Marley & Me

You know, there's nothing like the experience...

of raising your first dog.

Simple joy of walking side by side with your buddy out in the fresh air...

throwin' a stick.

Spending some quiet time-- Just you and your very best friend.

Of course, that wasn't my experience.

- That kid's not even me. -

That's me, and that crazy hound I'm chasing is Marley...

- the world's worst dog-- - Sorry!

- Or so I thought. - Marley!

But our story begins before Marley was born--

Four years before, on my wedding day--

Which also happened to be the day of the worst freak spring blizzard...

in the history of southern Michigan.

Same day our car broke down. We didn't care.

Ooh. God, that feels so good.

Ohh!

Wow. So, what do you think--

What do you think that means-- a blizzard on your wedding day?

Is that good luck? Is that bad luck?

I think-- I think it's good luck.

- How did I get you? - What?

No, honestly. How did I-- How did I get that lucky?

Well, you know...

I get asked that question all the time.

- - Come on.

Are you kidding, honey?

You're part of the plan.

- The plan? - Mm-hmm. My plan. Step one--

Meet an incredibly sweet, smart, sexy man.

Done. Step two?

- Marry you instead. -

Oh, now-- And step three--

- No, I don't think I can take any more steps. - You don't wanna hear step three?

- Yeah. What's step three? - It's easy.

- Be gentle. - Move someplace warmer.

I knew you were gonna say that.

- Thank you. - All right, you know you got this, right?

- Oh, yeah. I got it. - Who are you?

- I'm John Grogan? - No, you're John friggin' Grogan...

who's about to get a job as a reporter...

for a major metropolitan newspaper.

- Mmm. Mmm. - Good. Good. But now I don't feel like getting out of the car.

- You have to. No, baby. - Maybe we'll just drive around the block.

Come on, get out of the car. Get out.

- Now, who am I again? - Oh, please.

Sebastian says you won some kind of award.

Mitchie. I have a Mitchie.

It's like a Pulitzer, but from western Michigan.

A Mitchie.

So, tell me-- What made you leave the estimable...

Kalamazoo Gazette?

Well, as you know, Sebastian and I were in college together...

And he w-- He was--

He was always saying how great south Florida is...

and that maybe my wife and I might enjoy it here, so we decided to come down here.

- Are you a comedian too? - Excuse me?

Like your friend over here.

- No. - He's walking a very thin line.

It's a good thing he knows how to write.

So your wife is Jenny Havens?

Yes.Jenny Grogan-- 'Cause we're married. She took my name.

- She get the job at the Post? - Yes, she did.

- Why didn't they want you over there? - Well, I didn't apply.

Jenny's more of a feature writer...

and I'm more of a straight news writer.

- I thought this would be a better fit for that. - You think you're better...

than the six journalism school graduates that came here looking for work this morning?

I don't know if I'm better. I--

What I do know is that I have a tendency to surprise myself.

Ten years ago I was doing bong hits and playing Donkey Kong.

I never dreamed I'd get into college, but I did...

and I graduated with honors.

And I never thought I'd get a job at a real newspaper, but I did.

And I certainly never thought I'd get a girl...

like Jenny Havens to marry me, but I did.

- So? - They've already got a guy on the metro desk.

- - Yeah.

- I'm sorry, honey. - Mmm. So they're putting me on a little thing...

they like to call Desert Storm.

- You got the job? - I got the job.

You got the job, baby! Ooh!

John Grogan, I knew it!

I just knew it! Okay, Look.

Watch this. Look. See what happens?

"Job. Done."

- Okay, so what's next? Lunch? - House.

- House. - House.

...planes that can transmit remote television pictures...

of Iraqi ships and other targets.

Did-- Did you get to the quote about the speed bumps yet?

- "'If they save even one life'"-- - "'...it would be worth it.'

And with that,Jan Dickerson's eyes filled with tears."

- Filled with tears. - You like that?

- Or is it too corny? - Yeah. No.

Is it a little over the top?

Hey, honey, what happened to the, uh-- the Desert Storm piece?

- That's it. The injured girl's dad's in Kuwait. - Oh.

- Is that not in there? - Uh--

Uh-uh. I think they cut that.

They-- They spelled your name wrong.

- "John Gorgon." - You're kidding. Let me see that.

- Forget it. - Are you joking?

