moves the film on to a weekend at Amy's parent's house, where we foolishly assume the film is actually all about John's having to win them over as the man fit to wed their daughter; done so via the introduction of her no-nonsense father and her rock-solid Christian mother. Present in the house is Amy's meth-head brother, who seems to be making his very own little life-mistake right in front of our eyes. Still prickling away at Amy, however, is her big secret. But the film isn't really about John's trials and tribulations at the hands of these people, instead merely using it as a base to unearth more about Amy - the twist Goldthwait pulls in his inverting of John with Amy as being the butt of this particular gauntlet is quite striking and worthy of some praise.
What the film turns into from here is fairly standard in the narrative sense: the lead tackles relationship troubles; friends in other places are there to help out and familiar faces re-enter their life to offer convenient salvation. The film seems to conclude, on the one hand, that the social evils which lurk around every corner of this new-fangled world can only lead to the damaging of one's life and the alienation of those we love, although tantalisingly tries to have it both ways when it refuses Amy any kind of closure on having somebody accept her for who she is and what she did.
Perhaps the film's trump card is the way it tackles its subject matter when compared to many other (mostly teen orientated) sex comedies, which are just too keen to throw sexualised humour and bodily function-orientated jokes at you for 90 minutes without a care in the world. In "Sleeping Dogs Lie", everybody who hears about 'the act' seems to conclude it was a hideous and disgusting thing to do - in some instances, entire scenes are dedicated to them sitting down and talking about it - but when a character consumes dog excrement in "American Pie: The Wedding", however, nobody blinks. In Goldthwait's film, these zany scenarios and spontaneous acts affect relations and actually impact on people's lives. As a result, people are forced into philosophising on them - no one can really move on until they've digested it. I would recommend the film, and don't keep anything back from anyone when they ask you what you thought of it...(!)
Thematically, "Sleeping Dogs Lie" seems to want to be about the past and the secrets from years, even decades, gone by which one might harbour; but also how one responds to the fact one possesses these secrets and, more broadly, how they impact on life once they've been shared. One character, for instance - a woman who was a bit of a floozy in the 1960's who slept around with rock stars - is now a rock-solid Christian in her middle age. For sure, the film covers some fairly repugnant ground when it unearths the things people '...are not proud of', but this is not an exploitation film and possesses too much brain to merely dismiss off the bat.
In a broader context, the film is about the impact of the societal reforms of the 1960's and its effect on the generations born into the wake of them, but it is about these things without necessarily reaching a conclusion on them, never-mind attacking them. Amongst the many things (what some would refer to as poisons) that characterise the western world today, people smoke drugs; women undergo abortions; many engage in pre-marital sex and many other poor souls are addicted to all manner of nasty vices. It is along these lines that the film's defining event takes place when, alone in her university dorm room ten years ago, Amy (Melinda Page Hamilton) performs a sex act - but an act performed on someone very specific whom it would be both too coarse to actually put down into words right here AND be unfair on the grounds it would spoil the surprise...
The burning question is as to why she did it; indeed, why would it even cross a sane individual's mind that they might try such a thing? It is not a question even she can answer - she just couldn't resist... The film does not venture particularly deeply into these waters, either because it is not depicting people who are aware of the West's Cultural Revolution or because the makers of the film don't want to look at themselves for too long in the mirror. It concludes that it was, in her own words, a moment of madness and since she was alone and no one has since been told, the event passed into a form of personal mythology as the years progressed.
In the current year, Amy is a nursery school teacher and gets engaged to John (Bryce Johnson), but her old secret is beginning to gnaw away at her and she can't help but tease herself at addressing it. At work during break, she sits and talks with a male co-worker about honesty in a relationship and sexual turn-on's in a room which gloriously juxtaposes their conversation with Kindergarten mise-en-scene that includes stuffed animals and the ridiculously low table at which they sit.
Misleadingly, Goldthwait moves the film on to a weekend at Amy's parent's house, where we foolishly assume the film is actually all about John's having to win them over as the man fit to wed their daughter; done so via the introduction of her no-nonsense father and her rock-solid Christian mother. Present in the house is Amy's meth-head brother, who seems to be making his very own little life-mistake right in front of our eyes. Still prickling away at Amy, however, is her big secret. But the film isn't really about John's trials and tribulations at the hands of these people, instead merely using it as a base to unearth more about Amy - the twist Goldthwait pulls in his inverting of John with Amy as being the butt of this particular gauntlet is quite striking and worthy of some praise.
What the film turns into from here is fairly standard in the narrative sense: the lead tackles relationship troubles; friends in other places are there to help out and familiar faces re-enter their life to offer convenient salvation. The film seems to conclude, on the one hand, that the social evils which lurk around every corner of this new-fangled world can only lead to the damaging of one's life and the alienation of those we love, although tantalisingly tries to have it both ways when it refuses Amy any kind of closure on having somebody accept her for who she is and what she did.
Perhaps the film's trump card is the way it tackles its subject matter when compared to many other (mostly teen orientated) sex comedies, which are just too keen to throw sexualised humour and bodily function-orientated jokes at you for 90 minutes without a care in the world. In "Sleeping Dogs Lie", everybody who hears about 'the act' seems to conclude it was a hideous and disgusting thing to do - in some instances, entire scenes are dedicated to them sitting down and talking about it - but when a character consumes dog excrement in "American Pie: The Wedding", however, nobody blinks. In Goldthwait's film, these zany scenarios and spontaneous acts affect relations and actually impact on people's lives. As a result, people are forced into philosophising on them - no one can really move on until they've digested it. I would recommend the film, and don't keep anything back from anyone when they ask you what you thought of it...(!)
