Glucedee It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Ogosmith Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Jerrie It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

sol- Disinterested in kids her own age, a precious preteen girl scout from an affluent neighbourhood decides to befriend a man twice her age who mows her parents' lawn in this captivating drama from 'The Year My Voice Broke' director John Duigan. A talented director of youngsters, Duigan gets an excellent performance out of Mischa Barton in the lead role, while Sam Rockwell holds his own as the lawnmower man. Reluctant to accept her friendship because of what others may think, Rockwell is nevertheless won over by Barton's natural charm and charisma and the film becomes filled with tension from then on in. From onlookers eyeing them at a petrol station, to Rockwell touching Barton's scar at her own request, uncertainty lingers in the air as to what will be misconstrued and at what point will someone get the wrong idea about their platonic relationship and accuse Rockwell of terrible things. It is a thought-provoking film as it challenges general preconceptions out there about the inability for an older man to be friends with a younger woman with nothing else going on between them, but it is the hypocrisy of the town that they live in that is most striking here with Rockwell suspected by many of petty thievery simply because he is poor and Barton's father caring nothing about a local teenager fondling her chest because he is the son of a powerful figure in town. Not everything works here, especially how Rockwell handles a dog incident late in the piece, but it is an unexpectedly gripping ride, capped off with a magical ending.

Ashley Ethridge Ignoring anything remotely resembling a more polished big-budget feature ala - strong supporting cast, editing, cinematography, musical score, etc....and focusing just on the painful yet beautiful character development and slowly evolving story...this film is nothing short of brilliant. The director explores a wide range of relevant topics including our collective interpretation of social norms, family expectations, seemingly inappropriate relationships (based on ignorance), personal hypocrisies, the class system, our isolation and longing for connections/acceptance, etc etc. Sam Rockwell and Mischa Barton's performances and for lack of a better word (given the subject matter) "chemistry" are amazing. I just fell in love with this film!

jzappa Sam Rockwell is one of those actors who, no matter what role he's playing, is totally natural. He's immediately likable. I've always been a big fan of his, and up until yesterday had never before seen Lawn Dogs, one of the earliest films wherein he has a bigger role. He's very quietly, calmly good in it, and even in the scenes where he's playing and goofing around with Mischa Barton and it seems awkward, he maintains a pure, natural presence.Lawn Dogs says something important about the most generic slice of American life, the geometrically shaped and calculated life in the suburbs. The film doesn't unmask it. Cleverly, it maintains that quiet, perpetually sunny, middle-of-nowhere feeling of a classic subdivision, and then displays a sad and maddening scenario of misunderstanding in a closed-minded, insular neighborhood and the hauntingly realistic characters. There is a bit of animal violence in this movie, but it's played out in a tautly spare way that's just as frustrating as vain, judgmental people and matter of the rest of the film.Lawn Dogs is a refreshing sort of film. The relationship between Rockwell and Barton is heartwarming and broadly, gently natural. It's good to experience a story that altruistically communicates the genuine existence and state of mind that is often questioned and often misunderstood.

fog-9 lawn dogs has two distinct portions... i think some people will find the start a little off-putting as it seems clunky... after one sees the movie as a whole (firmly establishing the fairytale motif) the beginning makes perfect sense and the tone of the movie is made stronger...i suppose it is hard to justify the score i give this movie and i think in this case it is purely my own taste and emotional response that made me give it such a high rating... the metaphors and themes are not as "easy" as in many commercial hits, yet they are strong and simple... one could argue the lack of complexity is a problem but i think in this case, it makes the movie so wonderfully accessible without being completely obvious (and rarely are the symbols and intents, simple though they may be, meshed more completely and in such a satisfying way)...it would make a superb introduction into even more thought provoking movies, as it's just so human... the movie's strongest point is the rich poetic visuals... swathes of crystal green, bold blues, sparkling lights in the interior of the trailer, haunting red streaks... the combination of the care taken visually and the strength of characters, message and plot make it such a compact, powerful movie...mischa barton has weak moments, but then those are balanced out by her performance as a whole... the other players are excellent, particularly rockwell, who is supremely likable and understated at once...it's a cliché to say this movie stays with you, but it has one of greatest endings ever, some of those shots you could see being part of a montage of amazing cinematic moments... i love movies that combine the ordinary with just the slightest, most subtle hint of magic...oh and some of the songs and music are just... well perfect...