Dogs on leashes, cats in captivity capture some TV time

Dogs on leashes, cats in captivity capture some TV time
August 17, 2002
[snippet]

The canine caper, "Just a Walk in the Park," is a sweet-natured romantic comedy about Adam (George Eads), your basic sweet, stable, sexy, straight, single, thirtysomething male with the ultimate in chick-magnet jobs, professional dog walker.

Adam's overachieving family thinks he should be curing AIDS or at least closing megabucks deals, but he's perfectly happy with a half-dozen leashes in his hand. Until, one day, he meets Rachel (Jane Krakowski), who confuses him with the affluent owner of one of the pooches, rather improbably leading to a continued masquerade that ends in - well, if you have to ask, you're just not watching enough made-for-TV movies.

Eads ("CSI") is a bona fide charmer with a touch of George Clooney about him, giving just enough peppery kick to his character to keep Adam's sweetness from cloying. Krakowski ("Ally McBeal") is OK, but she lacks the warmth and charisma that turn a second or third banana into a star.

Also on hand is Brenda Vaccaro, who at 62 is surely just a bit young to be playing Selma, the wise old widow and lovable agoraphobe who hasn't a thing in the world to do but give Adam endless pep talks about his romantic life.

The dog who plays Selma's bloodhound, though, is perfect for the part.