Pet ownership is an almost universal experience. “Marley & Me” taps into our often concealed feelings we have for animals, especially a pet dog. The movie is about a young couple’s life with a special dog named Marley. “Special” because Marley is always in trouble. Not “uh oh” trouble, more “bad dog” trouble. The film is at its best when the comedy falls away and the family melodrama seeps in around the edges. People’s loyalty to their pets and the pet’s loyalty back to their humans is touching and a real joy to watch. At the movie’s worst it becomes a mediocre knock off of the “Beethoven” series, with Marley constantly finding new ways to tear the house apart.
If you are searching for a “laugh a minute” comedy and you’re not an animal person, “Marley & Me” will not be the film for you. However, if you want to go along on an emotional journey through the lifecycle of owning a dog, you may find a lot to like about this dog tale.
The inescapably likeable Jennifer Aniston and the wry, soft-spoken Owen Wilson star as Jennifer and John Grogan. Both Jennifer and John are reporters who work at competing newspapers in southern Florida. Jennifer likes to keep life running on her schedule, specifically planning every step in her life. John is able to delay the baby issue by surprising her with a puppy. The “clearance puppy” is rambunctious and cute but becomes more than a handful for these two working professionals. What was a minor annoyance from Marley the puppy becomes disastrous from Marley the dog. When a child is eventually added to the mix and Marley just won’t grow up, will the stress become too much for the couple?
Wilson and Aniston have an easy familiarity between them, something the viewer can feel. John’s frustrations at work are easy to identify with. Jennifer’s patience with her husband makes her that much more likeable. Marley’s antics alternate between cute dog trouble humor to frustratingly repetitive. Marley is portrayed as the world’s worst dog, pushing the envelope with the characters’ and audience’s sympathies. But at some point along the way, Marley becomes less of a burden and more a member of the family. When we eventually bond with the dog, the thought of not having Marley around becomes downright upsetting.
“Marley & Me” lays the emotions on thick near the end, becoming a Hallmark sympathy card. Both Aniston and Wilson have touching scenes in the finale, where they open up about their true feelings. The movie doesn’t try to get too deep into the characters’ emotional issues but the director doesn’t sugar coat the couple’s troubles either. As a “slice of family life,” “Marley & Me” is a bittersweet but overall agreeable experience.
Rated PG for thematic material, some suggestive content, and language.
