Barney and Me

I just recently saw Owen Wilson and the very publicly attractive Jennifer Aniston's new movie Marley and Me. I thought Marley was who Aniston played, I assumed it was a love story told by Owen Wilson's character. But when I saw it, I couldn't of been further from the truth.

Marley in fact is the little adorable Labrador puppy. Its the story from when Aniston and Wilson's characters get married, and get a little puppy in Wilson's character attempt not have any children.

Of course it is funny as any Owen Wilson movie is, and the cute dog ads a new element that any animal lover will appreciate, for most of the movie.

The movie is the life of Marley, and that unfortunately includes the cruelest part of life, the end, death. It makes me wish that there was no end. I wish I was told Marley ran away or went to live out on a farm. But of course this wasn't to be, and the movie takes the audiences heart on a roller coaster ride that seams to drag on for hours as we watch Marley slowly die. And I must warn, this is extremely sad. And I'm going to say it, yes, I'm a guy, and I had tears rolling down my eyes.

I felt the story sadly very close to mine. Just a few months ago I had one of my dogs dies. He was also a Labrador. And some of the visuals on screen, sick in the vets, walking around slowly, extremely too real. But in saying this, I know I'm not the only one who has lost a loving pet, and just in case you have just lost a pet, epically a dog, maybe you might want to wait till it comes out on DVD.

The saddest and my most favourite line in the movie for me was one the eldest son says right at the end before he bursts into tears as they are putting Marley to rest. 'He knows how I feel.' Not a 'classic' line. But as you watch it, and if you can relate to it, it is truly moving.

My dogs name was Barney. We share the same name...and before you think I'm some sick animal lover taking it a bit far, I got him from a family that was moving over-seas and couldn't take him, so I inherited him and his name. Looking back, I think that was the greatest day of my life, and I don't think anything can top that. It feels weird to say I'm 18 and have lived the best day of my life.

But in saying that, it was a sad movie, it was a movie that has a lot of meaning to myself, and I'd assume the whole animal owning community. Minus the last 30 minutes or so, where there wasn't a single dry eye in the cinema, the rest of the movie was HILARIOUS and has helped cement Owen Wilson as one of my most favourite actors and people. But from the dog swallowing jewellery and swimming in the pool, these are just silly things that animals do that make us love them, and in a movie, they do steal the show. It seams to be true with what they say about working with animals.

Go see Marley and Me, it is a great romantic, comical, animal loving movie, which should please most audiences.

Barney ;)