Marley and Me

Jeff and I tried to see Valkyrie the other night but all the seats were taken. So instead of a WWII action film (I assume), we went to Marley and Me. I tell you, after having a little dog-friend of our own, this movie punched smack in the middle of our emotional buttons! It was a very enjoyable view of a ordinary married couple, with all their ups and downs - who nevertheless stay married. An old college friend of the husband pops in once in awhile. You see the contrast between this man, who lives for pleasure, going from one girl to the next, sacrificing relationship in the process, and the married couple, who have true relationship with each other and their kids. Theirs is at the price of dirty diapers, hard-to-get-a-shower-in motherhood, marital friction, and career changes. As they live their lives, Marley, a true puppy who loves to destroy, accompanies them through the years. He gives them unconditional love, but there is a sacrifice in having a relationship with Marley too, such as destroyed household items. We see relationship is worth the sacrifice. It was a good movie.

Parental warning: there are some scenes where you know the wife is nude and they're about to be intimate. I think the producers didn't need to handle it the way they did - it was much too "erotic" for a family movie. But nevertheless, it's worth seeing for two reasons: the much too rare portrayal of 1) a woman choosing to stay home and not look like a dummy in the process, and 2) a married couple who is committed and a dad who is not a dooffus (?)(spell-check didn't help me on this one).