If you live in Fort Lauderdale, or even visit there regularly, you’ll likely notice a lot of familiar territory in “Marley & Me,” now in its third week of raking in movie millions. Recognizable landmarks include office and condo towers along East Las Olas Boulevard, most notably the Sun-Sentinel building (inside and out).
For those of you who haven’t seen the barrage of commercials for this film, it’s about a couple who get a dog that ends up being both a terror (not terrier) and a downright lovable family pet. I won’t give away any more than that, but the old “you’ll laugh, you’ll cry” adage definitely applies.
What is it about dogs, good or bad, that bring us so much joy and heartbreak? Maybe it’s all about unconditional love, loyalty, companionship and all those things in which humans tend to let us down. We find a way to forgive them for ruining our nicest things, which we might not do for family and friends. So much personal stock put into a mammal that can’t even talk or do household chores, beyond fetching.
John Grogan likely never planned on being so affected by a Labrador retriever and, better yet, writing a best-selling novel about him. Maybe nobody can ever plan on anything when it comes to taking in a dog. We all have a story about a favorite dog, past or present, and we can relate to everybody’s those stories.
It sure seemed that way inside the theater the night my wife and I went to see “Marley.” For what it’s worth, we’ve been thinking about getting a pet. We’re open to suggestions.
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