Marley & Me

“A Dog doesn’t care if you give him diamonds or gold. He just needs a wet stick. A Dog doesn’t care if you are rich or poor or live a huge house. Give him your heart and he will him yours back. How many people can you say that about? How many people really make you feel extraordinary”?

I loved the last line of the movie and if you are dog lovers then you would too. Not because its feel good and deep and etc. etc. But because only a dog lover would understand that the statement is 120% true!!!!

John Grogan (Owen Wilson) is an up and coming journalist who has always wanted to be a reporter. Jenny Grogan (Jennifer Aniston) on the other hand writes for the Palm Beach Post but gets much more importance than John. Nope this is not leading towards a friction between husband and wife. Both are very much in love and do not really consider the other as competition. Ideal nah? Sad that life unfortunately is not the same way.

Sebastian (Eric Dane) is John’s more prominent reporter colleague who writes front page news unlike John. Now Jenny wants to go the family way and John is lets say, not quite ready for it. Over a conversation Sebastian suggests that John should get a dog since they are the best way to prepare for a baby (I second that opinion) And therefore for Jenny’s birthday, John decides to surprise her with a puppy. Now, I am a huge dog lover (for those who know me) and seriously found the scene with 6-7 golden lab puppies irresistible to say the least.

And they name him Marley after the Bob variety.

However, what they were not prepared for is the fact that Marley is one hyper active li’l beast whose only passion in life is to completely wreak havoc with the house. Now I say that’s one normal dog . But, not only does Marley bring in happiness at home but also luck. John is able to crack a deal with Arnie Klien (Alan Arkin) for writing 2 columns a week to discuss everyday life in general. Marley becomes his inspiration for the column.

What follows is the life of an everyday family who tries to cope with the nuances of having a growing dog at home. The movie shows very common place situations that every dog owner would be familiar with. The irritation at the constant demand for attention, the disgust at the poop and pee in all the wrong or the right places, the trauma of cleaning up a house that has been ripped to shreds when u were away. The usual stuff. But all that is replaced with the unconditional love that one receives when s/he is back from a tiring day at work.

One failed pregnancy and a trip to Ireland later, John and Jenny are finally blessed with a baby boy Patrick. He is followed by another boy Connor and then a daughter Colleen. As the pressures of the family get to the couple, Jenny in a moment of weakness asks Marley to be sent away. Reluctantly John agrees to the idea and leaves Marley with Sebastian. However, like most people, they quickly realize that a dog is an integral part of a family and not just a pet.

Probably for the first time, a movie handles the bringing up of a dog and the effects it has on an normal family. The transition from being perceived as an incorrigible brat to an inseperable part of the family. The panic that sets in when he decides to run away. The pain that one goes through when he falls ill. The immense vacuum that is left in your life when he passes away :’)

The movie is well directed by David Frankel (Devi Wears Prada, 6 episodes of SATC). Imagine having to use 22 dogs in the same movie to play one part. Would have been one really difficult experience. But he comes out trumps.

This is the first time I have seen Owen Wilson playing a serious kind of role and not something dreadfully slapstick. I think he does a really good job. Jen Aniston is as always successful in playing the kind of woman, every man would like to get married to. I think she is getting to be an expert in the same after Bruce Almighty, He’s just not that into you, Love Happens and many others over the past decade. Alan Arkin as always is superb in his execution of Arnie Klien.

Marley and Me is a wonderful movie to catch with your family on a Sunday afternoon. Just like I did. It also gives you reason to change your mind about not getting a dog – if u were undecided till date. Trust me, it would be the best decision you take. And while you are at it, adopt a stray. Score for the movie – 5 on 10….. actually 6 on 10. Marley independently deserves to take the movie a notch higher.