Review of Marley & Me (2008) by Karen T — 22 May 2012

Conventional, sappy and as broad as the day is long, but put together in a good-hearted way. Jennifer Aniston never quite finds a foothold in the slippery-vanilla screenplay, but there is plenty of decent acting nevertheless: Alan Arkin as a cranky newspaper editor; some competent and interesting child actors; even Owen Wilson as the humble protagonist.

But the last half hour, reaching for sobriety and maturity, suddenly strikes a sour, contrived note that might deflate the agreeableness that came before.