Marley & Me

Part of our New Years Eve festivities included a trip to the movie theatre to see "Marley & Me." Despite some of the rotten reviews that I just read about this movie, I thought it was pretty good.

The movie starts with John and Jennifer Grogan running down the street, in the snow, just after getting married. Next they decide to move away from Michigan to Florida. Once in FL they both get jobs as writers with local news papers and move into their first house. To prevent having a baby right away, John surprises Jennifer with a new puppy. Enter Marley. They go through a whole series of crazy situations with Marley that all dog owners can relate to. Everything from chewing everything that he can get his mouth on to chasing him across the field at a Marlins game.

The couple continues on with their lives and careers, eventually they add 3 children to the mix and end up moving to the suburbs of Philadelphia. By this time, Marley has become an old dog and a member of the family. One night Marley goes out and does not come back to the house. John finds him lying under a tree, and obvioulsy not doing well. Marley is taken to the vet, where they discover that his stomach has twisted. The vet is able to help Marley, and he survives this time. However, the vet warns that it will probably happen again. The rest you have to see for yourself.

I went into the movie knowing that it would probably have a sad ending, but I did not know how much of a tear jerker it would be. If you are looking for a good cry, this movie is for you. If not, you might want to skip it for now. If you have ever loved a dog, you will be able to relate to everything in this movie.

It is rated PG for thematic material, some suggestive content and language. There are two scenes that feature adult situations, and are a little uncomfortable to watch with kids. There is no nudity, but it is suggestive. I also remember hearing one bad word, and the movie is sad at the end. Other than that, I really liked it and it held the kids attention.