Kirkus’ critic made an intriguing observation about Sigrid Nunez’s 2018 novel, The Friend, which would go on to win the National Book Award. In a starred review, they called it “rigorous and stark, so elegant—so dismissive of conventional notions of plot—[that] it hardly feels like fiction.” It is true that its basic storyline is sketchy at best: An unnamed, middle-aged writing professor grapples with grief over the suicide over her best friend and former mentor (also an unnamed author). Perhaps the strongest narrative thread, unspooled in bits and bobs, is the protagonist’s account of caring for the dog that her friend left behind: a depressed Great Dane named Apollo.

Most of the book, though, is taken up with Nunez’s engaging digressions, as when she offers her thoughts on the consciousness of animals, or disquieting trends in fiction by young writers, or the harrowing Swedish film Lilya 4-Ever—all peppered with quotes from famous authors and with references to suicides throughout history. It’s a highly interior, very writerly, and not especially visual work, which makes it a surprising choice to adapt as a movie. Nonetheless, co-writers/directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel (Montana Story) give it a shot, for better or worse, in a new theatrical film starring Naomi Watts and Bill Murray. It’s set for nationwide release on April 4.

The filmmakers could have made an offbeat work of art out of this material, one that attempts to convey how the narrator’s mind works—the connections she makes, the pinballing memories and ruminations that get her through the day and through her grieving process. But McGehee and Siegel apparently had more modest ambitions; they clearly wanted to make an ordinary narrative film, and it’s clear that they felt that the source material simply didn’t have enough incident to work with. So they named the protagonists (now Iris and her dead friend, Walter), added some new characters, and padded the story out with new scenes and storylines. The deceased’s ex-wives, played by Carla Gugino, Constance Wu, and Noma Dumezweni, all get more to do; Walter’s adult daughter, Val (The Wilds’ Sarah Pidgeon), appears, and is given a subplot about editing a volume of Walter’s letters. Viewers even spend time with Walter’s anxious editor at Penguin Books in a scene that includes a cute joke involving the phrase “so random.” There is also plenty of material involving the Great Dane (played by a charming canine named Bing), finding comfort in Walter’s old T-shirt, taking up too much space on the bed, and causing conflict with the super in Iris’ apartment building.

Unfortunately, the film focuses far too much on plot—the least interesting aspect of the source material. Indeed, the movie suffers from the same flaw that bedeviled the film adaptations of Jay McInerney’s Bright Lights, Big City and Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch, completely erasing the point-of-view character’s distinctive voice. There’s some narration, here and there, but mainly this is a simple depiction of Iris’ day-to-day life, which quickly grows repetitive. Despite Bing’s considerable charm, even the most avid dog-lover may grow bored of seeing the majestic animal walk the sidewalks of New York and listlessly pace around Iris’ apartment.

All that said, the film is a pleasant viewing experience. The characters are frequently outside, and New York’s Greenwich Village neighborhood has rarely looked so bucolic and serene; the filmmakers even manage to make the overexposed Washington Square Park look fresh and new. Meanwhile, Watts’ performance is by turns intense and vulnerable, and she effectively carries much of the film. Murray, in a handful of scenes, is perfectly fine, although his performance doesn’t explain why everyone in the film seems so enamored with Walter. This was a man, after all, who regularly slept with young women (including Iris) in his writing classes and apparently faced accusations of inappropriate behavior (something the film only glancingly addresses). The movie ends up being more about the dead man and less about the main character, who’s very much alive. This even extends to Apollo: although the animal spends its later years with Iris, the film never lets you forget that the Great Dane was Walter’s pet—and best friend. Indeed, one of the last flashback scenes focuses on the time Walter found the animal in a park, and not, for example, when he first met Iris. Perhaps it’s too thorny a subject for the film to address; fortunately, we’ll always have the “quietly brilliant and darkly funny” book it’s based on.

David Rapp is the senior Indie editor.