User Reviews

This wasn't a bad movie, actually. I really liked the premise, where a character named Laura Haley (Cassidy Gifford), an up and coming photographer, gets to spend 2 weeks in a summer house with her dog, Frank but she realizes that the house was double booked by writer Spenser (Wyatt Nash) and although they're two personalities that can't live in the same house, things get even more complicated when Spenser brings his cat, Mozart. The rest of the movie has some quirky dialog. Loved the filming location and the rest of the characters. Singer/songwriter Hayley Sales (Susan) has one of the best scenes in the entire movie. I watched this part over and over again. Gwyneth Walsh is a great supporting actress.

A Hallmark movie. At the first sigh, enough for define it. In fact, a not so fair definition. Because it is more than a romance story, a nice confrontation and charming - expected end . It is the film of Mozart and Frank. And the spice is the performance of Gwynyth Walsh. So, good looking actors in lead roles, traits of war between Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn and a cat and a dog as masters of a real beautiful storytelling example.

This TV movie has a predictable and formulaic story, but if you are looking for a good-natured romance, it will fit the bill.

A booking mix-up has two strangers renting the same house at the same time. This is a familiar scenario, complicated by the fact that they own pets that don't get along. Laura Haley (Cassidy Gifford) has a dog named Frank, and Spencer Hodkins (Wyatt Nash) has a cat named Mozart. It seems the stars are aligned against this pair with the dueling pets and the competing leases. Plus Spencer has a girlfriend.

But we know that love will find a way, especially in a Hallmark film. Unfortunately, though, I did not feel much chemistry between the two leads. Cassidy Gifford is the daughter of Frank and Kathie Lee. She is a beautiful woman with lots of energy who is very likable. Wyatt Nash is an alumnus of the "Survivor" series. He plays an uptight character---so much so that it interferes with the credibility of the destined relationship.

There is a twist at the end, but you might see it coming from far away; that doesn't spoil the story, however.

The best part of this film is Cassidy Gifford. Coincidentally, she was in two films with the same title. This one is from 2017.

Yep, that premise has been done and this one follows a lot of those movies in the way it develops. The renters are angry at each other then at the agency. Of course, the agency can't do anything for them and there is no place else in town available. The owner does refund half to each. When it's apparent they are stuck they settle in and start annoying each other. They make rules. The line down the middle, in this case, is only in the refrigerator. One of the rules was that each person could only use the bathroom 3 times in one day. Good luck if you have to go.

This is my second time watching this. Not sure why I gave it 8 stars the first time. I only downgraded one as a result of this time, but I feel like if today was my first time it would be even lower.

Still it was a pleasant enough movie. The dog and cat added a little fun. Cassidy Gifford is appealing as Laura who is a bright eyed optimist. Laura is far more ready to go with the flow at first. Spencer has to get really annoying before she runs away to her friend's house. But they make up and start adapting to each other. That part was a little rushed. Gifford and Wyatt Nash have some chemistry, but it isn't given enough screen time. The acting is OK as is the dialogue, but neither is extraordinary. Same for the scenery.

There is a side story about Laura that leads into the climax more than the relationship. There is also a little twist involving the owner that is obscurely hinted when Laura first enters the house. I noticed the hints on my second time through knowing what the twist was.

Two strangers are double booked in a nice house. The far fetched and cringe aspect is the female lead seems to be immediately flirting and in the guys personal space when he was typing an email. Then her friend offers her a room in the house but she says no, she's rather stay in a house with a complete stranger even though her whole trip was to see her friend and would that not be the most ideal to hang out with her.

The way the female lead flirts with the random guy despite knowing he has a gf and not knowing about their relationship really made me cringe.

The plot has also been done before, however a little more realistically as in the other film the female lead didn't have somewhere else she could stay.

Must admit I had no idea who Cassidy Gifford or Wyatt Nash were, I bought this movie on a Hallmark box set because there was a cat in it. Turned out to be quite an enjoyable little romp with two good looking and competent leads, but for me Mozart ,The cat and Frank ,the dog were the real stars, only downer is we should have seen more of them, still, nice little film, refreshing in that there was no foul language or crude scenes, which seem to be the norm these days, worth it for that alone!

Sorry, couldn't warm to the characters. I wondered if this was the first time in front of the cameras for both actors, especially Wyatt Nash, as the acting was quite wooden. Had to quickly fast forward to the end

Wasn't going to watch this movie because this is one of the very few times that the leading man's appearance was a little off-putting. I think it was his hair (super bad style that accentuated his baby face). But the fun story, plus Cassidy Gifford's performance drew me in. It also helped that I'm a sucker for films that include animals, and the cat & dog were super cute! Definitely recommended

Have absolutely nothing against Hallmark, quite the opposite. Have made it clear too at how many have left me pleasantly surprised. 'Like Cats and Dogs' is the third 2017 Spring Fever film after 'Love at First Bark' and 'Moonlight in Vermont'. Didn't care for the former, liked the latter quite a lot despite foibles. What drew me in to seeing this, as well as it being part of the completest sake quest, was the premise, which was actually intriguing.

