oh dear i hope nothing bad happens to marley

ohhh boy. Yeah, if you have or ever had a dog, you have no right not to be crying by the end of this. I don't credit the filmmakers much, because it's impossible for this kind of formula not to work, but it really is the perfect holiday film, especially for dog owners. Wilson and Aniston both show some unusual depth (at times), but that's far from the highlight here. Some of the side stories were kinda lame and they could have cut out quite a bit from the mid-section of the movie. Still, there's really no way that anybody with a heart for dogs will find a way not to love this. My heart says "A", my head says "C", so...

B

The parellels to the experience I've had with my dog (especially in the latter parts of the film) were easily the best aspects of the movie.

Marley and Me based of the very heartwarming and endearing best seller, is very true to the soul of the book; family. This isn't your typical Christmastime dog movie, its so much more. Where Marley really shines is in the portrait of a family with a dog. How through all the ups and down, in and outs, that one animal is connected to every being in your household the most, like your all special. It's a dog owners movie, or any pets for that manner, but its also for families and couples. It's incredibly endearing and moving. Marley is a hot mess of a dog, and thats why he caputres our hearts. Owen Wilson after his rocky year really touches the audience with his true and soulful performance. He shines so much, especially at the end. Jennifer Aniston is fantastic, giving her best performance since the Good Girl, also giving the second for most but first for me, most heart wrenching scene in the movie. The movie may seem contrived especially the ending, to just tug on the hearts and tears of movie goers but its a true story so you can't knock it for that. Loved it. A

Agree. Except I went fully with my heart. A!

Meh. This is a feature length sitcom, complete with commercial break-like fadeouts too often. The story...what story? Who cares about a bland couple starting a family who just happens to have a dog that seems more annoying than it is worth. Nothing worth caring about happens to them. The film also resembles a sitcom because of the horrid cinematography and lazy screenplay by the usually reliable Scott Frank. It's only the manipulative garbage of an ending that people are liking it.

Grade - D

Keep this thread about the movie. Take discussions about Cats vs Dogs to the WC.

So Joe, would you have preferred Owen Wilson donn the hockey mask and hack the dog to fucking pieces and made it R-Rated or what??

I don't think he was joking.

Good for you

bkb is finally right about something. If that happened joe would have given it an A+. Because those kind of movies have great cinematography and screenplays.

If you'd actually seen it, you'd know that Marley had terrible TV movie-like cinematography and a lazy screenplay.

Joe would have given it an A if Lionsgate had produced the movie.

Yeah so I loved it! I read/adored the book and I thought it was excellently adapted. This isn't the best movie of the year, but I can safely say it is the only one that has actually made me cry. I think it might just be because I relate because my dog is having health problems and I know that she realistically doesn't have that much longer, but honestly, anyone who owns or has ever owned a dog (or, frankly, any beloved pet) will be able to relate. Pets just become such a part of your family and your life, and this movie really depicted how Marley was like that for the Grogans. Director David Frankel (of The Devil Wears Prada) and screenwriters Scott Frank and Don Roos avoid making the movie an overly cutesy Beethoven clone, instead portraying a more rewarding adult perspective. Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston believably convey a loving married couple experiencing the challenges of starting a family. Aniston in particular gives a lovely performance, illuminating the difficult transition from careerdom to motherhood. Marley & Me isn't pretentious or particularly highbrow. It's low-key but undeniably well-made and enjoyable. A-

They wouldn't so that's a moot point.

The tv critic on at the movies, Mankiewicz, who seems like a bigger pompous ass than Roeper ever was, said that he actually hugged a stranger at the end. Think he had a dog attachment as he didn't talk as highly about the human parts as the dog ending.

Hope it was a woman who was emotional.

This film is filled with so many inconsistencies for a supposed based on a true story film. To cite just one from a review:

I thought it was wonderful. I was pleasantly surprised to find that, despite the advertising that suggests a cute and innocuous dog comedy, this is actually a realistic and often effective depiction of the ups-and-downs of marriage. Marley is important, but I was actually expecting more of a focus on him - he really just sheds light on the development of the relationship between John (Wilson) and Jenny (Aniston). This film really works because of the strength of the two leads. It's a shame that these performances are in such a mainstream holiday film, because both of them are really great here and deliver some of the strongest turns of their career thus far - truly soulful, honest performances. Owen Wilson takes on what is probably his most mature role to date and is very charming and capable in the lead - but also tackles the emotional third act of the film head-on and does a great job with those scenes as well. Jennifer Aniston delivers her best performance since The Good Girl here and is lovable and relatable in her role - the scene involving her miscarriage was incredibly powerful and, in my opinion, the most tearjerking moment of the entire film. By the final act, I was completely drawn in and intrigued by the lives of these characters, which made the much talked-about ending even more touching. There were a few issues I had with the script, mainly that some elements of the first act seemed underdeveloped (such as the next-door-neighbor character played by Haley Bennett, whose final scene came out of nowhere and could have been handled a lot better), but they weren't too bothersome.The film has a wonderful message and really offers something for everyone. It's hands-down the best family film of the year, and I'm delighted that it did so well over this holiday frame. It deserves all the success it can get. A-

That's...true? They did move into a sprawling country home in real life.

just like the Hills have eyes, and texas chainsaw massacre are all based on true stories too joe

Except The Hills Have Eyes isn't based on a true story...it came from the mind of Wes Craven. And TCM is only loosely based on a true story (Ed Gein). It's not close to the same as Marley.

How do you know except what Grogan told you and easily could have embellished in the book? Like the above review said, journalists don't make nearly enough money to afford that.

Yes because you're a journalist and know how much money they make.