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"We were worried something could happen to him in the mountains, but also it's that bond, that relationship you develop; you don't know how much it means until it's gone. After about 10 days, we were getting very discouraged when we were given renewed hope by a friend of Meg's who said, 'Mac's all right; you're going to find him.' Meg asked, 'How do you know?' The friend replied, 'I know things.'"

It turned out the friend was right. Three weeks later, Mac was discovered.

Or was it that the friend (either clairvoyant or crazy) motivated the family to keep on looking? In the movie, the same thing happens. The housekeeper (played by Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer) says she "knows things." She offers "sightings" of the lost dog in her head.

Does she really? Well, it's a topic for discussion, perhaps after seeing the movie. Was the housekeeper truly "seeing things," or a bit daffy, but still offering hope?

While the Kasdans adopted Mac from a shelter, Meg's sister saved her own dog, a Chocolate Labrador, from the side of the road in Detroit. Without any ID, there was no absolute way to find the owner. She dubbed the pet Freeway -- the same name used for the dog in "Darling Companion."

So much is based on real life in this film that you wonder what the Kasdans really had to write. Kasdan points out that several of his movies are based on real life.

"The Big Chill" featured an ensemble cast of characters describing their ups and downs in their 30s. The characters in "Grand Canyon" talked about life in their 40s. "Darling Companion" stars a group of people in their 60s, talking about everything from beginning a new career to what seems like a lifetime of being married. The difference is that big studios were behind the first two titles.

"Darling Companion" is Kasdan's first independent film. This meant no frills for the actors; in fact, they were pretty much paid scale. Kasdan never expected to get the seasoned stars he did.

Kasdan himself was probably the main attraction, although he maintains, "It was the story, and these actors also wanted to work with one another."

After the film wrapped, the crew presented Kasden a gift -- a photo album with pictures of all their pets.

"You can't get any better than that," he says.

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Steve Dale's NEW EBOOKS, "Good Dog!" and "Good Cat!", are available on all major eReader devices and platforms. The basic version of each book is $2.99. An enhanced version of "Good Dog!" with embedded videos is available at iTunes for $4.99. For details, check the "Good Dog!"Facebook page. Write to Steve at Tribune Media Services, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, NY 14207. Send e-mail to PETWORLD(at)STEVE DALE.TV. Include your name, city and state. Steve's website is www.stevedalepetworld.com

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