Last night I watched "Marley & Me" and I was blown away. Yes, blown away.
Several friends had said "Marley & Me" was rated B for "Boo Hoo" and they couldn't bear to watch it or were angry that they got sucked into a comedy about a cute mischievous dog that ended up pulling on their heartstrings in a NOT so gentle way. I almost didn't see the movie at all, I read some of the book but got distracted with my writing projects and never picked it up again. Influenced by my friends and newspaper reviews I almost didn't even rent it. What a mistake that would have been. This is a great movie about the human condition and I could not disagree more with my Friends who said avoid it because it will make you cry and rip your heart out especially if you are a pet owner.
Why? Why avoid a movie that rips your heart out and makes you really look out what it means to love, to be human? Did I cry like a baby? Pretty close. With my Westie Cassie sleeping on the couch beside me I watched the story of a big yellow dog and the impression he made on the life of a writer, his wife and eventually their kids. It was beautiful. I started to wonder if some of us avoid this stuff (these movies or books) for some twisted sense of self preservation? But if you are hiding out from these tear jerkers like "Old Yeller", "Beaches" and "Marley & Me", you are hiding out from life. These movies depicting the pure joy and tragedy in our lives should not be ignored, they should be consumed, they teach us how to relate to one another, how to live in the moment and cherish the bitter and the sweet. Thank God someone knows how to capture this essence of life and bring it into our lives, our homes and our hearts even if it is through the television!
If you are a visual learner of life rent "Marley & Me" this summer and enjoy the ride.
We only go once around...
Hi Jen!
ReplyDeleteI loved the movie too. And like you I almost didn't see it for the same reason. I feel the exact same way. I didn't think it was cruel. Death is a part of life and to really live is to know the value of life and appreciate all it has to offer. Simply the natural progression of life and the perfect (albeit sad) ending to life. But it is all about perspective now isn't it!
You've inspired me Jen. Now I want a blog. I bookmarking it so I can return easily. I also checked out your blog suggestionss and love them.
ReplyDeleteYou sound very happy and peaceful. Congratulations!!!
I totally agree with what you said about the movie and our avoidance of life's sadness. I think most Americans are afraid of death.
Email me when you put up another blog article. I support you all the way friend!
Love,
Betsy
I loved this movie for quite a few reasons. I love Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. It was the first time I ever saw Owen in a very natural role. I'm a dog lover so instantly I related to it. My heart was tugged throughout the movie knowing exactly how it was going to end. Since I have that amazing bond with my dog, the ending forced me to see reality that this little guy will not be with us forever. And it made me appreciate him even more. I began letting him bark a little more at the neighbors dog even though it annoys me. I don't get mad at him when he chews up my old award certificates from grade school because I left them out on the bed haha. So Yes, I totally agree with you that people avoid thinking about death and reality because they can't face the pain.
ReplyDeleteThis movie definitely warmed my heart and left me balling for an hour after but made me even closer to my dog even though I didn't think that was even possible.
Nice insight! =)
I think Jeff stole the title of your book, except his is just titled "A Dark Place: An Autobiography" by Jeff Janas.
ReplyDeleteJen~
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you just watched Marley & Me. I just watched it about 4 days ago for the first time as well! I also thought that it was going to be horrible and sad....so I did avoid renting it on Netflix. Of course now that I am laid up with the hip...I have a little more time on my hands so I finally rented it. I thought it was a very nice movie and it showed the reality of a "normal" couple and their journey through the stresses of life as they grow older together. I didn't really think of it as a "dog" movie. Marley was more of a symbolic figure in the movie...helping people to learn to to love and to lose their loved ones. It could easily have been about losing a child or a parent. It wasn't all that funny to me....I felt it more to be a dramatic comedy about life's lessons. I did bawl at the end, but it was realistic as to how life ends. I didn't LOVE it, but I would recommend it to friends. It was much better than I anticipated.