Must Love Dogs is a 2005 American romantic comedy film based on Claire Cook's 2002 novel of the same name. Starring Diane Lane and John Cusack, it is the second film directed and written by Gary David Goldberg and was produced on a budget of $30 million. The film focuses on a woman's struggle with divorce and meeting new people afterward. Production started on October 12, 2004, with a release date of July 29, 2005. Critical opinion was mostly negative but indicated that the actors were not to blame. Must Love Dogs took the fifth spot on its opening weekend and has grossed more than $58 million worldwide. The film was released on VHS and DVD on December 20, 2005. Plot Sarah Nolan, a 40-year-old divorced preschool teacher, is urged by her family to date. Showing her photos of potential men, Sarah is not interested in pursuing a relationship. Jake Anderson, another recent divorcé, is in a similar position; his friend Charlie wants to match him with Sherry. However, he prefers focusing on creating his handcrafted boats. Sarah's sister Carol visits and they discuss Bob Connor, a parent from school. Sarah finds him attractive but does not want anything complicated. Carol sets up an ad for her on perfectmatch.com, using her high school graduation photo. She is described as voluptuous and her dates "must love dogs" (Sarah is currently caring for her brother Michael's Newfoundland, while he goes through marital problems). She has several disastrous dates with men: a cryer, a criminal, or an almost pedophile. Jake is confronted by Sherry at an art gallery; she wants to know why he did not call, but he does not seem interested. Charlie then hands him a copy of Sarah's dating profile, telling him he has a date with her the next day at a dog park. It proves to be awkward: Jake shows up with a borrowed terrier and offends her when he begins to analyze her profile, then he reveals the dog is not really his. When she accuses him of being deceptive, he points out the requirement was "Must love dogs," not "Must own a dog." Sarah leaves abruptly but agrees to see him again. Sarah and Jake go to dinner, and he asks her why she got divorced. She explains he stopped loving her and was never ready to have children. Now her ex is with a woman