RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Marley & Me
Marley & Me

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Marley & Me (2008)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
61 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:123

Fresh:75

Rotten:48

Average Rating:6/10

Consensus: Pet owners should love it, but Marley and Me is only sporadically successful in wringing drama and laughs from its scenario.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for thematic material, some suggestive content and language.

Runtime: 2 hrs

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:11-03-2009

Synopsis: The filmmakers behind THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA take on another bestseller in the family film MARLEY AND ME. Based on the hit memoir by John Grogan, MARLEY AND ME chronicles the relationship of John... The filmmakers behind THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA take on another bestseller in the family film MARLEY AND ME. Based on the hit memoir by John Grogan, MARLEY AND ME chronicles the relationship of John (Owen Wilson) and Jen (Jennifer Aniston) as they face the challenges of marriage and work to start a family. By their side is their beloved dog, Marley, who can chew through drywall, got kicked out of obedience school, and never met a leg he didn't like. The cute pup's antics come to signify the unexpected challenges that everyone faces in adulthood, and the film is ultimately a paean to unconditional love; others may see Marley as the "world's worst dog," but throughout it all, he proves to be the couple's most faithful friend. MARLEY AND ME plays like a modern day Norman Rockwell portrait with a little more bite, courtesy of the snark-friendly screenwriters and the title's wild mutt. The sets are sumptuous, with every shot lovingly lit to look like a Hallmark card. The winning lead performances help elevate the picture above its feel-good counterparts; Aniston is radiant and Wilson shows off sharp dramatic chops, giving some maturity to his loveable comedic persona. Alan Arkin gives a scene-stealing performance as Wilson's boss, and Kathleen Turner proves to be a great sport with her physically demanding cameo as Marley's obedience instructor. But in the end the picture belongs to the dogs, and for once that's a good thing. A film that keeps the audience cooing, cracking up, and crying, MARLEY AND ME is sure to become a family favorite. [More]

Starring: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Eric Dane, Alan Arkin

Starring: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Eric Dane, Alan Arkin, Kathleen Turner

Director: David Frankel

Director: David Frankel
Screenwriter: Scott Frank, Don Roos
Producer: Karen Rosenfelt, Gil Netter
Composer: Theodore Shapiro
Studio: 20th Century Fox

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Trailer
    >
    Trailer
    >
1 - 2 of 2

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for Marley & Me

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
41 - 60 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

The dog -- or the many dogs who play Marley through the years -- also delivers some of the funniest scenes.

Full Review Source: At the Movies | comment 1 Comment
12/29/08
Ben Mankiewicz
Ben Mankiewicz
At the Movies

I think this movie works because of the relationship on screen between Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston.

Full Review Source: At the Movies | comment Comment
12/29/08
Ben Lyons
Ben Lyons
At the Movies

Kids and adults will like it, but be forewarned -- it's not all laughs.

Full Review Source: Premiere Magazine | comment 2 Comments
12/29/08
Olivia Putnal
Olivia Putnal
Premiere Magazine

Not every book has a movie lurking in it.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
12/29/08
Philip Kennicott
Philip Kennicott
Washington Post

Frankel turns the camera toward the canines as frequently as possible, but too often we're stuck with Wilson and Aniston's bland characters. You wonder if it might have been better to let sleeping dogs lie.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment 2 Comments
12/29/08
Moira MacDonald
Moira MacDonald
Seattle Times

The movie is ultimately less about the pain of loss than about the way families often take shape around a pet.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
12/29/08
Stephanie Zacharek
Stephanie Zacharek
Salon.com

Marley & Me allows its human as well as its canine characters flaws while delivering a nice message that dogs, like children and marriages, require commitment and work.

Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | comment Comment
12/29/08
Carla Meyer
Carla Meyer
Sacramento Bee

Though it requires three or four hankies to mop up the mess this sentimental tale leaves behind, the tears feel largely unearned.

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
12/29/08
Scott Tobias
Scott Tobias
AV Club

David Frankel adapts John Grogan's sentimental bestseller with no artistic pretensions beyond alternately making you feel like your heart is caving in, then injecting you with a gigantic syringe of good cheer.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
12/29/08
Colin Covert
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune

There are no bad dogs. But there are bad dog movies.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment 5 Comments
12/29/08
Duane Dudek
Duane Dudek
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

It's a film guaranteed to appeal to tender-hearted pet lovers. But the movie, which was largely filmed in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, turns out to be less about dogs than it is about one man's trajectory through adulthood.

