Marley & Me (2008)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

David Frankel

Writers (WGA):

Scott Frank (screenplay) and
Don Roos (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

25 December 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Family | Romance

Tagline:

Heel the love

Plot:

A family learns important life lessons from their adorable, but naughty and neurotic dog.

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Florida | Swimming Pool | Newspaper Editor | Newspaper Columnist

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Owen Wilson	...	John Grogan
Jennifer Aniston	...	Jennifer Grogan
Eric Dane	...	Sebastian
Kathleen Turner	...	Ms. Kornblut
Alan Arkin	...	Arnie Klein
Ann Dowd	...	Dr. Platt
Nathan Gamble	...	Patrick (Age 10)
Haley Bennett	...	Lisa
Clarke Peters	...	Editor
Finley Jacobsen	...	Conor (Age 8)
Lucy Merriam	...	Colleen (Age 5)
Bryce Robinson	...	Patrick (Age 7)
Ben Hyland	...	Conor (Age 5)
Sarah O'Kelly	...	Neighbor Mom (Nurse)
Keith Hudson	...	Big Guy

Also Known As:

Marley and Me (USA) (alternative spelling)
Marley y yo (Argentina) (Chile) (Peru) [es]
Marley & Eu (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Марли и я (Russia) [ru]
Eu si Marley (Romania) [ro]
Io e Marley (Italy) [it]
Marley & Moi (France) [fr]
Marley & ich (Germany) [de]
Marley a já (Czech Republic) [cs]
Marley et moi (Canada: French title) [fr]
Marley i ja (Croatia) [hr]
Marley i ja (Poland) (poster title) [pl]
Marley ja mina (Estonia) [et]
Marley och jag (Sweden) [sv]
Marley ve Ben (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Marley, enas megalos belas (Greece) [el]
Una pareja de tres (Spain: Castilian title) [es]

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic material, some suggestive content and language.

Runtime:

120 min | USA:115 min | 111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG (certificate #44641) | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | UK:PG | Czech Republic:U | Ireland:PG | South Korea:12 | Chile:TE | Hong Kong:IIA | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Argentina:Atp | Peru:PT | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Norway:7 | Portugal:M/6 | Germany:o.Al. | Canada:G (British Columbia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | Belgium:KT | Sweden:Btl | Mexico:A | New Zealand:PG

Filming Locations:

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA

Company:

Fox 2000 Pictures

Trivia:

Kathleen Turner, who played Marley's dog trainer, starred with Jennifer Aniston on "Friends" (1994) as Chandler Bing's cross-dressing father Charles.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Relatively early in the film, when the time frame of the story is still in the early 1990's, John Grogran (Owen Wilson) mentions taking a trip to Disney World and a current day Walt Disney World sign is shown.

Quotes:

John Grogan: A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water log stick will do just fine. A dog doesn't care if your rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he'll give you his. How many people can you say that about? How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary?

Movie Connections:

Features "Bob the Builder" (1999)

Soundtrack:

Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)

Surprisingly Good

When I first saw the previews for Marley and Me, I thought, ugh, another desperate attempt by Jennifer Aniston to resuscitate her career. I used to be a huge Aniston fan back in the "Friends" days, but it's been years since I've seen any of her movies. And as for Owen Wilson, he always seemed like a goof who rode on the wave of his older brother's success. This movie proved me wrong on both counts.

Marley and Me is about a dog, definitely, but it's just as much about a man (John Grogan, played by Wilson), his wife (Jenny, played by Aniston), and his growing family. The film follows John from his wedding night to the peak of his journalism career a dozen years later, years that are chronicled in his weekly columns for a Florida newspaper. Marley, the lovable but horribly destructive yellow lab, enters his life as a puppy, in an attempt to prepare him and his wife for future children. The dog, as expected, tears apart the house, makes wild escapes, humps the dog trainer, and lovably terrorizes other people. But the film effectively intersperses those episodes with tender, sincere moments of human/dog bonding. Marley is there to comfort Jenny when her husband cannot, adjusts to the children as they grow older, and intrudes on the family's most private moments. He is a constant, and at times, annoying presence, but Marley underscores the emotional tone of the film without dominating it.

Similarly, both Wilson and Aniston deliver understated performances that convey the ups-and-downs of any marriage. While it is the bond between John and Marley that the film explores most deeply, Jenny provides the link between dog, family, and children. In the end, she realizes what Marley has become, and what he has always been, to the two of them. The film's overall tone - light, humorous, but at times very real - builds up to an ending that is surprisingly moving.

Marley and Me is a tender-hearted, easy-going film that will appeal to any dog-lover. But it will also, I think, appeal to anyone who can look back on his or her life and trace a common thread through each passing year. A beloved pet, like Marley, has that unique capability. I wish I could thank my own dog for that. But, as one of the children in the movie tearfully says, I'm sure he already knows.