Friday, August 21, 2009

Marley & Me Book and Movie Review


Author: John Grogan
Pages: 289
Published: HarperMemoir, 2005
Genre: Nonfiction memoir
Cover: Who can resist that adorable dog?
Overall Grade: A

John and Jenny Grogan, a young couple living peacefully in Florida and working as reporters, are used to a quiet life. Well, that was before Marley came along, a huge, 100-pound yellow Labrador Retriever that would change their lives forever, happily taking the role of World's Worst Dog. He would crash through screen doors, destroy drywall, drag his owners on walks, and joyfully eat anything in his reach. But he also changed their growing family for the better, and affected them all...
My thoughts: Marley & Me was an alternating combination of sweet, hilarious, and tear-jerking. John Grogan writes with humor and honesty, plunging you into his world and making for an enthralling, can't-put-this-book-down read. I loved Marley's antics, chronicled perfectly in chatty narration that made me feel like I was experiencing all of the situations first-hand. Certain passages had me laughing out loud, and the Grogan family itself was charming. I loved seeing how Marley really affected them as a whole.
This book, although a bit of a long read, was captivating from page one. The story flowed effortlessly, and I was so sad when it was over (for more than one reason). A must-read for all dog lovers, Marley & Me brings a smile to the readers' face. A lovely story for readers 14 and older.
Must-Read! Check it out Don't Bother
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Movie Review:
Rated: PG
Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston star in this film as John and Jenny Grogan, a young couple beginning a family, and owners of the infamous Marley, 100-pound Lab/household terrorist.
I absolutely adored the book, and most of the charm and magic of the book carried over into the movie. Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston were perfect as the Grogans, I felt like the casting couldn't have been better.
But I found that the movie cut out a lot of necessary material in the book, leaving the film feeling too short and a bit incomplete. Only about half of Marley's antics and the family's adventures were shown in the movie, and some of the funniest parts never made it into the film, which was especially disappointing. I would've liked to have seen longer scenes with about a half of an hour more of Marley action. More of the film was spent focused on the growth of the family.
Overall, I recommend this movie, but some fans of the book may be disappointed, as some of the best details of the novel didn't carry over into the film. Be sure to have a box of Kleenex close by!

5 comments:

Jess (The Cozy Reader) said...

I loved the book. I cried so much!

I wasn't going to torture myself and watch the movie too but I did! I cried soooo much!

We have 2 yellow labs so it hits a little too close to home.

It'll be a great movie to watch in later years to help us remember our own doggies. :(

ANovelMenagerie said...

Congratulations... your blog has been nominated for a 2009 BBAW Award. However, I couldn't find your email address on your site. Therefore, if you could please email me your address and blog name, I'll send you a note about it.

Thanks.

Sheri
BBAW Awards Committee
anovelmenagerie@aol.com

Tales of Whimsy said...

I haven't read the book but I did enjoy the movie. Great review.

Briana said...

I watched the movie and my hoodie was seriously soaked by the time I was done watching it.

-Briana

Anonymous said...

Marley and me is a family comedy drama about John and Jennifer who have just started off with their careers and marriage and bring home a dog named Marley. .This movie is very funny movie .I download Marley and me movie from this website.