‘Darling Companion’ Premiere to Feature Adoptable Pooches

Beth Stern with furiend wearing i Love Dogs Diamonds "Amour, Amour" collar

The title of the new movie, “Darling Companion,” refers to a stray dog that a woman (Diane Keaton) rescues from the side of a busy freeway.

The dog, who the woman names Freeway – and says she loves more than her husband (Kevin Kline), later runs away. While searching for Freeway together, the estranged couple becomes closer and … well, just see the movie to discover how it all turns out.

Portraying Freeway is Kasey, a Collie mix who the Montreal Gazette predicted may become even more popular than Uggie from “The Artist.” Like Uggie, Kasey also had a rough start in life. After being abandoned in the desert with a rope embedded in his neck, he was taken in by a Las Vegas shelter and eventually adopted.

Director/co-screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan (whose previous credits include “The Big Chill” and “Grand Canyon”) revealed the inspiration for “Darling Companion” on the movie’s official website.

“The movie probably began the day my wife Meg and I rescued a mutt named Mac from a cacophonous animal shelter in Los Angeles,” he stated. “After taking that dog into our lives and affections, he was lost during an outing in the Rockies.”

Possible spoiler alert: After enlisting friends and family to help search for Mac, a stranger found him three weeks later, playing with her dogs by a river. “Mac was dirty and thin, but uninjured,” Kasdan said. “Friends and searchers around town and across the country celebrated his recovery.”

To help other dogs find furever homes, North Shore Animal League America will hold a mobile adoption event during the premiere of “Darling Companion” in New York on April 9.

North Shore spokeswoman Beth Stern (wife of Howard Stern) will host the premiere, during which both two and four-legged celebrities are expected to walk the red carpet.

The festivities begin at 6:00 p.m. Monday at the Tribeca Grand Hotel, 2 Avenue of the Americas (between White St. and Walker St.), in New York City.

“Darling Companion” opens on April 20 in New York and Los Angeles. Here’s a sneak preview.

Laura Goldman

Laura Goldman is senior social media writer for i Love Dogs, Inc. She does love dogs. And elephants and turtles. Along with writing about the loves of her life, Laura likes to play with her two pound pups and tell anyone who’ll listen just how awesome Pit Bulls are.