David Frankel directs with a modesty and restraint that favors the people over the situations, and he really captures the chemistry of a family dog in the mix.
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
Its small moments of insight don't make up for the overall lack of drama or narrative, but they will evoke all the proper emotions out of an audience with tissues at the ready.
A maior surpresa oferecida por Marley & Eu reside na força dramática que o filme revela possuir em seu ato final.
90 minutes of mediocrity followed by 10 minutes of the most manipulative, mean-spirited pap ever put into a movie made for families
A comedy about a wild, rambunctious, and playful dog who is a spiritual teacher par excellence of how to live in the present moment.
Guaranteed to send everyone out of the theater with red eyes and wet cheeks. To its credit, Marley & Me achieves that with a maximum amount of class and a minimum amount of manipulation.
Marley & Me is a terrific film. You don't have to be a dog lover to be touched to tears, you only need to be human.
Marley's misadventures play like a TV movie, never reaching the heights of such endearing canine-centered films as 2000's My Dog Skip.
You should bring lots of Kleenex with you. It might just come in handy.
I'm pretty sure Marley & Me is one of those movies that will affect moviegoers less because of its quality (the performances are excellent, but the filmmaking is just OK) than because of how it reminds them of their own lives.
You can be a movie lover and you can be a dog lover, but there are times during Marley and Me when it's hard to be both.
I thought the first three-quarters of it about as engrossing as a Puppy Chow commercial, and the last quarter pretty depressing. But that's chiefly because it only made me think of my own dogs.
I said to Lady, "It's a labra-bore"/She said, "Scout, you overpraise."
If characters talking to dogs and dog reaction shots are some of your favorite things, add some stars to this review.
A dog movie that isn't a dog of a movie -- what a pleasant Christmas surprise.
A disarmingly enjoyable, wholehearted comic vision of the happy messiness of family life.
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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