DVD Reviews

Marley And Me (3-disc Bad Dog Edition) – Blu-ray Review

By Jeff Swindoll Apr 6, 2009, 12:14 GMT

A New York Times bestseller, "Marley & Me" is a memoir of Philadelphia Inquirer columnist John Grogan\'s life with his yellow Labrador retriever. The heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family in the making and the wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life. ...more

George Carlin called pets “tiny tragedies” because you know that you’ll outlive them. Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston star in this tearjerker about the world’s worst dog and the family that loves him. I also loved that Fox is taking the idea from another studio and including a bonus I like with this family film on Blu-ray.

John (Owen Wilson) and Jenny (Jennifer Aniston) Grogan move from chilly Michigan to the vacation spot of Florida when Jenny gets a job writing for a paper there. John interviews with the gruff editor Arnie Klein (Alan Arkin) at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

He gets the job and has high hopes but ends up doing menial stories for the paper while Jenny gets all the scoops at the Palm Beach Post. The two are happily married though and Jenny starts planning for a family. This spooks John and he consults with his hotshot, horn dog writer friend Sebastian Tunney (Eric Dane) who says that he should get her a pet to take her mind off her biological clock.

This leads John to get Labrador puppy Marley. They should’ve known that something was up when the breeder gave them a bargain price. Marley turns out to be a menace, but one that the family falls in love with.

Marley and Me was based on the book by John Grogan and I guess we could say that it’s a true story, though we don’t get the usual “based on a true story” placard on the front of the film.

Sometimes I wondered who the main character of the story was since sometimes Marley is pushed aside by the “me” (aka Grogan). The previews made the film look like a funny flick about a devilish dog and I was a bit put off by all the human tragedy that we get to witness in the Grogan family.

There are some very funny moments. There’s a bit with dog trainer Mrs. Kornblut (Kathleen Turner) that had me rolling (“It’s like a virus, once he starts they all start!” – you’ll understand once you’ve seen the movie).

It’s not that the film is a bad one it’s just that if you’re expecting a funny dog movie for the kids you might actually have to explain some life occurrences to them. For example, the couple’s first pregnancy isn’t a successful one and we had to have a short discussion of what happens when a baby fails to grow.

I guess I’m more a bit old school when it comes to these types of films in wanting more the entertainment value more than the real life. I do think it, in keeping with the tiny tragedy aspect, will teach the kids about loss of a beloved pet and how to deal with it and how the pet can touch your life. I’m just letting you know that there’s some life tragedy (post partum depression, marriage problems, a little sex) mixed in their with the funny dog antics.

The acting is top notch though and I really thought that Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston did quite well. We get some nice turns from Alan Arkin and Kathleen Turner as well. If you’re a fan of Grey’s Anatomy then you’ll get a small dose of McSeamy, but his character is a bit of an insincere wolf (don’t watch the show and maybe his character is like that) and not at all like the family man that Wilson plays.

It’s a really good film for dog lovers, fans of the novel, and families but you may want to be ready to answer some kid’s questions about some of the themes.

Marley & Me is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (2.35:1). Special features are all in high definition. They start off with 26 minutes of deleted scenes with an optional commentary by director David Frankel.

The 7 minute “Finding Marley” talks about casting the pooch (played by several dogs at differing ages). The 8 minute “Breaking the Golden Rule” is about working with kids and animals. The 2 minute “On Set with Marley: Dog of All Trades” is more dog footage. The 5 minute “Animal Adoption” encourages you to go to a shelter if you need a pet. Next is a 5 minute gag reel.

The 2 minute “When Not to Pee” is about an happy, funny “accident” by one of the dogs, but then they tried to recreate it for the master shot but had some difficulty. There’s also a “Dog Training Trivia Track” that can pop up during the film (if you have a player with Profile 1.1). Disc two is a DVD containing the widescreen version of the film along with the deleted scenes, gag reel, and theatrical trailer (the Blu-ray was lacking the trailer, hmmmmm).

I really like this feature and am glad that Fox is taking “inspiration” (cough, cough) from Disney in doing this. I’m sure it’s just so the kids can watch it on the road in your minivan’s DVD player. Disc three is a digital copy for use in your PC or portable device.

Marley & Me is a fine family film. It does have some scenes that might cause questions with some kids, but all will have to go for the tissue box by the end of the film. I thought it was an excellent film and I know my family had a great time viewing it, no matter the sad parts.