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Enjoy EVERY moment in your wedding gown. You can't stay in it forever...SO UNFAIR!!!!

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Saturday Night DVD - Marley & Me

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I was pretty excited when I checked my mailbox this afternoon. We had a Netflix movie! I was stoked because lately there is nothing to watch on Saturday nights, and our luck with Netflix makes it where we almost always end up getting our movie on Mondays.





I didn't know what we had though, because my husband pretty much keeps track of our Netflix account. I just tell him what I want and my son tells him what he wants. We all take turns picking. This pick was my husband's pick, and it was Marley & Me.

Now I know a lot of people have seen Marley & Me and/or have read the book. I have not. Honestly, I have been avoiding it. Why? Because I can see a tear-jerking pet movie coming a mile away, and to be honest I can't handle them. I get so totally emotionally wound up when I see a movie where a pet is a main character. Heck, if animals are the main characters I am a wreck. I never read one review, I never read the book, and honestly when friends told me they were going to see it or did see it, I asked them to tell me nothing. Unfortunately you cannot avoid a movie when the love of your life brings it home, or in this case, orders it off of Netflix. Bless my husband's heart. He loves a good romantic comedy or chickish flick. ;)

So now that I HAD to watch it. I figured I might as well give my review.

As most everyone knows, Marley & Me is about a family and their relationship with the most horribly behaved dog on the planet. Marley is loveable and sweet, but Marley is also a chewing machine, bottomless pit, and not remotely well disciplined. Marley impacts his owners, in particular John Grogan.

What I liked: The actors did a great job. It was nice seeing Owen Wilson not play someone who is strung-out stupid. The characters had believable issues and worked through them and supported each other. And of course I love dogs. :) There were a lot of totally sweet and funny moments in the movie involving the family and of course Marley.

What I disliked: I honestly was not in the mood for a good cry. I knew it was going to happen. I wont go into the whys in case there is one person out there who reads this, but that is the negative for me. I did expect this though. So it isn't like I didn't see it coming. Again, I watched this because my husband wanted to. He sits through enough horror movies with me. :) Marriage is a give and take. It isn't like I didn't enjoy the movie. I did. I just didn't want to cry.

What I learned: I like if I can learn something from a film. Many times it is pure entertainment but occasionally there is a good truth. This is what I got from it. Appreciate the loved ones around you. Make sacrifices for their joy. Also, do not assume that the life someone else has is better than the life you have been blessed with.

If you haven't seen it, I would suggest it. If you have small children...you may want to watch it yourself and not make a family night out of it until you do (my husband and I do this with certain movies in case something comes up that we think may need to be discussed or clarified with my son). Check out the reviews on Amazon. There are some people who were not too pleased at the emotion of it all.

5 comments:

ANovelMenagerie said...

I read the book... I cried. I saw it in the theatre... I cried. I watched it with the twins on TV during their sleepover... we all cried. It's a great story. Love is limitless and has no boundaries. You can love your animal companion as much as you love another human. Their lives are too short for us humans. I love this story, this book, this movie.

Sheri

Sheila DeChantal said...

I did see it and cried! I dont know know why I didnt see it coming but I didnt. I went to the theater and about half way through it hit me... and then it was all I could think about. i tried to prep myself for it (its only a movie its only a movie...) but - if I remember correctly it is actually based on true events.

I did enjoy it... hard as it was.

Bingo said...

Oh, you are so right on with this. As a middle school teacher, we read the book and then watched the movie and there wasn't a dry eye in my class all THREE times I sat through it with my students....and then at home with my hubby. You are so right when you said "Appreciate the loved ones around you"! I lost my cousin to cancer this past Friday and it is so true! Take nothing for granted. BTW, I loved the book, and the movie hit home as well as our beloved basset went exactly like Marley 11 years ago today! Loved your review!

Alyce said...

My husband and I almost took the boys to see this in the theater on Christmas. Thankfully he read some reviews first and we figured out it wouldn't be something our boys were ready for.

I'm with you on the animal movies. I avoid them at all cost (it was really unusual for us to consider going to an animal film - but they had marketed Marley & Me as a family comedy in the commercials). Anyway, I'm glad we didn't go - especially on Christmas day.

Oh, and I have read the book, and I loved it. Animal books don't bother me so much.

bermudaonion said...

I want to read the book before I see the movie. I've had the book for a while, but haven't made time to read it yet.