> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Lane, Grammer quite fetching in film about dog-eat-dog world
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/lane-grammer-quite-fetching-in-film-about-dog-eat-dog-world/
- Published: 2004-01-16T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T03:34:11.000Z
- Author: Dan Dunn
- Tags: Entertainment, Santa Monica, #archive-import

Nathan Lane and Kelsey Grammer lead an all-star cast of vocal talent in this big screen adaptation of the Emmy Award-winning cartoon series about a talking dog whose ultimate wish is to become a real boy. It’s kid stuff, to be sure, but with a piquancy similar to such edgy fare as “Ren & Stimpy” and “Pinky and the Brain” to keep the adults interested. Deftly paced and comically inspired, “Teacher’s Pet” is an impressive feature film debut for director Timothy Bjorklund, bolstered by a spot-on script by former “Cheers” scribes Bill and Cheri Steinkellner.

Spot (Lane) isn’t like most dogs. For one, he can talk. Secondly, he longs to be a creature of the two-legged variety, much to the dismay of his young master, Leonard Helperman (Shaun Fleming of “Kim Possible”), who yearns for the traditional “boy and his dog” relationship. The irrepressible Spot dresses like a lad and even attends school as Scott, the top dog in Mrs. Helperman’s (Debra Jo Rupp) fourth grade class. At the onset of summer break, Spot gets wind of a mad scientist named Krank (Grammer) who claims he can morph animals into humans, and bee-lines it to Florida for a species-change operation. After Spot’s pet pals Pretty Boy (an angry bird voiced by Jerry Stiller) and Mr. Jolly (David Ogden Stiers as an agoraphobic cat) discover that Krank is a crackpot, they head South with designs on rescuing their canine companion.

Lane, Stiller and Grammer all succeed mightily, instilling soul into the animated oddballs created by artist Gary Baseman. They are given ample opportunity by the Steinkellners to generate laughs, and rarely do they miss the mark. “Will & Grace” star Megan Mullally and Paul “Pee-Wee Herman” Reubens are fantastic in minor roles as Krank’s most notable failed experiments. The ending feels as though it may have been phoned in a bit, but everything leading up to it makes this family flick well worth the price of admission. (Rated PG for some mildly crude humor. Running time: 68 minutes)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 16, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/011604.pdf?ref=smdp.com)