Full Review Source: Miami Herald | comment Comment
12/29/08
Connie Ogle
Connie Ogle
Miami Herald

When the story lags -- and it does more than a few times -- there is Alan Arkin as Grogan's crusty editor Arnie Klein to help things along.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
12/29/08
Betsy Sharkey
Betsy Sharkey
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The production manages, against heavy odds, to make its canine star an incorrigible bore. The problem is bad parenting.

Full Review Source: Wall Street Journal | comment 1 Comment
12/29/08
Joe Morgenstern
Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal

It has some funny moments, a lot of tears and way too much dead time in between.

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment 1 Comment
12/29/08
Robert W. Butler
Robert W. Butler
Kansas City Star

It's difficult to invest in John's suburban angst, questioning his choices while looking around at his huge home, pretty wife, healthy kids and cushy career.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment 9 Comments
12/29/08
Matt Stevens
Matt Stevens
E! Online

Animal lovers will probably enjoy the movie, which has more appeal than the majority of its fellow Christmas Day cinematic arrivals.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
12/29/08
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

Marley & Me turns out to be the best -- and truest -- film about humans and our animals to arrive onscreen in a dog's age.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
12/29/08
Lisa Kennedy
Lisa Kennedy
Denver Post

Marley, of course, steals every scene he's in, which is most of them.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
12/29/08
Joy Tipping
Joy Tipping
Dallas Morning News

Doesn't consistently capture the book's personable tone.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment 2 Comments
12/29/08
Andrea Gronvall
Andrea Gronvall
Chicago Reader

I swear, my handkerchief was only out because I've been fighting a cold the past few days.

Full Review Source: Baltimore Sun | comment Comment
12/29/08
Chris Kaltenbach
Chris Kaltenbach
Baltimore Sun
 
 
41 - 60 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
all

Latest News for Marley & Me

March 17, 2009: Marley & Me Dominates Foreign Box Office Opens in new window
The story about a family and their dog takes down Watchmen with a $13.9m haul in its first international weekend. More...

January 04, 2009: Box Office Guru Wrapup: Marley Still #1 and Races Past $100M
Moviegoers caught up on those holiday films they didn't see over Christmas weekend as the top seven films finished in the exact same slots as last weekend with the dog drama... More...

December 28, 2008: Box Office Guru Wrapup: Marley Takes #1, The Spirit Tanks
This weekend people were in the mood for movies over Christmas weekend as multiplexes were jam-packed with customers that powered four different new releases to more than $30M... More...

December 23, 2008: Critics Consensus: Benjamin Button Rewards the Curious; It's Bedtime for Bedtime Stories
This week at the movies, we've got a full slate of new flicks: Bedtime Stories, starring Adam Sandler and Keri Russell; The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Brad Pitt... More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
15% 15% The Ugly Truth
98% 98% Up
36% 36% G.I. Joe: The Rise of …
52% 52% The Taking of Pelham 1…
45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
68% 68% Funny People
25% 25% Four Christmases
45% 45% Shorts

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

5 facts straight from the cast.

Disney Animation

Disney Animation

We chart the studio's classics.

Avatar

Avatar

An exclusive look at the human hardware.

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

The Star Trek star talks cars with RT.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • First Look (Sort Of) at New Nightmare's Freddy Source: ShockTillYouDrop.com
24
  • First Look at Shrek Forever After Source: USA Today
48
  • Woody Harrelson Will Battle Zombies in 3-D Source: Moviehole
26
  • Natalie Portman Says Kat Denning Is in Thor Source: MTV
34
  • Disney Restructuring Has Broad Implications Source: Los Angeles Times
10
  • Joel Silver Talks Ninja Assassin, Sgt. Rock, Lobo, and More Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
122
  • Idris Elba Joins Thor Source: Hollywood Reporter
112
  • Jackass 3D Coming in 2010? Source: Collider.com
32
  • 6 Reasons 'Twilight' Is Doomed Source: The Wrap
64
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: New Moon Shatters Records
179
  • Total Recall: John Travolta's Best Movies
86
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
61
  • 5 Facts About The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
57
  • Critics Consensus: Flee From Ninja Assassin
43
  • Ban Them All! 10 Infamously Controversial Movies
43
  • Friday Harvest: New Moon, Avatar, and more!
32
  • Five Favorite Films With Zombieland Director Ruben Fleischer
21
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
14
  • Friday Harvest: The Road, Avatar, and more!
9
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
14
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
10
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
20
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
7
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
20
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Marley & Me at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Marley & Me at IGN

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.