Quaint
inglefinger-118 October 2006
A cute little indie film with an emphasis on family. Of course, most families have their dark sides, and sometimes those dark sides are worth laughing at. Its good to see something so original coming out of Hollywood, with so many blockbusters to compete with, a little indie yarn is a welcome change. There are, of course, a number of so-called "family groups" that will try and tell you that this film promotes lewd sex acts, drug use, infanticide, and an Elektra complex to boot, but as is often the case, anyone who says this and believes it to be true has probably been out of touch with reality for a little too long. As it goes, the film is easy to watch, darkly funny, and yet remarkably fulfilling. I say its worth the rental fees, even if they did have to remove that Dandy Warhols song.
Sleeping Dogs (Stay): She does what!?
Platypuschow6 June 2015
Okay straight off the bat I'm a Bobcat fan, I love his work and thoroughly enjoyed the likes of God Bless America & Worlds Greatest Dad. I like his dark comedic writing/direction and touching upon issues that make people debate.
Sleeping Dogs is no exception though on a considerably lower budget than his other movies. A black comedy about a woman wrestling with the decision of whether to tell her partner her deepest darkest secret.
The movie will make you laugh, cringe & make yourself answer some questions regarding some really rather interesting scenarios.
What would you do if you were her? What would you do if you were him? Is lying to those you love EVER okay?
Be aware this is very crass in places and aims (And succeeds) to shock but never feels like its doing it to grosse out but merely to express the gravity of the events.
I enjoyed Sleeping Dogs despite its flaws and mixed messages, though its one of those movies I fully understand when folks hate it.
If you have a strong stomach, like a movie that gets a group talking and the Bobcat style of writing then its definitely one to give a go of. But it's certainly an acquired taste!
Sleeping Dogs is no exception though on a considerably lower budget than his other movies. A black comedy about a woman wrestling with the decision of whether to tell her partner her deepest darkest secret.
The movie will make you laugh, cringe & make yourself answer some questions regarding some really rather interesting scenarios.
What would you do if you were her? What would you do if you were him? Is lying to those you love EVER okay?
Be aware this is very crass in places and aims (And succeeds) to shock but never feels like its doing it to grosse out but merely to express the gravity of the events.
I enjoyed Sleeping Dogs despite its flaws and mixed messages, though its one of those movies I fully understand when folks hate it.
If you have a strong stomach, like a movie that gets a group talking and the Bobcat style of writing then its definitely one to give a go of. But it's certainly an acquired taste!
In all honesty , this is a fatally flawed film ...........
merklekranz30 March 2010
"Sleeping Dogs Lie" is hyped as black comedy. The quote "Give the dog a bone" is blatantly blasted forth on the DVD box cover, yet despite the outrageous bestiality subject matter, the film simply isn't outrageous enough to be a successful black comedy. It's all about the consequences of being totally honest in your relationships, sibling rivalry, people not living up to your expectations, insecurities, unconditional love, and forgiveness. When any comedy tries for such deep meaning, it risks tipping over into territory where it doesn't belong, and that is the fatal flaw with "Sleeping Dogs Lie". The uneasy mixture of comedy and drama comes across as more a philosophy lesson than entertainment. - MERK
Lesson: Learned
Rogue-322 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
With its (no pun intended) off-beat subject matter, this film - written and directed by none other than Bobcat Goldthwait - subversively poses the question: is complete honesty, particularly about one's past, necessary in a relationship? To serve his ends, Bobcat creates a really absurd and disgusting 'secret' for his main character, so it would be understandable for her love interest to be at first repulsed and then curious (he wanted her to do the same with his own dog, Steve). By the end of the movie, she has learned her lesson: complete honesty is not only unrealistic, it can destroy even the most promising relationships - at one point, Amy's boyfriend John, an aspiring writer, tells Amy's father that he would choose never getting published over not being with Amy for the rest of his life.
The film is very well acted (Melinda Page Hamilton especially shines), excellently written, with well-fleshed-out characters, not caricatures - even Amy's meth-crazed, deranged brother (hilarious performance from Jack Plotnick) rings true - and the overall tone is surprisingly restrained, considering Goldthwait's onstage persona and the strong possibility of easily going over the top considering the already-challenging subject matter.
The film is very well acted (Melinda Page Hamilton especially shines), excellently written, with well-fleshed-out characters, not caricatures - even Amy's meth-crazed, deranged brother (hilarious performance from Jack Plotnick) rings true - and the overall tone is surprisingly restrained, considering Goldthwait's onstage persona and the strong possibility of easily going over the top considering the already-challenging subject matter.
Deeply disturbing on many levels
barbecuedbanana29 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This film is totally unbelievable. The only way a girl would perform this act on a dog is if she had serious mental health issues or had a long history of sexual abuse or was under duress. Yet we are asked to believe that an otherwise 'normal' healthy female just got a bit bored and 'made a little mistake' and oops had a sexual encounter with a dog. What's more it never had any detrimental affect on her ever again except when she tells someone.
Not she was raped by a dog or the dog did something she couldn't resist - she actively initiated oral sex and completed this activity with a pet dog of her own choice. She wasn't on drugs or anything she just 'felt like it'.
The rest of the film seeks to put this action in a light of 'hey it could happen to anyone she's only being honest'.
But really for this to be believed we have to believe that this is a woman who is capable of doing absolutely ANYTHING if she 'just feels like it'. Think about it - could she have considered the rights and wrongs of this action before carrying it out? If she had she would have stopped in her tracks. Human beings have instinctive boundaries for reasons. If we are now to start considering bestiality as a 'cute' little aberration, what is next? Child abuse? Yet the 'heroine' is portrayed as a hard done by, nice girl who had one moment of aberration. If she had been forced to carry out this act by an abuser - the story might have made more sense and I would have been able to accept the storyline. But there is no way that anyone carries out the prolonged activity required and referred to even once - if there is not some deep, disturbance that requires a great deal of psychiatric help. This is NO WAY a one off happening in an otherwise perfect life.
I know this is just a film, but it is through normalising behaviour such as this via the media that society becomes desensitised and more and more awful realities become possible.