Unfortunately, it is a premise that is not handled very well. 'Like Cats and Dogs' has good things, but on the whole it didn't work. Due to primarily not caring for the characters, not believing in the chemistry and finding that the premise was not handled tastefully. It is not one of the worst Hallmark films, but as far as 2017 Hallmark films go 'Like Cats and Dogs' is a lesser effort and my least favourite of the 2017 Spring Fever films. Did want to like the film but it was not executed well in my view.

'Like Cats and Dogs' is not all bad. Cassidy Gifford does her best bringing charm and energy into her role, a spirited performance that deserved much better character writing. Mozart and Frank are absolutely adorable, fun to watch and basically steal every scene they're in.

It looks good, especially the scenery (which Hallmark often delivered on even in the misfires). The music isn't too loud and didn't feel too much.

Wyatt Nash on the other hand is very wooden and overdoes his character's uptightness to the point that he becomes very cold and detached. Didn't care for either of the two lead characters, she being pushy and borderline creepy (character writing, am not blaming Gifford) and he being uptight, with neither of them really evolving that much. The chemistry also isn't there between them, it is very flimsy in development and too close to antagonistic. Also any growing romance came over as improbable, didn't buy how two polar opposites could ever gel and especially considering how they behave towards each other.

The script is mundane at best and has a lot of awkwardness and cheese, while the initial scenes are so over-written it made me feel really doubtful that any romance would blossom believably (and it doesn't). The story is predictable throughout, any conflict is forced, there is little charm or heart (other than with Mozart and Frank) and the ending is very anti-climactic. The direction is workmanlike at best.

Concluding, not a complete waste but does not work. 4/10.

Lara (Cassidy Gifford) is a recent college graduate now working for her parents' accounting firm. Yet, she is not certain what her future goals are. Having recently been dumped by a boyfriend, she decides to go the Great Northwest and visit college friends. To further her own rest and relaxation, she rents a spectacular lake house. But, oh, horrors! As she is settling in, giving her dog Frank a home tour, another person slips in with HIS CAT MOZART. Handsome Spencer (Wyatt Nash) has rented the same house, with receipts to prove it so. He is finishing a doctoral dissertation and needs peace and quiet. Frank and Mozart take an instant dislike to each other, as do Lara and Spencer. What will they do? After contacting the rental agent, there are problems. There are no immediate houses to rent for the coming week and no other possible solutions. Thus, Lara and Spencer are stuck with each other for the next few. Lara likes taking photos of nature, eating pizza, dogs and loud pop music. In contrast, Spence likes classical turntables, health smoothies, cats and order. This could hardly produce a friendship, let alone a romance, right? Especially when Spencer already has a pretty but domineering galpal who calls constantly? Hallmark, thanks once again. Here is another sweet, funny romance for your gazillion fans. Gifford, daughter of Kathie Lee, is quite fun as the spunky Lara while Nash gives his best button-down, initially smug turn as Spencer. Naturally, animal lovers will also adore Frank and Mozart while sets, costumes, script and zesty direction contribute to an overall high level of satisfaction. Hallmark, as this viewer has stated before, is filling the romantic comedy void that Hollywood has abandoned. So, Hallmark, why not release some of these to the theater and give your fans a great watch on the big screen?

Didn't think this would be any good at first glance, but the title hooked us as we gave two cats and we love dogs too...just not in the same house. Didn't think we were going to like this movie, but it got better and better and the interplay between Frank the dog and Mozart the cat was wonderful. I liked the two leads, didn't know anything about them, but I thought they were good together. The male lead was a little stiff, but he loosened up and built a character with the female lead. I don't read reviews until after I watch a movie because I don't want any preconceived ideas or negative reviews to alter my feeling of the movie. Glad I waited till after I watched the movie because as fun as the lead female was, I see where she got it...her mom and dad. Enjoyed this movie.

Great casting on people and animals! This is the first and only Cassidy Gifford movie I have seen. I wish she would star in more Hallmark movies. She is a natural. Both She and Wyatt Nash have great chemistry. First and only movie I've seen with him too. The story is sweet. Their romance develops naturally. It doesn't start out with ex-boy/girlfriends meeting up again after many years or after a bad breakup. I'm really getting tired of that Hallmark plot. Please bring them back with more enjoyable scripts!

