SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: MARLEY & ME

"MARLEY & ME"
(2008) (Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston) (PG)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Moderate	Mild	Moderate	Heavy	None

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Mild	None	None	None	Mild

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Heavy	None	Heavy	Heavy	Mild

QUICK TAKE:: Dramedy: A young married couple adopts a puppy that grows up into an uncontrollable dog and both adds to and complicates their lives as they go through career changes and the addition of kids into their family.

PLOT:

John (OWEN WILSON) and Jenny Grogan (JENNIFER ANISTON) are newly married, and their first move is literal, to sunny West Palm Beach, Florida. There, they end up as journalists at rival papers, but aren't competitive in such regards. She's a feature writer and he's a reporter, like his friend and coworker, Sebastian Tunney (ERIC DANE), although their editor, Arnie Klein (ALAN ARKIN), doesn't give John juicy or interesting assignments.

He's particularly put out when Arnie asks him to temporarily fill a columnist position, but John actually gets quite good in that role. And much of that stems from writing about the yellow Labrador retriever that he and Jenny adopt as a puppy rather than have kids, at least at first. Marley ends up growing into quite the rambunctious and destructive dog, although his owners take that in stride.

As the years pass and the children start coming along, however, Marley's behavior ends up putting an additional strain on John and Jenny's marriage, particularly when she ends up suffering from a combination of postpartum depression, lack of sleep, and crying kids. But despite the tension and Marley not changing his ways, his advancing years soon put the growing family's issues and career desires in perspective.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: The ads (making the film appear to be a kid-friendly comedy about a rambunctious dog) will draw that crowd, while fans of the book and/or anyone in the cast might also be interested.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG: For thematic material, some suggestive content and language.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: OWEN WILSON plays a reporter who ends up writing a newspaper column about his life, including that of his mischievous dog. Not particularly happy wherever he happens to be in his professional life (especially seeing Sebastian's success), he enjoys having Marley as a pet, but must contend with some rocky times with Jenny. He drinks some.
JENNIFER ANISTON plays his wife who segues from newspaper feature writer to stay-at-home mom where she suffers from postpartum depression that's intensified by Marley's behavior.
ERIC DANE plays John's friend and coworker who advances in his reporting career covering various meaty subjects, but never settles down with one woman, and instead seemingly enjoys playing the field. He uses some profanity and drinks some.
ALAN ARKIN plays John's boss who encourages him to become a regular columnist rather than a reporter, all while giving him advice about marriage, kids and fatherhood. He uses some profanity.; JENNIFER ANISTON plays his wife who segues from newspaper feature writer to stay-at-home mom where she suffers from postpartum depression that's intensified by Marley's behavior.
ERIC DANE plays John's friend and coworker who advances in his reporting career covering various meaty subjects, but never settles down with one woman, and instead seemingly enjoys playing the field. He uses some profanity and drinks some.
ALAN ARKIN plays John's boss who encourages him to become a regular columnist rather than a reporter, all while giving him advice about marriage, kids and fatherhood. He uses some profanity.; ERIC DANE plays John's friend and coworker who advances in his reporting career covering various meaty subjects, but never settles down with one woman, and instead seemingly enjoys playing the field. He uses some profanity and drinks some.
ALAN ARKIN plays John's boss who encourages him to become a regular columnist rather than a reporter, all while giving him advice about marriage, kids and fatherhood. He uses some profanity.; ALAN ARKIN plays John's boss who encourages him to become a regular columnist rather than a reporter, all while giving him advice about marriage, kids and fatherhood. He uses some profanity.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

Here's a quick look at the content found in this PG rated dramedy. Profanity consists of at least 2 "s" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered, while non-explicit, but sexually related dialogue is also present. Several scenes feature a married couple in sexual situations (a squeaking bed, stripping and jumping into a pool to have sex there, etc.), while women are seen in bikinis, and a male dog is seen humping people.

That dog destroys all sorts of things in a standard bad dog fashion, while a minor character is stabbed off screen. A somewhat lengthy sequence involves an old dog being put to sleep (that might not sit well with kids, or adults for that matter, for a variety of reasons), and that and other thematic elements (including a dead fetus in the womb sequence) are also present.

There's some drinking and a few drug references, crude humor occurs in several scenes, bad attitudes are present (including among a married couple due to the stress of domestic life, some stemming from postpartum depression, thus leading to some heavy tense family material), and there's some potentially imitative behavior.

Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, several scenes feature thunderstorms, so there's a little bit of flashes of light from that.

For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there's some camera movement from time to time in the film.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: John and Jenny drink champagne from the bottle while seated (clothed) on the edge of a bathtub.
About not anticipating where he is now, John tells Arnie that 10 years ago he was doing bong hits and playing Donkey Kong.
Sebastian states he's off to Columbia to write a story following one coca leaf from there to the streets of Miami.
John and Sebastian have beer.
In a montage of his experiences, John mentions having mimosas and we see him and others with them, while another quick shot shows looters carrying beer out of a store.
Sebastian says he's off to write a story on the growth of the domestic drug trade.
We see wine in glasses in front of John and Jenny, despite her being pregnant.
Sebastian asks John if he wants a beer. John says no, but Sebastian has one, while we also see bottles of wine in his place.
We see a smattering of empty beer bottles following a birthday party.

