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This movie was first released in theaters back on Christmas Day 2008. However, it just came out on DVD a couple weeks ago, and I took the time to watch it this weekend with my significant other. I've been wanting to see this movie since December, and was excited about seeing it. What did I think? Well, let me share my review of Marley & Me for you right here at Simple Man Entertainment.
Who's Who?
First of all, if you haven’t seen the movie, you are probably wondering who all is in the movie. Well, there are several of my favorite names in this flick. Owen Wilson played the leading man as John Grogan, and Jennifer Aniston played his wife - aptly named Jennifer Grogan. Eric Dane (you may remember him from Grey's Anatomy and X-Men) plays twisted best friend to John Grogan. Another person you may recognize is Alan Arkin, playing Arnie Klein, who happens to be Grogan's editor. It's a good cast, and I must say that Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston play off each other well.
Kid Rating:
If you have kids and you are like me, you may be wondering if this is one to show the kiddies on family night. Well, it's rated PG, and I think it's a pretty kid friendly movie. The only thing is that it does get pretty sad at the end, so you need to consider whether or not your kids are old enough to handle this. Otherwise I think it is an excellent family friendly movie.
The Story Line:
The story line of Marley & Me is based around John and Jennifer Grogan, who are both in the writing biz. They decide to move to Florida to pursue their life goals (and to get away from the blizzard conditions that affected their wedding night). Jennifer always seems to have her life planned out in steps and John becomes concerned that children are the next step. He goes to his "faithful" friend (played by Eric Dane) for advice and decides a puppy is a great idea. Jennifer picks the "runt" of the litter and they get him for a deal, calling him the "Clearance Puppy" although he later gets the name "Marley" from a Bob Marley song.
Now this is one puppy that pulls every bad puppy trick in the book. Nothing is safe from Marley, and amazingly this little "runt" grows to be a 100+ pound dog (although I think the dog looks even closer to 150 than 100 pounds). Even as a big dog he is full of the puppy energy. Although Marley never really learns discipline, despite attending and then being kicked out of Obedience School, he becomes a part of the family. He is there for the couple when they deal with their 1st miscarriage, he's there for their first baby boy, an unplanned second baby boy, and then later the birth of their little girl. As they grow through life, job changes, the challenges of kids, and even difficulties in their marriage, Marley is always there.
In the end, after they move to Philadelphia, Marley begins to show signs of age. Then he has a medical emergency where his stomach twists. Although the vet was able to help the first time that happened, several months later the problem occurred again and nothing could be done, leading to the loss of the family pet. This was devastating to the entire family, as they felt the loss of Marley, who was essentially a part of their family.
My Thoughts:
So, what were my thoughts about Marley & Me? Well, this movie was definitely an emotional roller coaster. There were so many parts where I was laughing so hard at the antics that Marley pulled as a puppy, and when he grew up. Then there were the parts that brought tears to my eyes, such as when Marley comforts Jennifer when she loses her first baby. Of course the end I thought was horrible, as Marley died and the family mourned him. I was tearing up the whole way.
Although it brought laughter and tears, I thought the movie was excellent. Although it ended more serious than I though it would, it truly was a picture of how a family pet can so become a part of your life - sharing the joys, the tears, the good times, and the bad times with you. It wasn't your classic "Lassie" movie, but more of a movie that showed the growth of a family and the importance of their dog as they went through various stages of their life. After all, if you have owned a pet yourself, you know that as that pet goes with you through life's ups and downs, the pet becomes a true member of the family.
Marley & Me definitely comes recommended by me! Of course I do recommend you have a few tissues nearby. You'll need them to dry the tears of laughter and to wipe your eyes through the sad parts (especially if you have your own pet).
