The dog -- or the many dogs who play Marley through the years -- also delivers some of the funniest scenes.
Marley & Me (2008)
Tomatometer
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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
Reviews for Marley & Me
I think this movie works because of the relationship on screen between Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston.
Kids and adults will like it, but be forewarned -- it's not all laughs.
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.
The movie is ultimately less about the pain of loss than about the way families often take shape around a pet.
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.
Though it requires three or four hankies to mop up the mess this sentimental tale leaves behind, the tears feel largely unearned.
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.
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.
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.
The production manages, against heavy odds, to make its canine star an incorrigible bore. The problem is bad parenting.
It has some funny moments, a lot of tears and way too much dead time in between.
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.
Animal lovers will probably enjoy the movie, which has more appeal than the majority of its fellow Christmas Day cinematic arrivals.
Marley & Me turns out to be the best -- and truest -- film about humans and our animals to arrive onscreen in a dog's age.
Marley, of course, steals every scene he's in, which is most of them.
I swear, my handkerchief was only out because I've been fighting a cold the past few days.
Latest News for Marley & Me
March 17, 2009:
Marley & Me Dominates Foreign Box Office ![]()
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...
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