Review of Marley & Me (2008) by Johnny T — 27 Feb 2011

Wilson has a scene near the end with Marley that's the most wrenchingly tender acting of his career. Never brilliant but always solid and often wry, Marley & Me is what it celebrates -- an amiable overachiever. Wilson, who has never made the film in which he convincingly played sincere, turns out to be a wise choice to play John Grogan. It's an enjoyable and unpretentious perspective of life that reminds us how important and rewarding the little things can be. Sweet and wise and often laugh-out-loud funny (just like Grogan's book), Marley & Me isn't just for dog people; it's just not for Cruella De Vil. Marley & Me gets so much surprisingly right. It may be designed to reach a broad audience, but it doesn't pander.

VERDICT: "Matinée" - (Mixed reaction). These kinds of movies are usually movies that had some good things, but some bad things kept it from being amazing. This rating says to pay matinée prices to see at a theater or buy an ex rental or a cheap price the DVD to own.