Screenwriter happiness

Screenwriter Mike White serves up two kinds of movies. Sometimes, he gives us 2005’s “School of Rock” or last year’s “Nacho Libre,” accessible, often hilarious romps with a slightly subversive bent.

He’s also known for less mainstream fare, like 2000’s “Chuck & Buck” and 2002’s “The Good Girl.”

Spend a few minutes with Mr. White, and it’s clear which movies he prefers.

“When you set out to win a popularity contest, and you win, it’s fun,” Mr. White says of “Rock’s” box office bounty. However, he’d rather take the roller-coaster feedback from his less commercial films.

“Some people find the message inspiring. Some find it disturbing,” Mr. White says. “It makes for a more lively conversation.”

He can expect “Year of the Dog” to provoke plenty of animated chatter.

Mr. White’s latest, for which he steps behind the camera for the first time, follows a single woman named Peggy (Molly Shannon) who falls to pieces when her beloved dog dies. Poor Peggy takes extreme measures to heal her pain, some of which will leave animal rights activists squirming.

“The movie is about how each person finds their own version of what makes them happy” no matter how unconventional, he says.

Mr. White first worked with Miss Shannon on the short-lived Fox series “Cracking Up,” which he wrote. He created “Dog” with the former “Saturday Night Live” standout in mind.

“There’s just something about her that makes me laugh,” says Mr. White, dressed casually in sneakers and a T-shirt.

True to form, Mr. White didn’t write Peggy to play to Miss Shannon’s obvious strengths.

“There’s an inherent sweetness to her, but also a kind of lunacy, too,” he says. “That was right for Peggy.”

“Dog” convinced Mr. White to direct for the first time, even though he’s enjoyed collaborative relationships with the directors shooting his scripts.

“It’s all about the tone, this weird tone I like,” he says. “There were things I wanted to protect about it.”

This isn’t the first time he’s written a project for a specific actor.

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