Forget it. You know what? It's good. It's really good.

It's got the facts. It's got color.

- It's a really solid piece. - Thanks.

Well, I mean, I tried to breathe some life into it, you know--

- Yes. - I like this article. I'm almost done with yours.

This idea of voting machines sounds really efficient.

Well, when you get to the next page, you'll see...

- that I talk about what could happen. - Hey, it-- Oh, okay. I see.

- It continues. - Yeah.

But actually, the rest of it...

is really just okay.

- It's actually kind of boring. - No, no. I-- It's--

- I'm enjoying this. - Mmm.

Wow. They really gave you a lot of space.

Oh, damn. Killed another one.

How am I ever supposed to take care of a kid if I can't even keep a plant alive?

- - Well, what'd you expect, man?

You bought a house-- A house with a spare room.

What's the matter with a spare room?

It's empty,John, that's what's wrong with it. You know what else is empty?

Her womb.

- I'm just worried that Jenny's at, like, step seven. - What?

She's got her whole life organized and planned out...

- according to these steps. - Okay, that's scary.

Unbelievable. You want my advice? Get her, like, a bird.

- - Or a puppy or something.

- A parakeet or something? - Something other than you that she has to take care of.

You got a kid, you're a dad. You're not you anymore.

- You got a dog, you're a-- - Master.

- You're still a guy. - Still got a life.

- Exactly. - And a dog.

Yeah, but you've stopped her clock for a few years.

- I've never had a dog. - There's nothin' to it. You feed 'em.

You walk 'em. You let 'em out every now and again.

But it doesn't really matter. You're not the one that's gonna take care of it,Jenny is.

- Sebastian! - Yo.

Your travel's been approved. Hit the road.

- Where you goin'? - I'm going to Colombia.

I got a guy down there says he can put me next to Pablo Escobar.

I'm doin' a piece--

I follow a single coca leaf from the jungle to the streets of Miami.

That sounds like a good idea. You gotta be careful down there--

- Gorman! - G-Grogan.

Groden. There's a fire in the county dump--

- Methane leak. - Methane?

Yeah. I want two paragraphs for the Blotter.

Methane. Woodward and Bernstein, eat your heart out.

What kind of dog?

- You remember Caroline? - The nurse?

She was a nursery school teacher. I don't know.

Anyway, she had this great dog-- Daisy.

It was a Labradoodle.

Labradoodle? You mean a Labrador.

All right. Get her a Labrador.

Supposed to be just like kids, only easier to train.

Labradoodle? Come on.

This does not smell like an I HOP.

I know. We got a little surprise first.

- Here we go. Now, I want you to walk right here, my dear. - Okay.

- Come on. - Oh, God.

- - Okay.

- You Grogan? - Yes.

- Expected you an hour ago. - You're gonna like this.

Okay, step up. Sorry.

- Sorry about the mess-- -

- and the noise and the smell. - What's happening?

Come on.

- Can I look? - No, no. Just-- Almost. Almost.

- Okay. Okay. Ready? - Really?

One, two, three. Go. Happy birthday.

What?

God, they're adorable.

Oh, my-- My birthday's not for a month.

That's okay. They can't leave for three weeks anyway.

- We didn't discuss this. - I know, but it's a surprise. You can't.

- Hi, guys. - Just adopted the mom last month.

Family that gave her up didn't even know she was pregnant.

- Are you sure we're ready for this? - Well, like I told you...

you gotta wait three weeks for them to be weaned before you can bring 'em home.

- I'm not even gonna be here. - Why?

- I'll be in Gainesville, covering that trial. - Oh, that's right.

That's okay. It'll give me a chance to bond with him...

- and get a head start on training 'im-- - That's true.

- Get 'im squared away before you get home. - That's true.

- Well, how are we gonna pick one? - Girls are 300.

Boys are 275.

Except for that little guy there. Him you could have for 200 even.

This one? You're so sweet. You're like a little clearance puppy.

- Hello, puppy. - This one likes you.

Clearance Puppy likes you.

- Well, that's your guy. - Aw.

I was gonna pick you anyway.

Don't tell anybody. Don't tell the others.

- - We gotta double-time it just a little here, honey.

- Really wish I didn't have to go. - Are you kidding me?

It's gonna be great. You spent eight months on this trial.

- Honestly, I'm jealous. - Really?