Hafeez: But it wasn't on a weekend, so it didn't really count!
...Anyway, here it is, the most underrated movie of the year (at least, in my list of movies) : Marley and Me.
Straight off the bat, the poster screamed both 'Chick Flick' and 'Another Phail Movie About A Dog Who Can Do Something He Couldn't Possibly Be Doing As A Dog'. I've had my fair share and believe me, I did NOT want to put myself through that torture again.
However, ever since I officially became a member of the BGR Club, I figured, "Hey, maybe this experience might turn out differently if you watch it with that one special person you love." And - and I kid you not - I actually gave this movie a shot. So there.
I must say, this dramedy about, and I quote, 'Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog', is pretty endearing. You've got Owen Wilson as the eponymous author of the book of which this movie was based upon, John Grogan; while Jennifer Aniston plays his wife Jenny. While there is no obvious lack of talent in this movie, I was pretty skeptical about how both of them could pull this off as a couple, but pull it off they did. They come across as two very realistic but still very much loving individuals who decide that, yeah, this marriage probably wouldn't be complete if they didn't buy themselves a dog.
Enter Marley, the film's true star. And honestly, I don't think I've ever seen a dog that's as much of a loose cannon and undisciplined as Marley is. I gotta give the animal handlers props for that. I can't remember much of the movie now, but what I do remember is how much of a chemistry there was between Marley and the Grogans that still endures throughout the different stages of their lives.
I'm man enough to admit when I was wrong, and I definitely was wrong in my opinion of this film. Heart-warming in its delivery of a relationship between man and man's best friend, it's definitely a must-watch on those feel-good days. And for added theater experience, have that special someone sit beside you while you're both watching it. =)
