THE FRIEND

THE FRIEND is a touching tale of one woman’s struggle to accept the death of her close friend, as well as the addition of his Great Dane into her life after he leaves the dog to her.

In THE FRIEND, Iris is shocked by the suicide of her friend and fellow writer, Walter. The pair were very close, and Iris was even working on editing a book of Walter’s correspondence. Shortly after his funeral, his third wife, Barbara, asks Iris to take Apollo, Walter’s beloved Great Dane.

Barbara tells Iris Apollo is very sad about Walter’s death and needs to get out of the apartment. When Iris is hesitant, because her building doesn’t allow dogs, Barbara tells her that Walter wanted her to have Apollo if anything should happen to him.

Iris takes Apollo, but things quickly get complicated. For example, he refuses to sleep anywhere but on her bed, and he tends to destroy her apartment whenever she’s gone for too long. Iris searches for a rescue or shelter that can take him but comes up empty.

Iris continues to work on the book of Walter’s correspondence, but it’s coming slowly, and her publisher begins to put pressure on her. After a while, Iris and Apollo start to warm to each other. She discovers that he loves to hear her read, and he stops chewing up her possessions when she’s gone.

However, her building’s management is adamant about their no-dogs policy. They tell Iris she must get rid of Apollo or face eviction. Eventually, she finds a rescue in Michigan that can take him and sets off. However, on the way, Iris has an idea. What if she had Apollo declared a service dog?

Iris talks to a therapist, who agrees to write a letter recommending Apollo be certified as a service dog. However, he encourages Iris to examine her feelings about Walter’s suicide.

THE FRIEND is a moving depiction of the different forms grief can take, and how we accept loss and move past it. Naomi Watts gives an incredibly moving performance and, though Bill Murray’s appearances are brief, he steals the scene, as always. However, THE FRIEND runs a bit overlong. For example, some of Iris’ struggles to write or get out of the eviction get repetitive.

THE FRIEND has a strong moral worldview. It focuses on the importance of friendship in the many different forms it can take, whether it’s two people, or a person and a dog. There are also some Christian elements, because much of the movie takes place over Christmas. Thus, THE FRIEND features Christmas wreaths and trees, plus carols such as “Joy to the World” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” However, THE FRIEND has some strong foul language, including 10 “f” words and two strong profanities. Also, a same-sex couple is briefly featured. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution.