Naomi Watts plays the lead role in “The Friend,” an adaptation of Sigrid Nunez’s acclaimed novel of the same name. The movie explores the profound connection between a woman and a large-breed dog.

As the heartwarming human-animal movie “The Friend” expanded nationwide over the weekend (tallying $1.69 million to land in the top 10 at the box office), the Bleecker Street film’s star Bing the ...