I could imagine an abuser showing this to a child to persuade them that it isn't such a big deal and then moving on with their agenda. It could also be used by an abuser to underline to a child not to tell about the abuse - because look how people will react to you if you do.
This is not about truth. The director WANTS people to think it's about truth. This is about degradation and how easily people (the viewing public)can be manipulated into accepting the most appalling concepts if wrapped up in the right way. The watching public are being manipulated, degraded and laughed at.
This is a film in which the actors and the viewers are being humiliated and made fools of in a very sophisticated way by a clever but extremely disturbed film writer.
This film appears to me to be being used as a vehicle for the creator of the film to get off on the excitement of playing with your mind in an abusive manner. I don't know whether it is conscious on their part - but it is the most classic example of Mind F***k that I have ever encountered.
I hope that this doesn't offend anyone too much. But if you watched this film - I don't think there is any room left to be offended by anything any more.
Not she was raped by a dog or the dog did something she couldn't resist - she actively initiated oral sex and completed this activity with a pet dog of her own choice. She wasn't on drugs or anything she just 'felt like it'.
The rest of the film seeks to put this action in a light of 'hey it could happen to anyone she's only being honest'.
But really for this to be believed we have to believe that this is a woman who is capable of doing absolutely ANYTHING if she 'just feels like it'. Think about it - could she have considered the rights and wrongs of this action before carrying it out? If she had she would have stopped in her tracks. Human beings have instinctive boundaries for reasons. If we are now to start considering bestiality as a 'cute' little aberration, what is next? Child abuse? Yet the 'heroine' is portrayed as a hard done by, nice girl who had one moment of aberration. If she had been forced to carry out this act by an abuser - the story might have made more sense and I would have been able to accept the storyline. But there is no way that anyone carries out the prolonged activity required and referred to even once - if there is not some deep, disturbance that requires a great deal of psychiatric help. This is NO WAY a one off happening in an otherwise perfect life.
I know this is just a film, but it is through normalising behaviour such as this via the media that society becomes desensitised and more and more awful realities become possible.
I could imagine an abuser showing this to a child to persuade them that it isn't such a big deal and then moving on with their agenda. It could also be used by an abuser to underline to a child not to tell about the abuse - because look how people will react to you if you do.
This is not about truth. The director WANTS people to think it's about truth. This is about degradation and how easily people (the viewing public)can be manipulated into accepting the most appalling concepts if wrapped up in the right way. The watching public are being manipulated, degraded and laughed at.
This is a film in which the actors and the viewers are being humiliated and made fools of in a very sophisticated way by a clever but extremely disturbed film writer.
This film appears to me to be being used as a vehicle for the creator of the film to get off on the excitement of playing with your mind in an abusive manner. I don't know whether it is conscious on their part - but it is the most classic example of Mind F***k that I have ever encountered.
I hope that this doesn't offend anyone too much. But if you watched this film - I don't think there is any room left to be offended by anything any more.
Twisted yet Sweet
randyjsinger10 October 2006
I saw this film in a preview screening presented by Bobcat Goldthwait. He was incredibly funny as he talked about the hassles that he had to go through to get this film made.
It was definitely worth it. This film really cuts to the core of human relationships. It deals with love fidelity, and the value and pitfalls of secrets and honesty. Yes, it challenges society's mores, but in a sweet and very funny way.
The casting and writing are both fantastic.
The only major drawback is the graininess of some of the digital photography.
This film may end up being portrayed as a gimmick movie, but that is really an afterthought to the humanity of this fine film.
It was definitely worth it. This film really cuts to the core of human relationships. It deals with love fidelity, and the value and pitfalls of secrets and honesty. Yes, it challenges society's mores, but in a sweet and very funny way.
The casting and writing are both fantastic.
The only major drawback is the graininess of some of the digital photography.
This film may end up being portrayed as a gimmick movie, but that is really an afterthought to the humanity of this fine film.
Everybody, silence; the man has something to say
StevePulaski26 July 2012
Sleeping Dogs Lie begins with a line that is purposely created for wincing and cringing. I will not repeat it but, chance are, it has already been an ongoing joke online. If I mention the plot, you may be able to figure it out. The story is about a woman who, out of impulsive desires, commits an act of bestiality with her dog in college and has gone on to their late twenties without telling a single soul. She winds up caught in the moment with her fiancée when they are admitting the wild things they did when they were younger and he is appalled and left wishing he was not informed about this.
The woman is Amy, played confidently by Melinda Page Hamilton. The man is John (Bryce Johnson), and the secret is spilled during a vacation at Amy's parents' house. Amy's family is made up of heavily religious, societal do-gooders, except for her delinquent meth-head brother who overhears Amy's secret when she's telling it to John late night in the garage. When the secret is out there, John is disgusted and the drug-addicted brother discovers this is a great time to tell their parents that Amy isn't the perfect model child they have always thought. When he tells them they don't believe it, until Amy confirms it and they are told to leave.
When Amy and John arrive home, things are rocky, and the final straw is when John calls Amy something no woman should ever be called. You can even hear the reluctant hesitation in his voice, and see he regrets it immediately after saying it. She responds by throwing the engagement ring he gave her straight at him, and now, she is left single and ostracized by her family.
Writer/director Bobcat Goldthwait seems to create all of his ideas with a sense of direction, urgency, and purpose, while still imposing the creative, questionable spin on things. His next film would be World's Greatest Dad, a remarkably touching, eccentric drama about a father whose greatest happiness and feeling of self-worth comes after a horrific tragedy. On paper, it's saddening to thing about, but when you see it unfold, it becomes a beautiful story of sentiment and how once the impending roadblocks and shackles are destroyed, how your life could suddenly have more meaning than you ever thought.