BLOOD/GORE: A man tells John that any peeing or pooping on a dog beach will have the authorities shutting them down.
We see dog vomit on the floor and it appears that Marley tries to eat it.
In a montage of his experiences, John mentions cutting his leg on sea coral, and we see a quick view of his leg with a streak of blood down it.
About Jenny being pregnant, Arnie says that she'll be throwing up all of the time.
After Marley swallows Jenny's new necklace, we see John using a garden hose on dog excrement on the lawn to water it down to look for the jewelry (that he then finds, and that she later wears).
We see a dog sitter scooping Marley's poop.
Marley pees on the floor.
We see Marley peeing outside.
We may see a little blood as the teenage or young twenty-something woman living next door holds her hand on her side where she was stabbed during a robbery (not seen).
After John unleashes Marley at a dog beach, everyone reacts in shock and disgust seeing the dog squatting in the shallow surf to defecate (we don't see the resultant product).
The kids react to an inaudible fart from Marley.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: Sebastian tells John to get a dog to appease Jenny's mother instincts (so that she has something to take care of rather than a baby). Some may view that as a bad attitude.
In a montage, we see briefly see looters carrying beer out of a store.
We see wine in glasses in front of John and Jenny, despite her being pregnant.
Suffering from a combination of postpartum depression, lack of sleep, crying kids, and her choice to be a stay-at-home mom, Jenny becomes increasingly bitter toward John, and this occurs in several scenes. In one, that's exacerbated by Marley disrupting Jenny's rare nap as well as causing more damage.
John tells Sebastian he's not leaving Jenny (despite her now being bitter), with Sebastian asking what if Jenny fails to perform her "wifely duties."
At the hospital following the birth of the third Grogan child, one of the boys states that his dad said the girl's name was "whoops" (meaning she wasn't planned).
Looking at a photo of Jenny who he hasn't seen in a while, Sebastian states that she's holding up well.

FRIGHTENING SCENES: There's a scream from next door at night, and John and Marley rush out to find the teenage or young twenty-something woman living next door holding her side, from having been stabbed by an attacker (not seen). John then comforts her.
We see that Marley is getting older and having a hard time walking up the steps.
The kids worry when their parents can't find old Marley outside at night in the rain, with the oldest boy saying he's heard old dogs go off to die. However, John finds the dog lying on his side in the rain, and the vet later states the dog has a twisted stomach, and might not make it through the night (but he does). *SPOILER ALERT: Marley gets sick, the kids appear worried and say their teary good-byes, as does Jenny. John then takes him to the vet where he decides the dog is too old and weak to go through surgery and thus decides to put him down. John then says his teary good-bye to the dog, and we see the vet administer the euthanasia agent, with Marley's eyes then slowly closing and the vet confirming the death via her stethoscope. Later, we see the family having a funeral for the dog (we see the hole in the ground and the blanket covered body in it), with more teary good-byes.

GUNS/WEAPONS: None.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "Bullsh*t," "Did you pull the goalie?" (stop using contraception), "Freaking," "Oh damn," "Whatever the hell it was you were doing," "Down boy, easy with the enthusiasm," "Poor son of a bitch," "Shut up," "He's losing his balls, cut him some slack," "I'm laughing my ass off," "Sooner or later, we all lose our balls," "You bastard," "Ass-kicking," "Freak out," "You're such a jerk," "Daddy said her name was 'whoops,'" "Piss and moan," "Beat the hell out of us," "God no," "Dude," "That was not cool," "You surprised the hell out of me," "Crappiest," "Nuts" (crazy) and "That sorry son of a bitch."
John and Jenny's teenage or young twenty-something neighbor has dyed blue streaks in her hair.
While Jenny drives, Marley partially gets out the open window while John is holding him, resulting in the dog's front feet moving along the street while John holds onto the back end that's alongside the door.
Sebastian has a tattoo.
We see a small tattoo on John's shoulder.
We see a miscellaneous guy with tattoos.

JUMP SCENES: None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): None.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): None.

PROFANITY: At least 2 "s" words, 1 slang term for breasts ("boobs"), 6 craps, 3 hells, 2 asses, 2 S.O.B.s, 1 damn, 6 uses of "Oh my God," 5 of "God," 4 of "Oh God" and 1 use each of "For God's sakes," "My God" and "Oh Lord."

