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A writer in the midst of an existential crisis finds his life transformed after adopting an abused border collie in this emotionally uplifting comedy. Based on author Jon Katz's best-selling memoir of the same name, A Dog Year opens to find the writer at an emotionally precarious stage in his life. The proud owner of two laid back Labrador Retrievers, Jon (Bridges) finds his staid existence shaken up as the twitchy new companion proves much more than a handful. Later, as Jon struggles to overcome a bad case of writer's block, his daughter Emma (Lauren Ambrose) returns home from college for a visit, and him know exactly how much she disapproves of his current living conditions. Finally inspired to make a change for the better, Jon relocates to a quiet farmhouse and seeks out the help of a compassionate dog trainer (Lois Smith), whose patience and insight help to improve not only the condition the traumatized dog, but the outlook of its troubled owner as well.