Just like World's Greatest Dad, Sleeping Dogs Lie will be a challenge to recommend to people after one reads the plot. The film isn't a black comedy by the usual standards and I do not deem it "good" by my usual standards (whatever the hell they are). I deem it as a maturely crafted film that doesn't rely on the raunchiness and exploitation its one note joke could possibly bring, but what the human that is the butt of the raunchy joke can bring. Had this been more mainstream and boasted actors and actresses of the "let's be funny because we're doing and saying things that don't very much advance the plot" film genre it would've either quickly derailed into clichés and contrivance or overcompensate the joke itself and shortchange the humans behind it (the "what not to do" part on how to make a film about gags win). Goldthwait, again, proves he has something to say, and no matter how crass, juvenile, or ridiculous it is, he will say it and say it proudly.
NOTE: One may be surprised on what route our main character, Amy, will take. The trailer and posters say one thing, but Goldthwait has something else in store for her.
Starring: Melinda Page Hamilton, Bryce Johnson, Geoff Pierson, Colby French, Jack Plotnick, Bonita Friedericy, and Brian Posehn. Directed by: Bobcat Goldthwait.
The woman is Amy, played confidently by Melinda Page Hamilton. The man is John (Bryce Johnson), and the secret is spilled during a vacation at Amy's parents' house. Amy's family is made up of heavily religious, societal do-gooders, except for her delinquent meth-head brother who overhears Amy's secret when she's telling it to John late night in the garage. When the secret is out there, John is disgusted and the drug-addicted brother discovers this is a great time to tell their parents that Amy isn't the perfect model child they have always thought. When he tells them they don't believe it, until Amy confirms it and they are told to leave.
When Amy and John arrive home, things are rocky, and the final straw is when John calls Amy something no woman should ever be called. You can even hear the reluctant hesitation in his voice, and see he regrets it immediately after saying it. She responds by throwing the engagement ring he gave her straight at him, and now, she is left single and ostracized by her family.
Writer/director Bobcat Goldthwait seems to create all of his ideas with a sense of direction, urgency, and purpose, while still imposing the creative, questionable spin on things. His next film would be World's Greatest Dad, a remarkably touching, eccentric drama about a father whose greatest happiness and feeling of self-worth comes after a horrific tragedy. On paper, it's saddening to thing about, but when you see it unfold, it becomes a beautiful story of sentiment and how once the impending roadblocks and shackles are destroyed, how your life could suddenly have more meaning than you ever thought.
Just like World's Greatest Dad, Sleeping Dogs Lie will be a challenge to recommend to people after one reads the plot. The film isn't a black comedy by the usual standards and I do not deem it "good" by my usual standards (whatever the hell they are). I deem it as a maturely crafted film that doesn't rely on the raunchiness and exploitation its one note joke could possibly bring, but what the human that is the butt of the raunchy joke can bring. Had this been more mainstream and boasted actors and actresses of the "let's be funny because we're doing and saying things that don't very much advance the plot" film genre it would've either quickly derailed into clichés and contrivance or overcompensate the joke itself and shortchange the humans behind it (the "what not to do" part on how to make a film about gags win). Goldthwait, again, proves he has something to say, and no matter how crass, juvenile, or ridiculous it is, he will say it and say it proudly.
NOTE: One may be surprised on what route our main character, Amy, will take. The trailer and posters say one thing, but Goldthwait has something else in store for her.
Starring: Melinda Page Hamilton, Bryce Johnson, Geoff Pierson, Colby French, Jack Plotnick, Bonita Friedericy, and Brian Posehn. Directed by: Bobcat Goldthwait.
Charming, but moderately so
oneloveall20 April 2007
Mildly amusing, low-key, offbeat comedy that plays out like many other relationship low budget type movies, except this uses a shocking plot element to drive any on-screen friction. Stay (Titled Sleeping Dogs Lie on DVD) is a light-hearted morbid little amusement, and while dried out funnyman Bob Goldthwait never exploits any of the inherent discomforts dormant within this absurd love story, he never takes anything much beyond it's one-noted approach either. The modest affair uses this gimmicky device to varied success, becoming both a source of glee when cultivating it's charming sense of humor, and a limiting discouragement which comes along with basing everything around this cheap shot.
Thankfully Goldthwait manages to get an impressive range out of the restrictive screenplay , primarily due to the hard fought performance coming from lead Melinda Page Hamilton. While the movie quickly becomes a thing-for-which-this-plot-element-is-to-thrive, Hamilton maintains a fair amount of integrity throughout, showing a convincing range and dedication to a project no one could have really thought too highly of, especially on paper. Yet, she gives this woman's plight an emotional integrity that will override any sneaking suspicions that Goldthwait penned the rushed script in a blatant attempt to turn heads with it's superficially assigned motives, showing something far more important then any dirty little secret she may harbor by acting and reacting to the ones she loves around her once a certain stability she had relied on started to crumble. To that effect, the movie rises above the small sum of it's parts when relating to an audience the burdens of living with something that is too embarrassing to tell anyone.
For the tiny pockets of hilarity and impressive bouts of emotional substance it provides, Sleeping Dogs Lie still stays bogged in a mediocrity when not directly invested in it's chief conflict. Your typical supporting characters and revolving plot arcs do little to involve one in the particular psychology invested around a pleasing center theme of this movie, making some of the supplementary material unnecessary and irrelative to it's strong points.
Thankfully Goldthwait manages to get an impressive range out of the restrictive screenplay , primarily due to the hard fought performance coming from lead Melinda Page Hamilton. While the movie quickly becomes a thing-for-which-this-plot-element-is-to-thrive, Hamilton maintains a fair amount of integrity throughout, showing a convincing range and dedication to a project no one could have really thought too highly of, especially on paper. Yet, she gives this woman's plight an emotional integrity that will override any sneaking suspicions that Goldthwait penned the rushed script in a blatant attempt to turn heads with it's superficially assigned motives, showing something far more important then any dirty little secret she may harbor by acting and reacting to the ones she loves around her once a certain stability she had relied on started to crumble. To that effect, the movie rises above the small sum of it's parts when relating to an audience the burdens of living with something that is too embarrassing to tell anyone.
