Movie Review: ‘The Year of the Dog’

The letter from his mother sends him reeling. She has entered hospice care and wants to see her son, Matt (Rob Grabow), once more before she dies. In spite of not having communicated with him for 15 years, she still loves him. She does have one stipulation, however, he must come to her after 30 days of sobriety. One way to stop drinking is to be in jail, where Matt finds himself following an altercation with the bartender after reading the letter.

Waiting for Matt at the steps of the jail is Fred (Michael Spears), his AA sponsor. Fred doesn’t think it a good idea for Matt to be alone in his apartment so invites him to stay at his rural Montana ranch that has a cabin Matt is welcome to use. Matt reluctantly agrees and moves in - referring the property as a farm not a ranch. “Their are chickens running around that make it a farm not a ranch,” he claims.  Also running around loose is a dog, one with special skills.

Seeing the stray dog from the cabin window, Matt dashes out with the plan to capture the animal. The two “strays” meet in the wild grass and bond immediately. Fred doesn’t want the dog to remain on his property. After much pleading by Matt, Fred finally agrees – the dog can stay. With that issue settled, Matt wants to select a name for the dog. “You pick a name,” he says to Fred. “No, you pick the name,” Fred replies. “That’s it,” says Matt, “his name is You Pick.” Later the two find out that the Native American name Yup’ik has significant spiritual meaning.

Delivering a package to the remote compound, the driver, Julie (Alyssa Groenig), notices Yup’ik. She tells Matt the dog is a mixed Husky breed with a special interest - those dogs love to pull things. Julie’s primary job is working in a supply store and she offers to help Matt fit Yup’ik with a proper pulling harness. She also suggests he contact Greg (Jon Proudstar), a noted dog trainer and highly respected Native American guru.

After years of depression, Matt is finally feeling good about himself and his new world. He proudly marks off  his days of sobriety on his calendar with Yup’ik snuggling at his side. He even manages the occasional meeting with Julie who encourages him to enter Yup’ik in the state-wide weight pulling competition. Dogs are put in a harness and then pull a sled bearing concrete bricks a short distance across a finish line. If the dog makes the move in an appropriate time, more bricks are loaded on the sled and the pull is repeated. Yup’ik loves it! He even sets a new pulling record for a dog his size, age and weight.

With his month of sobriety long past, his friendship with Julie and Greg flourishing, the ongoing support of his Native American community and the love he and Yup’ik share, it’s time to call his mother. His joy at making the call for their potential reunion soon dims as he gets a recording asking him to leave a message.

Directed by Rob Grabow +2 (Credits: Method), “The Year of the Dog” runs 95 minutes and is a “see” for a moving story about the bonding between man and animal – the struggles both Matt and Yup’ik face and finally overcome.