Marley and Me is one of those movies that brings laughter until your stomach hurts but also brings on the tears. The #1 New York Times best-seller book came to life as an engaging and heartfelt comedy.
John(Owen Wilson) and Jenny Grogan(Jennifer Aniston), a newly married couple, think they have life all planned out. Then, Marley arrives, a spunky and adorable Yellow Lab puppy. As Marley chews up the entire house and is kicked out of obedience school he is classified as “the world's worst dog.” John is given a column in the local newspaper and has a hard time not writing about Marley. Through it all, the Grogan's still have a large spot in their hearts filled with Marley. Marley sticks with them through the thick and thin of the struggles of marriage, parenting, and work but also through the happiness of being together as a family.
When Jenny and John lose their first baby, John doesn't know how to comfort Jenny but Marley is right there. He knew exactly what she needed during that difficult time. Their second child is a very colicky baby, but Marley stayed up the whole night and was right next to him trying to do all he could. Though Marley was difficult to live with, he was a part of the family.
This movie deserves all paws up. Through the emotional roller coaster of the movie, Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston do an outstanding job of portraying the life of newlyweds. While watching the movie, I truly felt as if I was walking in John and Jenny's shoes. Though, Marley's antics become a little too predictable toward the end, I still found myself laughing at them anyway. All of the different dogs that played Marley did an excellent job and were well trained—or untrained as it seemed. What makes the movie so captivating is that so many people are able to relate to the story. While experiencing this movie in a theater, hearing the laughter and hearing the sniffles shows that people really enjoyed it. It truly lives up to the tagline, “Heel the love.”