There have been numerous family films starring a dog. Most of them are Disney films, and dogs named Beethoven and Air Bud spring to mind immediately. All of those films were mainly feel-good wacky comedies. Based on the trailer, the newest non-Disney family film starring a dog, Marley & Me, seems like another entry into the kid-friendly dog comedy. Of course, if you had read the book of the same name, you know that is not entirely true.
Based on the true story and book, the film Marley & Me stars Owen Wilson as John Grogan, a reporter in Florida trying to start his career and new marriage to Jennifer (Jennifer Aniston). As they settle into the new house and new life, John is advised by his consummate bachelor pal, Sebastian (Eric Dane), to distract her from wanting children by bringing a dog into the mix. Now, they have the worst, most misbehaved, most overly energetic dog in the world, Marley. Will Marley ever learn how to behave?
Marley & Me is a strange film. There is no real plot; it’s mainly all about Marley and how this dog affects his owners. This film is a somewhat uneven mix of comedy and drama. Fortunately, the comedy doesn’t resort too low like other dog comedies and does end up resulting in quite a few solid laughs. But if you know the ending going into this film, and most everyone does, it’s hard not to think of what lies ahead. In between, there are the somewhat contrived dramatic marriage sequences between Aniston and Wilson. The drama doesn’t feel completely forced, but at the same time it’s not as natural as it could have been. But that’s mainly due to the fact that this film lasts 15-20 minutes too long.
The acting is good enough for this film. Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston do have chemistry together, but you have to give more credit to the 22 dogs who played Marley in this film. They carry this film, without a doubt. But you can’t blame any of the actors as they really aren’t given the best material to work with. That doesn’t mean that this film doesn’t have heart. Even if you know the ending of this film, it will completely surprise you how emotional it is. Despite the fact that this film may drag on a little too long, there is still no denying that the ending is nonetheless extremely effective.
Marley & Me is unlike any other dog film out there. It’s a mixture of comedy and drama that doesn’t do either one really well, but at the same time, doesn’t do either one that awful. What this film does do right, though, is celebrate owning a pet. In fact, Marley & Me is just like owning a pet. They both can be funny, entertaining, heart-warming, and emotional at the same time. But in the end, this is strictly an average film about owning a dog.
The video included is available in widescreen color presented at 2:35 aspect ratio, which is enhanced for 16:9 TVs. The quality is about average with grain kept to a minimum. The colors seem true to the story being told on the screen as well. So no major problems here.
The audio included is available in either English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound, or French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound. There are subtitles available in English, Spanish, and French as well. The dialogue and music come out loud and clear, so no major problems here either. But like the video quality, the audio quality is pretty average.
Deleted Scenes –
There is 26 minutes worth of scenes that didn’t make the final cut of the final with some of them being just extended scenes that are in the film. There is an option to hear why the director cut these films as well. Nothing really must see, though.
“Finding Marley” Featurette –
This runs 8 minutes and it’s all about the dogs used in this film and their trainers. Somewhat interesting.
“Breaking the Golden Rule” Featurette –
This runs 8 minutes and it’s a more general behind-the-scenes promo piece. Included also are interviews with the stars of the film and the real-life John & Jenny. Typical fluff piece.
“On Set with Marley: A Dog of All Trades” Featurette –
This runs 2 and a half minutes and it’s an attempt to do a profile on Marley. It tries hard to be funny, but it’s not really.
Gag Reel –
This is 5 and a half minutes worth of blown lines, bloopers, and behind-the-scenes goofing around. Again, this is really not that funny either.
“When Not To Pee” Featurette –
This is a 2 minute extended outtake that is narrated and explained by director, David Frankel. Fairly interesting.
“Animal Adoption” Featurette –
This runs 5 minutes and it promotes the virtues of adopting pets from animal rescue.
“Purina Dog Chow Marley & Me Video Contest Finalists” Featurette –
This is a 6 minute commercial for a contest sponsored by Purina Dog Chow. There are clips of various home videos of cute dogs doing tricks.
“Purina Dog Chow Video Hall of Fame” Featurette –
This is 2 minutes of more of the same above.
The ending of Marley & Me is strong, but getting there can be a little tiring. This is really just an average film, but pet owners everywhere will likely be touched by this film. So it’s worth a rental, but as far as a purchase goes, it’s not a total recommendation unless you are a super fan of the book.
20th Century FOX Home Entertainment presents Marley & Me. Directed by David Frankel. Written by Scott Frank and Don Roos (screenplay); John Grogan (novel). Starring Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Alan Arkin, Eric Dane, and Kathleen Turner. Running time: 115 minutes. Rated PG. Released on DVD: March 31, 2009. Available at Amazon.com
