In a tender, loving tale which spans over a decade, Marley & Me could easily be labeled a film about a family and their loving dog, but as it turns out, it's more of a tale of a loving dog and his human family.
Marley & Me Brief Synopsis
John Grogan (Owen Wilson) and his newlywed bride Jenny (Jennifer Aniston) are both writers, who decide to move from frosty Michigan, to the warmer climes of Florida. After both getting jobs at competing newspapers, with varying degrees of success (she gets the great stories, and he is limited to covering mundane local events), the young couple starts to feel the urge to have children.
On the advice of his good friend Sebastian (Eric Dane, Grey's Anatomy), John instead gets a golden Labrador puppy from the local breeder, as a present to Jenny. Adopting the moniker Marley (because the puppy reacted to the name while Bob Marley was on the radio), the puppy wins the heart of his new owners, but not until he demonstrates a ferocious appetite, for anything organic or not, left unsupervised.
As Marley becomes a member of this family, he grows along the eventual children the couple has, and helps them cope with the problems and successes which ensue, over the course of the dog's life.
As the family moves from Florida to rural Pennsylvania, Marley remains the constant in the Grogan family's ups and downs, reminding them that no matter how tough life gets, a dog's unconditional love serves as a rightful reminder of the important things in life.
Marley & Me Blu-Ray Features and Overall Analysis
This movie is surprisingly well structured. Though its subject matter isn't filled with awesome visuals which benefit from the Blu-ray format, viewers will still enjoy the rich colors that the Florida location film set provides.
The film can be ranked as a dramatic sad tale, which invariably leads to a depressing finale. That being said, it can also be a useful tool for any family who has ever had a pet, to deal with the loss of a loved member of the family.
Marley & Me may appear to be a comedy, given the casting of Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston, however it demonstrates some unexpected depth, insofar as a semi-biographical account of a columnist's published stories goes.
The story is based on the book of the same name by author Grogan, chronicling his life with Jenny, and the life path he and his family take, with Marley in tow.
Director David Frankel executes a good script, pacing the story's 14-year period on a even course, engaging the audience into following the Grogan family's adventures (and canine misadventures at that), as they try to forge a future together.
The Blu-Ray version's three-disc Bad Dog Edition comes with over a dozen deleted scenes (most for good reason), a cute item on the scouting of the right Marley (or in this case 22 of them, in various stages of growth, to emulate a 14-year lifespan), and a somewhat uninspired gag reel.
When all is said and done, Marley and Me remains a sobering look at a family's dynamic, and how their love for everyone including the dog reminds the audience of how life's priorities can always shift unexpectedly, and how important it is to roll with the punches.
8.5 out of 10 for a consistent, engaging tale about family values, perseverance, and the cutest dog from hell.
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