Dartmouth Events

Hop Film: The Friend

Naomi Watts, Bill Murray and a majestic Great Dane star in this moving comedy drama about an NYC writer whose life is upended by her departed mentor's beloved dog.

5/9/2025
7 pm – 9 pm
Loew Auditorium, Black Family Visual Arts Center
Intended Audience(s): Public
Categories: Films
Registration required. Fee required. Tickets required.

Naomi Watts, Bill Murray and a majestic Great Dane star in this moving comedy drama about an NYC writer whose life is upended by her departed mentor's beloved dog.

After the death of acclaimed writer Walter (Bill Murray), one of his protégées (Naomi Watts) winds up stuck with Apollo, his beloved 150 lb. Great Dane. The regal yet intractable beast immediately creates practical problems for Iris, like possible eviction from her rent-controlled NYC apartment, as well as more existential ones. As Iris finds herself unexpectedly bonding with the animal, she begins to come to terms with her past, her lost friend and her own creative inner life.

With so many dog movies throughout cinema history, one might imagine there's no new ground to tread—but directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel have crafted one unlike any other. This deeply thoughtful adaptation of Sigrid Nunez's National Book Award Winner about our relationship to animals becomes a powerful drama about grief, independence and the importance of finding our ways into others' worlds.

Get more info and tickets here.

Content Warning: This film contains content that addresses suicide.

For more information, contact:
Hopkins Center for the Arts
603 646 2422

Events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.