SEX/NUDITY: Jenny shows cleavage in her wedding dress.
John and Jenny do some passionate kissing on their wedding night (clothed), but the scene ends before anything is seen.
We see the slight shape of Jenny's nipples under her top, and when she hears that John got a job, she jumps up and wraps her legs around him in her skirt (nothing explicit is seen).
Some women in bikinis pass by John and Sebastian, with two (dressed the same way, showing cleavage) stop by to see John's cute dog.
Marley runs through and out of the house with some of Jenny's lacey lingerie in his mouth.
As Jenny kisses John, he states that it's encouragement for something, but not writing his column (but they're interrupted before anything else happens).
Marley knocks down a female dog trainer and then rapidly humps her leg, causing that trainer to state that leg humping is like a virus and that it's bad once it starts in a group (of dogs). As a result, Jenny convinces John it's time to have Marley neutered. On the drive there, John tells the dog that sex is overrated, but then says he can't tell him that, adding that it's a lie. Following an incident, John tells some people to cut the dog some slack as he's "losing his balls." About that, Arnie later tells John, "Sooner or later, we all lose our balls."
We see miscellaneous cleavage.
We see Sebastian shirtless on or near the beach several times, as well as miscellaneous women in varying styles of bikinis.
John tells Jenny, "We take it off and get it on," and we then see them passionately kissing on a bed (clothed, with later sex implied).
Arnie and John comment about an unseen woman who had her "boobs" done four times.
About whether John and Jenny are trying to have kids, Arnie asks if they're having sex, and "Did you pull the goalie?" (stop using contraception). John answers yes to both questions, with Arnie replying that means they are trying.
Jenny calls John and playfully tells him that there's a naked woman in his bed (referring to herself, although she isn't nude at the time), with him replying, "Why don't the two of you get started?"
Jenny shows some cleavage and informs John that she's pregnant.
We see Jenny's bare belly during an ultrasound.
Before an ultrasound, John asks the medical woman if she can tell the sex of their child in utero, and then makes a comment about unambiguous genitalia.
We see the shape (but no details) of a young female dog sitter's body behind a shower curtain, followed by a view of that shower curtain wrapped around her when Marley jumps in the shower, and then of that young woman wrapped in just a towel while chasing Marley. Marley then pulls that towel off her, but does so off camera and thus we don't see anything more.
About being in an Irish bed and breakfast where the room is filled with religious figures, Jenny states she knows they haven't had sex in a while, but adds that they're not breaking that streak tonight. That's followed by a comment about over-sexed souls in Hell, and then him crawling into the single bed with her. She comments on the fact that nothing has happened in that room in 50 years "kind of turning me on." They then kiss and have sex, and while nothing is seen, we hear the rhythmic squeaking of the old bed during the act.
A dog sitter comments on Marley humping her leg.
Jenny announces she's pregnant again.
Jenny shows cleavage.
A miscellaneous couple makes out, lying side-by-side, on a beach.
Jenny is pregnant again.
John tells Sebastian he's not leaving Jenny (despite her now being bitter), with Sebastian asking what if Jenny fails to perform her "wifely duties."
At the hospital following the birth of the third Grogan child, one of the boys states that his dad said the girl's name was "whoops" (meaning she wasn't planned).
We see John shirtless in a pool.
We see miscellaneous women in bikinis.
After his birthday party, Jenny suggestively asks if he's ready for his birthday present (she asks that again after the following). After a little talk, she then gets up and removes her clothing (we see her bare back and a very brief and fleeting glimpse of a tiny part of the side of her bare breast), and does a cannonball into the pool (nothing explicit is seen). He then removes his clothes and jumps in (no nudity) and the two start kissing in the pool, but Marley interrupts them, although pool sex is implied.

SMOKING: None.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: During an ultrasound check, Jenny and John are given the bad news that there's no heartbeat for her nearly 10-week-old fetus. Both are shell-shocked by that development, and she cries over that.
An older woman in an Irish bed and breakfast comments on her brother dying in one of the rooms (sometime in the past).
Suffering from a combination of postpartum depression, lack of sleep, crying kids, and her choice to be a stay-at-home mom, Jenny becomes increasingly bitter toward John, and this occurs in several scenes. In one, that's exacerbated by Marley disrupting Jenny's rare nap as well as causing more damage. *SPOILER ALERT: Marley gets sick, the kids appear worried and say their teary good-byes, as does Jenny. John then takes him to the vet where he decides the dog is too old and weak to go through surgery and thus decides to put him down. John then says his teary good-bye to the dog, and we see the vet administer the euthanasia agent, with Marley's eyes then slowly closing and the vet confirming the death via her stethoscope. Later, we see the family having a funeral for the dog (we see the hole in the ground and the blanket covered body in it), with more teary good-byes.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: Owning a pet.
During an ultrasound check, Jenny and John are given the bad news that there's no heartbeat for her nearly 10-week-old fetus. Both are shell-shocked by that development, and she cries over that.
Suffering from a combination of postpartum depression, lack of sleep, crying kids, and her choice to be a stay-at-home mom, Jenny becomes increasingly bitter toward John, and this occurs in several scenes.
Jenny sensing that John is not happy wherever they are and in whatever job position he holds.
Euthanasia for old and sick pets.

VIOLENCE: Various scenes feature Marley tearing up, destroying things, or causing other damage, but none of it's done with malicious intent (he's just being a rambunctious dog).
There's a scream from next door at night, and John and Marley rush out to find the teenage or young twenty-something woman living next door holding her side, from having been stabbed by an attacker (not seen). John then comforts her.

Reviewed December 11, 2008 / Posted December 25, 2008

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