David Frankel, perhaps best known for directing The Devil Wears Prada, has another hit with new film Marley and Me.
Owen Wilson (You, Me and Depree, Wedding Crashers) takes the lead as journalist John Grogan, who decides to buy his wife Jenny, played wonderfully by Jennifer Aniston (He's Just Not That Into You, Friends) a dog in order to stave off the ticking from her biological clock - only to find out that puppies are just as much trouble as babies.
The film is based on John Grogan’s bestselling novel of the same name, and Grogan said “When I wrote it, I didn’t think of it as a dog book...I saw it as a growth-of-a-family story, with the dog being a catalyst. It’s a comedy with a poignant side to it.”
Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks
The cute yellow labrador puppy, named after Bob Marley, is less man's best friend, and more man's worst nightmare. Marley has no idea what obedience is - if it's not edible, he doesn't pay it attention - with a funny scene involving Marley at obedience school. Kathleen Turner is fantastic as the trainer who attempts to teach Marley some manners. Her character, Kornblutt, believes that dogs only misbehave because their owners are lazy, and no-one, on any number of legs, ever disagreed with her until Marley bounded into her lessons! Also look out for the real John Grogan in a cameo role as the cocker spaniel owner in the dog obedience class.
Newspapers: More Use Than Just Toilet Training Dogs
Trouble does have some rewards though, as it leads to John (Wilson) getting a column at his newspaper, which tends to focus on Marley's escapades. The column pays more than his job reporting the news, but John wonders if it is what he wants to do with his life.
Maybe this achievement is what confuses the couple, because they end up having two children in short succession. Jenny (Aniston) is driven mad by colicky babies and a mad Andrex puppy, until she quits her job as a feature writer.
Another child and a move from Florida later, and the Grogans find themselves wondering if an old dog can learn new tricks.
Alternatively funny and sad, this tells the tale of the ups and downs of family life. While not as funny as some might expect from an Owen Wilson film, the star of this film is not Wilson but the wayward pup, played by 22 different dogs. Clearly, breaking the rule ‘never work with animals or children’ can occasionally pay off.
 |
