At first glance, Marley and Me seems to be about a yellow labrador retriever and his owners, John and Jenny Grogan. Based on the bestselling book by Grogan, the film follows suit, telling the story of the “World’s Worst Dog.” But another glance reveals so much more than that.
While John (Owen Wilson) decided to buy Jenny (Jennifer Aniston) a puppy as a way to halt any plans Jenny may have to start a family, what happened was exactly that. John, Jenny and Marley became a family. Marley, with his terror of thunderstorms and ability to chew though drywall and swallow jewelry, became just as much responsibility, if not more so, than any child could be.
The film follows the newlyweds as they decide to begin their new life together in Florida, far away from the cruel Michigan winters. They are both journalists, and they immediately get jobs at competing newspapers. Jenny is the more successful of the two, given ample space to write feature stories. John, on the other hand, is relegated to stories about problems at the local dump.
A short time later, John’s boss (Alan Arkin) tells him he wants him to write a column a few days a week, as a fill-in until they can find a permanent replacement. John is unhappy, longing for the life his friend Sebastian (Eric Dane) has, who is on his way to Colombia to interview Pablo Escobar, and has been freelancing for the New York Times.
Reluctantly, John begins writing the column, and slowly John found Marley working himself into it. As the column, as well as Marley, became more popular, John took to writing it full-time, and Marley’s never-ending stunts and escapades became the focus.
Marley and Me is a film that will lure pet owner’s and lover’s the way catnip lures cats. Along the way, besides falling in love with the adorable but naughty Marley, another story is unfolding. That story is about discovering what you love may be right in front of your nose. That story involves the challenges of marriage and raising a family together.
Marley and Me reminds viewers how precious things in life can be. Whether it’s a dream job that you never realized was, until you’d moved on to something else. Or a dog that constantly tested your nerves and patience, only to gaze up at you with eternal devotion while you’re yelling at him.
A tearjerker to be sure, Marley and Me will make viewers think of their own pets, whether in the past, present, or even future. It will remind them how broad and encompassing the term “family’ really is. Marley and Me will also make viewers cry, but whether they’re tears of sadness or joy, take another look.
- Marley and Me
- Directed By: David Frankel
- Screenplay Written By: Scott Frank, Don Roos
- Novel Written By: John Grogan
- Starring: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston
- Running Time: 115 minutes
 |
