A biographical look at the life of a neurotic and mischievous dog that changed the lives of the family who owned him. Adapted from the New York Times Bestselling book by John Grogan, the story of a human-canine relationship is tested to the stark, nonetheless managing to get down to the raw emotions and warm feelings a dog can bestow upon its family.
John Grogan (Owen Wilson) and his wife Jenny (Jennifer Aniston) are successful journalist living in South Florida. They have a steady life enjoying each other's company, writing thought-provoking articles and critiquing each other on them, but they start to wonder if it's time to start a family of their own. Jenny is dubious if she can carry out the responsibilities of being a mother yet, so John decides to give her a hands-on approach by getting them a puppy. They are instantly charmed by an adorable clearance puppy who they believe will bring them not only company, but happiness. Where did they go wrong? The dog, who they decide to name Marley after Bob Marley, turns out to be a walking nightmare who destroys their house and examines their patience and tolerance to the brink. Eventually, they decide that it's time to have a baby, but are disappointed to find out that they couldn't do it the first time. Disappointed and heartbroken, the Grogans go home without a tad of emotion other than despair, to find Marley had once again destroyed something. But as their emotions disperse throughout the house, they eventually reach Marley who sits there quietly with his snout on Jenny's lap. It is then that we truly realize that Marley isn't really a bad dog despite his wild actions. He is at heart the same adorable puppy who they picked out at the barn, only now proving to them that his heart is golden and devoted towards them and their happiness. Of course he doesn't realize that wrecking their home and peeing on their furniture is an offense, but they love him anyway and accept him for who he is regardless of his many strange antics. John and Jenny ultimately conceive their first child, then second, then third, with Marley always standing by throughout their experiences whether they are bad or good. But as we all know, a dog can only live so many years and by the end of his run, will Marley become appreciated and loved for what he really is behind all the various escapades he pulled off during his life?
It is definitely a film worth seeing for the whole family. There are some words and situations that may be inappropriate for younger children and a bit surprising for a PG rating. The movie compared to the book definitely is no competition but still captured the loving atmosphere of a family and the love a dog gave them. Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston had a great chemistry playing John and Jenny and it shows by how they communicate with each other from the start of the movie till the end. Their romance seemed genuine, not only during the funnier moments but also the emotional ones as well. I don't quite remember the character of Sebastian being in the book, but I suppose they put him into the film to increase the comedy time as well as give John the bitter-sweet friend relationship because Sebastian is also a journalist, only he's a bit more successful than John and you can see that they are friends but John is a bit jealous towards him. This seems to be a catalyst for him because he is a family man and Sebastian is more of a loner, causing him to question whether or not having a family is all it's cracked up to be. From Marley's problematic behavior to Jenny's frustration with the kids, John wonders if he is on the right path not only in his life but career as well.
There were other flaws in the movie such as the conspicuous way that the "Marley" dogs were switched in nearly every scene. Sometimes it's so blatant it gets irritating to think about the fact that Marley isn't really Marley. They just switched them way too often to make the film really work. The more powerful scenes are probably in the second part of the film and the sadness and remorse the actors show transcend the screen to make the audience suffer with them and be just as involved in the moment as they are. That was probably the biggest highlight of the film. I also loved the documentary-style montage mid-film that listed all of Marley's misadventures, and events that affected not only the couple, but also their surroundings. It's almost like a diary account and makes the story seem more realistic and personal to the audience.
The moral of the story is to live in the moment and treasure it. Everyone has their ups and downs, although not many have such an abnormal dog. Although it could be interpreted as a bonus since they have so much to look back on and remember with pride and joy. So what if their dog caused havoc wherever he went; nobody's life is by the book and ultimately "normal". Everyone has a story share with others which is unlike anyone else's, and they need to be content with how their life unfolds. If everyone's life was by the book and planned, where would the amazing stories and challenges come from? There would be nothing to look forward to and nothing to inspire us, which would make life rather dull don't you think? It is the story's grand realism that makes the film so real and credible. Crude jokes, awkward romantic moments, pregnancy, professional struggles, family quarrels... that's what life consists of in most cases. One way or the other, we are faced with these hardships throughout our lifetime and there is no escape, however, the Grogan's learned from Marley that life is an adventure and the only way to be happy is to grab it by the balls and go with the flow. There is always a way to overcome any setbacks that may arise and hopefully while watching Marley & Me, Marley will hand over the recipe to you.
Entertaining, truthful, touching and spontaneous would be the words to describe this film and it manages to uphold its status as a worthy contender for a place in your movie collection by its down-to-earth quality and charismatic performances by the royalty of comedy, who happen to have some skills towards drama as well.
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