Film Gecko

"Marley & Me" Review

by Jane Boursaw on December 31st, 2008

My 11-year-old daughter and I had planned to see "Marley & Me" on Christmas Day, and I’m really glad it happened to be sold out. We ended up seeing it a few days later, and it was so emotional and sad (especially the ending) that it would have put a serious damper on our Christmas festivities.

That’s not to say it’s a bad movie. Just the opposite, in fact. I was so drawn into it from beginning to end that I completely forgot about everything else in the world for those two hours. Great storytelling, and Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston are great together.

"Marley & Me" is based on the real-life story of writer John Grogan (Wilson), who marries his sweetheart, Jenny (Aniston), and moves from cold Michigan to sunny Florida, where they both secure jobs as journalists on competing newspapers. While John dreams of becoming a hard-nosed news reporter like his pal Sebastian (Eric Dane), his editor Arnie (Alan Arkin) asks him to write a slice-of-life column.

John ends up using the column to write about all the goings-on in his life, including he and Jenny’s adoption of a rambunctious dog they name Marley. The high-spirited Golden Lab makes their life miserable, eating everything in sight and escaping off the leash at every opportunity.

Marley is meant to be a replacement for a baby; when John tells Sebastian he’s not sure about having kids, his friend tells him to get Jenny a puppy instead. But John and Jenny go on to have three kids anyway, with Marley there every step of the way.

"Marley & Me" is not only a story about a man and his dog, it’s also a poignant look at family life with all its ups and downs. But while the movie is rated PG and being billed as a "family movie," it’s by no means appropriate for young kids. Marley is cute and wild and everything a puppy should be, but along with his out-of-control behavior, we’ve got some serious life issues in this movie: making babies (no sex is shown, but the couple is seen in bed, once with a creaky mattress in an Irish inn), lots of home pregnancy tests, and a crime-ridden neighborhood that puts a neighbor’s life in peril.

But the worst part is the ending. I hadn’t read the book, but you pretty much know how things are going to turn out. Marley can’t live forever, after all. But I wasn’t prepared for how heart-wrenching the ending would be – and they really milk every last drop of emotion out of moviegoers! I wrote more about this, including a few spoilers, in my post, "Should Marley & Me be rated PG-13?" Suffice to say, I think it should be.

That said, it’s still getting 4 out of 5 Geckos from me, because it’s a beautiful story about the bond that develops between people and dogs, even "the world’s worst dog." Owen Wilson is one of my favorite actors, and he pulls off the curious-about-life writer character well. He and Jennifer Aniston have great chemistry, and you believe that these are two people who would make a life together through thick and thin.

Notable is an appearance by Kathleen Turner as a dog trainer. She looks nothing like the last time you may have seen her in a movie, but that’s ok. She’s still here and still making movies, despite suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. I hope she continues to make more movies.

I really wish "Marley & Me" had been a little more lighthearted, because I think that would have made for some fun holiday fare. That said, it’s still a great movie for kids 13 and older; just be prepared for the ending, and bring lots of Kleenex!

Images: Marley & Me, 20th Century-Fox Film Corp., 2008

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