For the tiny pockets of hilarity and impressive bouts of emotional substance it provides, Sleeping Dogs Lie still stays bogged in a mediocrity when not directly invested in it's chief conflict. Your typical supporting characters and revolving plot arcs do little to involve one in the particular psychology invested around a pleasing center theme of this movie, making some of the supplementary material unnecessary and irrelative to it's strong points.
If you can get past the first act, this is a well done film
ArizWldcat29 January 2006
The opening scene might be quite disgusting and disturbing to some, but if you can get past that, the film is actually enjoyable. (I am not going to disclose the nature of the act, even though I see now that my local paper has given it away!!) Let's just say that the title takes on a double meaning after you see the opening act.*NOTE: now the title is "Sleeping Dogs Lie." When I wrote this, it was called "Stay."
I was one of the lucky ticketholders who got to see this at Sundance...Bob Goldthwaite was at our Salt Lake screening, which we appreciated very much (many filmmakers don't bother with the locals). He warned us before the show started that people may want to walk out at the beginning; and to be honest, I may have left had I not heard him talk about the movie first. One of the things I liked about the movie is that it acknowledges throughout that "the act" is wrong and sick, not socially acceptable, and hard to get past.
I am very glad we stayed. I appreciated so many things about this film. The script was very well written, and the story was compelling. Amy's parents are not portrayed as buffoons, even though they are conservative; her mother especially is shown to be very human and forgiving; her father is perceptive and caring. Goldthwait didn't just go for cheap laughs; this movie actually has something to say.
This movie isn't really about the sexual indiscretion, it's about the nature of "truth" and whether or not people are entitled to know ALL of the bad things you have ever done. If a person has moved on, changed their ways, etc. etc, then some things are better left unsaid, and this movie illustrated that beautifully. If you can get past the first scene (which actually leaves the "act" to the viewer's imagination!), it's really a very well done and surprisingly sweet film.
I was one of the lucky ticketholders who got to see this at Sundance...Bob Goldthwaite was at our Salt Lake screening, which we appreciated very much (many filmmakers don't bother with the locals). He warned us before the show started that people may want to walk out at the beginning; and to be honest, I may have left had I not heard him talk about the movie first. One of the things I liked about the movie is that it acknowledges throughout that "the act" is wrong and sick, not socially acceptable, and hard to get past.
I am very glad we stayed. I appreciated so many things about this film. The script was very well written, and the story was compelling. Amy's parents are not portrayed as buffoons, even though they are conservative; her mother especially is shown to be very human and forgiving; her father is perceptive and caring. Goldthwait didn't just go for cheap laughs; this movie actually has something to say.
This movie isn't really about the sexual indiscretion, it's about the nature of "truth" and whether or not people are entitled to know ALL of the bad things you have ever done. If a person has moved on, changed their ways, etc. etc, then some things are better left unsaid, and this movie illustrated that beautifully. If you can get past the first scene (which actually leaves the "act" to the viewer's imagination!), it's really a very well done and surprisingly sweet film.
All said and done, not so bad.
darren_boe16 April 2013
The beginning of this film was slow and bit painful to get through as the film quality is shoddy and the writing seems sophomoric at best. The fiancé is hard to watch as honestly if he was on fire I believe he was in pain.
The ancillary characters in this movie make the movie infinitely more watchable. Linda and her boyfriend make you want to spend more time with them than the movie felt necessary sadly.
Half way through the movie picks up and rolls along decently. But my love of the friend Linda and her boyfriend goes on unsatisfied. Just be wary of the first 45 mins though as again the pacing crawls.
The ancillary characters in this movie make the movie infinitely more watchable. Linda and her boyfriend make you want to spend more time with them than the movie felt necessary sadly.
Half way through the movie picks up and rolls along decently. But my love of the friend Linda and her boyfriend goes on unsatisfied. Just be wary of the first 45 mins though as again the pacing crawls.
Why does Bobcat still get work???
ljarsonbeck-125 June 2008
I am not so old that I can't remember laughing at Bobcat Goldthwait a couple times. But some where in all his years of drug abuse he lost his sense of humor as well as his brain cells.
From the moment this film opens you can have no sympathy nor empathy for the female lead. Neither will you find anything remotely funny after hearing the opening line. Goldthwait obviously hates himself so much that he needs to degrade in order to feel better- even if it is his own imaginary characters he degrades.
If you ever saw Shakes the Clown you know how unfunny Bobcat was 15 years ago...this movie is worse. It was not even funny by accident It is sad, pathetic and a total waste of time. May Goldthwaits' hands be rendered paralyzed so he can not write another script. Strike his tongue so he can not dictate another unfunny scene. He is sad and pathetic and needs to make room for a new talent dying to get into Hollywood
From the moment this film opens you can have no sympathy nor empathy for the female lead. Neither will you find anything remotely funny after hearing the opening line. Goldthwait obviously hates himself so much that he needs to degrade in order to feel better- even if it is his own imaginary characters he degrades.
If you ever saw Shakes the Clown you know how unfunny Bobcat was 15 years ago...this movie is worse. It was not even funny by accident It is sad, pathetic and a total waste of time. May Goldthwaits' hands be rendered paralyzed so he can not write another script. Strike his tongue so he can not dictate another unfunny scene. He is sad and pathetic and needs to make room for a new talent dying to get into Hollywood
A great little film!!!
holly90002 April 2007
Woof.Woof Woof.Woof!!Two big thumbs up!!A great film from an unlikely director. This was so good,I was actually waiting for the credits to find out who made this one. Never knew "Ol Bobcat had it in him. Not to sound cliché', but...I laughed, I cried, I found myself wanting for more. What more can you ask of a film? This one's gem from start to finish. Yes, it's a little raw, but any production shortcomings are more than offset by the outstanding script, performances, and overall experience. Hat's off Bobcat!! I'll be anxiously awaiting your next project.This one's a keeper. Great title too!(you'll see what I mean...lol)
Uneven to the extreme
moviesleuth223 June 2010
What's your biggest secret? I'll bet you it's not as big as Amy's (Melinda Page Hilton). And as she can tell you, honesty may not be the best policy for some things. Especially when it comes to her secret.
