The stray dog in this saccharine family drama has an unusual nose: It sniffs out wisdom-spouting adults. And so the lonely 10-year-old who adopts it starts following it from role model to role model, including pop star Dave Matthews as a pet store clerk who serenades the animals. Sentimental director Wayne Wang (Anywhere But Here) is aiming for quirkiness here, but he never gets beyond cloying.