Whether Lifetime, Hallmark, ABC Family, or some other kindred network, all such romantic comedies are incredibly formulaic with only slight variations: characters meet, they have various disagreements, eventually they grow as people and find camaraderie, and after overcoming obstacles of one sort or another they'll end up together. As the saying goes, one could practically set a clock by the regularity with which these beats unfold, though 'Like cats & dogs' seems extra contrived in various ways. For example, characters Laura and Spencer meet within about the first minute after we press "play." The nature of the rental house is revealed very early as Laura views photos framed on the wall - not that it's stated out loud, but any viewer with a remote degree of awareness will figure it out, especially as Laura and Spencer subsequently discuss the surveys they took. (Please also note how identical photos are hung on at least two different walls.) As romance develops, each step along the way is guided toward maximum kitsch. Then there are the ghastly plastic expressions that each and every actor bears at most every passing moment. Observed primarily when we're supposed to discern a "smile," the "Uncanny Valley" has nothing on Hallmark, and the sterile acting and facial expressions more closely suggest what might happen if cast members were in a 'Saw'-like horror scenario where they were forced to make one hollow, cookie cutter TV movie romcom after another or face dire consequences.

Okay, so maybe I'm being a tad facetious. Still, what's extraordinary is that right about the time that it feels like we should be entering the third act and approaching the inevitable union, one glances at the digital timer and finds that we're only halfway through. Somehow filmmaker Ron Oliver and co-writer Aaron Mendelsohn found a way to stretch this into a runtime of a little over eighty minutes! Mind you, it's not that I'm complaining. No, a flick like this is not something I customarily choose to watch, but there's a time and a place for most everything, and sometimes an incredibly light, hopelessly cheesy, highly predictable romcom is just what we need. Being a cat lover, of course it was the premise that drew me in to this one, and 'Like cats & dogs' does not disappoint as fluffy feline Mozart is absolutely gorgeous (and, okay, bowwow Frank is pretty cute, too). Despite the bare-faced falseness into which the script and Oliver's direction force the cast, Cassidy Gifford and Wyatt Nash do manage to bring out the charm of Laura and Spencer that's initially hidden within the characters' most unlikable traits. More than that, despite the bare-faced falseness, Gifford and Nash manage to actually, you know, act, and bring real emotion to the tableau. And the feature is otherwise admirably well made. The filming locations are truly beautiful, and between the soft warmth of Adam Sliwinski's cinematography and some earnestly terrific shot composition, this is very easy on the eyes. The same could be said of the art direction, costume design, and hair and makeup (and whoever groomed the feline and canine stars deserves a lot of credit, too). Though nothing remarkable in and of itself, I'd be lying if I said Michael Richard Plowman's music didn't add nicely to the mood and help to bring out the genuine feelings that are evoked if one is open to it all.

Yes, believe it or not, beneath the veneer of ham-handed, easily foreseen artificiality, there is heartfelt storytelling to be found here. Whether or not it will land with an individual depends on how receptive one is to the genre, but again, at one time or another I think everyone needs a gentle little nothing along these lines. One look at the premise, and the network behind the production, tells us all we need to know, so there's not much sense in making a fuss; from the outside looking in we know whether or not it might be something we'd enjoy. I, for one, really did have a good time here. Unless you're one of those folks who can't get enough of TV movie romcoms then this isn't anything one needs to go out of their way to see, but particularly if you're looking for a pick-me-up - or are a life-long animal lover - then I'm pleased to say this is worth watching if one has the chance. 'Like cats & dogs' is most certainly kith and kin with like-minded fare, but it's well done and entertaining in all the ways we hope, and ultimately it is perhaps a step or two more on the sincere side of the spectrum. For titles of this nature, that's a bit of a rarity.

7.7 stars.

I wouldn't write off 'Like Cats & Dogs' before giving it a chance. The story takes its time maturing and offering us a very enriching and simple love story. It's about two young adults that accidentally get booked into the same airbnb and now they must choose to accept or decline the current situation. She is carefree, but an accountant who works for her parents, he is very conservative and overly cautious and health conscious, working on his doctoral dissertation in psychology. On the surface, they are not a good match. But, there is so much depth to both of them, and their two little cute companions. She has a puppy dog named Frank and his little kitty is Mozart. When the pets start to get along, our leads follow suit. His significant other is suffocating him from afar and this wonderful new woman he's stuck with at the bnb seems to be the right fit...for all the wrong reasons.

I enjoyed this film, it's not exciting or dramatic, just an easy going romance featuring two endearing characters who slowly grow on you until you discover you like them both a whole bunch.