Amy (Melinda Page Hilton) is happily engaged to her boyfriend, John (Bryce Johnson), and through their conversation, he decides that they should be completely honest with each other and share their deepest secrets. Pretty soon, they're both going to wish they hadn't.
Because I actually want this review to be published on IMDb, I can't disclose what she actually did (although when you look at the poster and the synopsis, it's kind of obvious...and the quote is on the film's page). It's pretty shocking, but that's about as far as the movie goes. For someone whose mind is this twisted, there could have been plenty of places for this movie to go. Yet after an occasionally funny first half, it delves into a romantic melodrama that still doesn't really work.
At least the acting is solid. Melinda Page Hilton must be given credit for her courage. The content of this film requires someone who is not against taking some very big risks. It also helps that she is solid in the role. It's not Oscar worthy, but it gets the job done. Bryce Johnson is a little less successful, but he's not bad. The best performance goes to Colby French, Amy's co-worker and confidant. Of all the characters in the film, he's the one I felt for the most.
Bobcat Goldthwait has a twisted mind, to be sure, but he doesn't lack the courage to do anything with this situation. This film could have been a great screwball comedy, but Goldthwait actually expects us to care about these characters and what happens to them. To an extent, I did, but not enough for the amount of time that is devoted to their dramas. The secret is shocking, but I got over it FAR sooner than the characters. Worse is his static shot selection. The film looks bland. To anyone who is not a film critic, that may not be noticeable (as a label), but everyone will know that Goldthwait really fails to draw us into the story.
"Sleeping Does Lie" isn't a terrible film, but it's not a very good one either. I'll just call it a "missed opportunity."
Amy (Melinda Page Hilton) is happily engaged to her boyfriend, John (Bryce Johnson), and through their conversation, he decides that they should be completely honest with each other and share their deepest secrets. Pretty soon, they're both going to wish they hadn't.
Because I actually want this review to be published on IMDb, I can't disclose what she actually did (although when you look at the poster and the synopsis, it's kind of obvious...and the quote is on the film's page). It's pretty shocking, but that's about as far as the movie goes. For someone whose mind is this twisted, there could have been plenty of places for this movie to go. Yet after an occasionally funny first half, it delves into a romantic melodrama that still doesn't really work.
At least the acting is solid. Melinda Page Hilton must be given credit for her courage. The content of this film requires someone who is not against taking some very big risks. It also helps that she is solid in the role. It's not Oscar worthy, but it gets the job done. Bryce Johnson is a little less successful, but he's not bad. The best performance goes to Colby French, Amy's co-worker and confidant. Of all the characters in the film, he's the one I felt for the most.
Bobcat Goldthwait has a twisted mind, to be sure, but he doesn't lack the courage to do anything with this situation. This film could have been a great screwball comedy, but Goldthwait actually expects us to care about these characters and what happens to them. To an extent, I did, but not enough for the amount of time that is devoted to their dramas. The secret is shocking, but I got over it FAR sooner than the characters. Worse is his static shot selection. The film looks bland. To anyone who is not a film critic, that may not be noticeable (as a label), but everyone will know that Goldthwait really fails to draw us into the story.
"Sleeping Does Lie" isn't a terrible film, but it's not a very good one either. I'll just call it a "missed opportunity."
The Film Delivers
jletl29 October 2012
The editing, both sound and video, are very choppy, and there's a few continuity errors. But the lack of professionalism provides a certain charm to a film whose importance lies more in content, less in form. Bob Goldthwait succeeds once again in creating a story that's both charming and socially challenging; no easy feat.
I would describe it as a likable movie that contains obvious flaws which are overcome. And in this case, add to the total cinematic value.
Bonita Friedericy gives a rather nice performance Dig the tagline: Everybody has secrets A would be hard pressed to find a RomCom I liked more.
I would describe it as a likable movie that contains obvious flaws which are overcome. And in this case, add to the total cinematic value.
Bonita Friedericy gives a rather nice performance Dig the tagline: Everybody has secrets A would be hard pressed to find a RomCom I liked more.
Movie sucks butt.
kcuteprincess1131 May 2007
This movie was such a waste of my money. it was disgusting as well as disturbing. honestly, i would never recommend this movie to anyone. who thinks of a movie where a girl blows her dog?? seriously... it was a waste of my time. i kept watching the movie, hoping it would get better and a plot would emerge but that never happened. i'd rate the movie an F-. This movie should have been rated R for its disturbing nature. I would never let children of any age see this movie. this movie sucks. this movie is horrible. this movie was a waste of my time. i could have spent the night doing some worth my time instead of renting this movie. this movie was a waste of gas money to get to the store and definitely a waste of two dollars to watch it. pretty much, no one should watch this movie. this movie should be banned and burned.
An unusual film
Chris_Docker18 March 2007
You fall in love. You know, you get that really special feeling, an amazing connection . . . ? "This could be the one," you say, "I feel I could tell this person anything." Total love, total honesty, total forgiveness. Unconditional.
Not!! Don't see this film with your fiancé, see it on your own . . .
Sleeping Dogs Lie is not standard rom-com, a tidy melodrama, or a gross-out comedy. It second-guesses the audience with its unconventional examination of relationships and the ideas we maybe too easily take for granted. Like the emotional headbanger movie, Closer, you will perhaps want time to think of the answers to give your beloved before they ask questions based on this movie. The best time to analyse relationships is when you're not in one. The second best time, as our intelligent, pretty, 26yr old protagonist discovers, is when you're learning from your past mistakes.
