Marley and Me

Marley and Me is the bittersweet tale of the "world's worst dog," Marley, and his family. The movie follows the 14 years of Marley's life, and follows his owners, John Grogan (Owen Wilson) and Jenny (Jennifer Aniston), as they get married, get jobs, have children, and move. The couple deal with normal relationship problems, but their love only grows as they take care of Marley and their children.

Marley and Me is not the stereotypical cute dog movie. While Marley is cute, especially as a puppy, the movie deals with serious issues, like divorce and miscarriages. The film is a lot less about Marley, and more about the relationship between John and Jenny. By focusing on Marley, however, a lot of the seriousness is taken away, making the movie more family-oriented. If Marley wasn't there, this movie would be extremely depressing.

Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston do an excellent job. They make a very convincing couple. Everything about them seems sincere and believable. Despite this, the message of the movie is hard to pinpoint. It is hard to believe that John is ever truly happy living with his family and writing his column. He seems content, but never satisfied. Likewise, Jenny seems happy taking care of her children by the end of the movie, but so much time is spent dwelling on how unhappy she is, that it's difficult to really believe she's content. This may take away from the lightheartedness of Marley and Me, but it does make the movie more relatable. Everyone has aspects of their lives that they are unsatisfied with and wish they could go back and change, and it is refreshing to watch a movie that openly and honestly addresses this issue.