Movie Review: "Marley & Me"

My family and I went to see the movie Marley & Me starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. I arrived at the movie theater expecting to see a simple family comedy about a disobedient dog named Marley. But when I saw movie goers leaving the theater with tears in their eyes, I knew that Marley and Me was going to be much more than just a simple comedy.

The movie Marley & Me is based on John Grogan's bestseller book titled Marley & Me. The story is about a young couple, played by Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston, who get married and begin their life together. John, played by Owen Wilson, wants to delay having children so he takes his friend's advice (played by Eric Dane) and gives his wife (Jennifer Aniston) a Labrador puppy. The puppy is named Marley because the puppy enjoys Bob Marley's reggae music.

The funny scenes begin as the puppy gets into all sorts of trouble. Marley is basically untrainable. Even the dog trainer gives up any hope of training him. Marley chews everything in sight, including drywall, the couch and the couple's bedding. One hilarious scene has Marley running half in and half out of the car window as he tries to avoid the trip to the vet to get neutered. But even as Marley is destroying everything around them you can sense that the couple's love for Marley is growing stronger every day.

Woven into the comedy about Marley is a much deeper story about life and marriage. It's about the struggles of being married, having children, dealing with an aging pet, and trying to balance a career along with family life.

What makes Marley and Me so great is that it is so easy to relate to the characters and their struggles. Marriage? I've done it. Getting a new pet? Check that as done. Trying to get pregnant? Check. Miscarriage? Check. Getting pregnant after a miscarriage? Check. Postpartum depression? Check. Fighting with your spouse? You betcha. Job dissatisfaction? Yep. Feeling overwhelmed with life? Most definitely. Heck, the couple even drove a mini van that was the same style as my 1997 minivan. Best of all was their house was just as disorganized and messy as mine. Everything seemed so genuine and real. Even my husband commented on how it reflected real life so well.

I must admit that before seeing Marley & Me I wasn't a big fan of Jennifer Aniston. And I wasn't that big into Owen Wilson either. But I felt their acting was excellent. Their love for each other and Marley was so believable. They both proved they were perfect for these roles.

While this movie can be enjoyed by all ages, I would highly recommend it to the thirty to fifty year olds. Everyone in this age category will certainly find something in this film to relate to.

I won't spoil the plot by telling you the ending of Marley and Me. But I will say this, grab a Kleenex before you go. Chances are you'll look like all those other movie goers I saw with tears in their eyes as you leave the movie theater.