Amy (Melinda Page Hamilton) is fairly sure that John is the guy for her. They reach the, "Tell me something you've never told anyone else" stage. Yes, we're talking sexual things. But not on screen - just verbal and emotional. Trouble is, Amy is worried John won't love her if she tells him of her dark teenage misdemeanour.
If you have done something bad, that didn't hurt anyone else, you didn't intend any harm, and no-one found out, is telling your other half part of that 'total honesty' equation? Sharing feels good (selfish, but OK). Telling them before they find out from someone else is probably good tactics (selfish really, from fear, or at best protecting trust). But love for the other person isn't technically part of it. Not that you believe that. Amy goes for trial and error. John gives her a 'skeleton' and she wimps out. She gives him a made-up confession that he finds a turn on. For now.
When someone else finds out it might be accidental - but it can come back to haunt. Honesty involves more than intellectual decision. What if your mind 'forgives' someone but your sexual urge doesn't? And if you get the moral high ground, will that tempt you to lie so as to keep it? The film's resolution works on a 'minimising hurt to others' idea, which is quite convincing. Am I going to tell you Amy's secret? No - cos if I do, it will give you the wrong idea of the film, and it's in the first reel anyway.
This is a low budget movie ($50,000) that was very well received at the Sundance and San Sebastian film festivals. Acting is excellent, but the characters are not always very rounded and it is too uneven, uncategorisable a film for general viewing. Audience distance is made even greater by use of techniques like contrasting music ("When You're Smiling"' plays as they drive through miserable silence). I was about to get bored with it, but was already wondering if it was taking an avant-garde approach rather than being just an amateurish mainstream film. It comes very close to the bone when characters 'demand' that the object of their 'love' is 'honest' with them. (Do you have the right to insist on information about that part of someone's life that doesn't concern you?) The dilemmas are reflected into other relationships. Amy has to attend a funeral (she has fallen out with her Father - "I need you to love me, Daddy"), and needs a cigarette. "I didn't want you to know I knew," her father says.
Sleeping Dogs Lie may seem slapdash or tedious if you don't buy into the cerebral and emotional challenge. If you do, you may find it, as I did, quite edifying as well - as heartbreakingly poignant.
Not!! Don't see this film with your fiancé, see it on your own . . .
Sleeping Dogs Lie is not standard rom-com, a tidy melodrama, or a gross-out comedy. It second-guesses the audience with its unconventional examination of relationships and the ideas we maybe too easily take for granted. Like the emotional headbanger movie, Closer, you will perhaps want time to think of the answers to give your beloved before they ask questions based on this movie. The best time to analyse relationships is when you're not in one. The second best time, as our intelligent, pretty, 26yr old protagonist discovers, is when you're learning from your past mistakes.
Amy (Melinda Page Hamilton) is fairly sure that John is the guy for her. They reach the, "Tell me something you've never told anyone else" stage. Yes, we're talking sexual things. But not on screen - just verbal and emotional. Trouble is, Amy is worried John won't love her if she tells him of her dark teenage misdemeanour.
If you have done something bad, that didn't hurt anyone else, you didn't intend any harm, and no-one found out, is telling your other half part of that 'total honesty' equation? Sharing feels good (selfish, but OK). Telling them before they find out from someone else is probably good tactics (selfish really, from fear, or at best protecting trust). But love for the other person isn't technically part of it. Not that you believe that. Amy goes for trial and error. John gives her a 'skeleton' and she wimps out. She gives him a made-up confession that he finds a turn on. For now.
When someone else finds out it might be accidental - but it can come back to haunt. Honesty involves more than intellectual decision. What if your mind 'forgives' someone but your sexual urge doesn't? And if you get the moral high ground, will that tempt you to lie so as to keep it? The film's resolution works on a 'minimising hurt to others' idea, which is quite convincing. Am I going to tell you Amy's secret? No - cos if I do, it will give you the wrong idea of the film, and it's in the first reel anyway.
This is a low budget movie ($50,000) that was very well received at the Sundance and San Sebastian film festivals. Acting is excellent, but the characters are not always very rounded and it is too uneven, uncategorisable a film for general viewing. Audience distance is made even greater by use of techniques like contrasting music ("When You're Smiling"' plays as they drive through miserable silence). I was about to get bored with it, but was already wondering if it was taking an avant-garde approach rather than being just an amateurish mainstream film. It comes very close to the bone when characters 'demand' that the object of their 'love' is 'honest' with them. (Do you have the right to insist on information about that part of someone's life that doesn't concern you?) The dilemmas are reflected into other relationships. Amy has to attend a funeral (she has fallen out with her Father - "I need you to love me, Daddy"), and needs a cigarette. "I didn't want you to know I knew," her father says.
Sleeping Dogs Lie may seem slapdash or tedious if you don't buy into the cerebral and emotional challenge. If you do, you may find it, as I did, quite edifying as well - as heartbreakingly poignant.
OK, but one main floor
I-TheMan-I4 December 2013
The film was OK except for this one major floor. At the beginning of the film when Amy is reading her book she glances down twice at her dog's genitals, at this point you can clearly see that the dog has been neutered and has no testicles, therefore Amy would not be able to give him a blow job because he would not be able to get an erection and even if he could he would definitely not be able to ejaculate, but a little later on in the film Amy is trying to wash the taste of his sperm out of her mouth, in another scene she imagines telling people at a party what she had done, saying, 'any one here besides me knows what canine seaman tastes like'. This suggests that the dog did ejaculate and she tasted his sperm. The final reference is on the way back from her parent's house Amy and John stop off at a park and start arguing, Amy says, 'You ate a cookie covered in sperm' and John replies 'Yer human sperm'. This also points to the fact that Amy tasted or Possible swallow the sperm on her dog.
