I seldom have an opportunity to view a creative and well-thought out script along with good acting. This movie was very unique in that it combined a serious stigmatized mental health disorder with a most sublime dry humor, keeping the content and subject material "real" for seriousness, but light enough to prevent the sad theme of the wife's condition from being a frustrating and intolerable viewing experience. How does one approach a subject or define what a nervous breakdown is? This movie does this tactfully, and allows more viewers to accept this condition more in this stigmatized and stereotyped society today. The author/scriptwriter and director didn't "force" the viewer to suffer, but made watching a pleasant experience. I wouldn't say this movie/author/script-writer was Kafka, but sure is close. How does the wife metamorphasize into a dog instead of a cockroach as Kafka's "Metamorphosis?" Unique "ironic" parallel in style here.Casting done for this movie was outstanding and each actor and actress played their parts superbly. The veterinarian (girlfriend) reminded me of Terri Garr, similar in other wife roles of acting giving in her demeanor and appearance a sweet and innocent kind of support character and not a total frustratingly dumb blonde role. The husband ending up having numerous other "acorns" as presented in the movie (and what is an acorn, but another nut) that fell closely from other unknown family trees than his own wife's acorn family tree land in his living room as his wife vegetates under medication adds the additional, appropriate and well-timed humor relief along with giving a temporary surrealistic panorama to/for the audience's viewing. I would be hard-pressed to define "black humor" with definitive lines to apply to this movie and all of its' numerous and variable characterizations. I suppose it depends on how a person would debate Kafka's style of writing that no movie-maker yet has been able to accomplish to portray. This movie makes a dandy good job in doing so. I rate this movie in the same/similar artsie imaginative and creative art classification as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It is EEEEExcellent and very "sweet" overall. In face of adultery by the husband and his wife's obvious will-never-return-to-normalcy, he continues to stay by his wife's side as a most devoted husband. Unconditional love has a strong theme underlying this movie keeping it well afloat. I laughed a lot and loved this movie for its' topic, characters, hidden or ironic type deephumor, imagination, creativity, good acting, timing ... everything worked and came together to NOT give a viewer a frustrating experience,but one that is more than satisfyingly enjoyabe and sweetly thought-provoking.

Bark! is a movie you really can't put in some specific category, since it's not really a comedy nor serious enough to be considered a drama. It has got some good point, but mainly it fails to deliver. You're left with only one thought: What was the point of the movie, what did it try to say? When all goes down the hill, is it better to act like a dog and leave the cold hard world behind... It really tries to have some psychological angle to it but it really won't work.The Best thing about Bark! is that it finally gives Lee Tergesen ("Oz") the long overdue leading role. Vincent D'Onofrio ("Crooked Hearts") also gives a stellar performance as the resident doctor who has a larger interest in playing the harp. Hank Azaria ("America's Sweethearts") is left with pretty much nothing to do, as Lisa Kudrow ("Analyze This") reprises her Phoebe-manners for the umpteenth time. The lack of the material reflects on the characters, especially on scriptwriter Heather Morgan's barking wife Lucy. You would think that you write for yourself a good part, but not here the case.Good and bad beside only one thing will make this film be memorable - at least for the time being. That one thing is Scott Wilson ("Dead Man Walking") who does a great job as Lucy's dad. In a truly eccentric family his character might be the only sane person. Because of that the movie gets two stars instead of one and a half. ** (2 out of 5)

I saw this movie on Showtime tonight for the first time. I wanted to see it because I am a huge fan of "OZ" and Lee. I really came to enjoy this film and I think over time and seeing it again, I may come to love it. This movie makes a powerful statement about a person's right to be happy even if they are mentally handicapped. I also loved the message that being odd or strange shouldn't limit the friends and family you should have. Our society is so quick to medicate people when they feel they can no longer "deal" with their problems. When Lucy's husband refused to keep her medicated because she turned into a zombie, I understood his decision. This movie mixed comedy with drama a created one unique film that may not be for everybody.

If you choose the movie Bark based on the trailer or the video/DVD box cover, you are probably going to be disappointed. The movie is only a comedy in the most traditional sense of the word: for instance, it concludes with a beautiful celebration where all the characters are gathered together. It is not a comedy of crass jokes or goofy gags. And is it a romance movie? Again, hardly in the way the promoters advertise it to be. Bark is, however, a loving look at the tragi-comedy of the human condition. Obviously, I liked this movie very much. It moved along well yet had many "timeless" moments. It did not make a big deal of itself. It depicted its characters and their troubles with warmth and kindness, yet was not sappy. I am thankful to those who created this movie, for their intelligence and tenderness toward the whole situation of mental illness. Anyone who has known someone who has "lost it" -- and really that must be all of us by now -- will appreciate this movie for its story. As for the tone, I would say that it has more in common with something like Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors -- another "romantic comedy" which was much more than that phrase generally seems to mean nowadays.