What a Dog
jamfitz0017 October 2012
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is a complete failure on every level.
If you are hoping to watch an outrageous comedy, filled with laughs, that dances on the edge, this is not that movie, despite the outlandishness that might be expected from the topic in question. Instead, despite a few characters that behave for short periods in a fashion that suggests comic relief, this movie is a dreary-tawdry tragedy that resolves itself in a semi-happy conclusion, but at the cost of coherence, plot or character development. The shrugs-your-shoulder ending will arrive at the point which you no longer give a crap.
The cast is lead by mediocre unknowns and fleshed out with recognizable TV veterans Geoff Pierson and Brian Poshen, both of whom who have talent to elevate their roles beyond this dismal script. The rest of the cast do not fare as well. Melinda Hamilton is a bland somewhat whiny lead, matched by both Bryce Johnson and Colby French as her romantic counterparts. There is little chemistry or fire between either match.
The story is basically this: Amy(Melinda) has a disgusting secret. She reveals it to her fiancé. Her family learns it. Tragedy ensues, Her life falls apart. She continues on. The problem is that none of this is played for belly laughs, as one hopes it would be coming from Goldwaith. The story's arc is also distorted by the lead character having a deep relationship that develops through the telling of the tale, but suddenly that is dropped and the investment that we have made in the romance which is the basis of the story comes to no conclusion. She simply throws him away and starts up with someone else, as if it all didn't matter anyway.
"Nothing matters and just lie about it, and who cares anyway" is not a great theme for a movie. I didn't laugh much throughout and I learned nothing. I would recommend not bothering.
If you are hoping to watch an outrageous comedy, filled with laughs, that dances on the edge, this is not that movie, despite the outlandishness that might be expected from the topic in question. Instead, despite a few characters that behave for short periods in a fashion that suggests comic relief, this movie is a dreary-tawdry tragedy that resolves itself in a semi-happy conclusion, but at the cost of coherence, plot or character development. The shrugs-your-shoulder ending will arrive at the point which you no longer give a crap.
The cast is lead by mediocre unknowns and fleshed out with recognizable TV veterans Geoff Pierson and Brian Poshen, both of whom who have talent to elevate their roles beyond this dismal script. The rest of the cast do not fare as well. Melinda Hamilton is a bland somewhat whiny lead, matched by both Bryce Johnson and Colby French as her romantic counterparts. There is little chemistry or fire between either match.
The story is basically this: Amy(Melinda) has a disgusting secret. She reveals it to her fiancé. Her family learns it. Tragedy ensues, Her life falls apart. She continues on. The problem is that none of this is played for belly laughs, as one hopes it would be coming from Goldwaith. The story's arc is also distorted by the lead character having a deep relationship that develops through the telling of the tale, but suddenly that is dropped and the investment that we have made in the romance which is the basis of the story comes to no conclusion. She simply throws him away and starts up with someone else, as if it all didn't matter anyway.
"Nothing matters and just lie about it, and who cares anyway" is not a great theme for a movie. I didn't laugh much throughout and I learned nothing. I would recommend not bothering.
Hilarious, you will laugh out loud.
DMANJAM30 December 2007
No wonder politicians lie, our society "can't handle the truth." No film points this out as clearly as this film does. I rarely review films but this one inspired me. Most of America is trained to lie and cheat in elementary school. We learn very quickly that the cheaters get rewarded, no wonder our political and business systems are such a mess. Ask your self what happened with Enron, were they really punished? A lot of them made millions and got away with it.
The acting was excellent and I was glad the actors were unknown. The last time I laughed this hard during a film was Waking Ned Devine in 1998. Was a little surprised the film is rated so low, there are a lot of movie snobs that can't enjoy a film with no stars or recognize Bobcat Goldthwait as a director.
The acting was excellent and I was glad the actors were unknown. The last time I laughed this hard during a film was Waking Ned Devine in 1998. Was a little surprised the film is rated so low, there are a lot of movie snobs that can't enjoy a film with no stars or recognize Bobcat Goldthwait as a director.
while it's alright, one can't help but feel that someone 'screwed the pooch'
movieman_kev23 May 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Bobcat Goldthwait should be commended for attempting to do something different with this surprisingly heartfelt film, a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of being honest about everything. Melinda Hamilton stars as Amy, a girl who has had oral sex with a canine in the past on a lark. She struggles with telling her fiancé, John. Of course the truth does rear it's shaggy ugly head. The film deals with the fallout of said escapade. The movie is well-acted by all, save for perhaps Jack Plotnick as Dougie, who never really felt like he mashed well with the picture. And the film while solid enough seems to miss it's mark a few times. Every single person in the film struggles with massive hypocrisy and all are a tad hard to relate to. Bobcat should be commended for doing something different, as I said before, but different does not always equal good and this pales ever so slightly next to Goldthwaits own directorial debut, the criminally misunderstood "Shakes the Clown"
My Grade: C-
My Grade: C-
Worst thing I've seen
fbossert22 June 2007
This is a film about a girl who blew a dog when in college (literally) and doesn't dare to tell her boyfriend. The only reason you could see this movie is if you are drunk with friends and want to watch a really bad film to laugh about. Forget Ed Wood films, this one is worse than anything you know. You arrive to the first hour without really knowing if it's a milded comedy or a drama -and not because it goes, as a Korean movie, between genres, but just because it is NOT funny NOR dramatic. The acting is poor, the lighting is terrible, the script is absolutely pointless and irritating (the dilemma is ridiculous, the characters are stereotypes or simply lame), yes, but the cinematography is the worse part; the direction is the same as in a porn movie (without the benefits of a real porn movie, of course), as if it were shot by a party-cameraman. You have the feeling it was shot in two days, I don't know why. If you arrived to this page because you liked the movie, go on and vote you didn't like my review; if you haven't seen it yet, you are warned. Cheers!
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