Jennifer
and Owen and
"Marley and Me"
by Lynn Barker
 As
I enter the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, I notice the gaggle of
paparazzi lurking in the bushes. Jennifer Aniston is in the hotel along
with Owen Wilson and a very cute dog named Clyde, gathered to chat about
their new dramady Marley and Me based upon the very popular novel.
At
the interview we meet Clyde, who played Marley in major scenes, and, as
Jennifer enters the room, the big yellow lab recognizes her and rushes
over to paw, jump, lick in the usual doggie greeting ritual. Jen doesn't
seem to mind and loves up on him with pets and cooing words. Ms. Aniston,
in a long eggplant colored, crepe outfit, a great tan and very high heels,
sits down with Owen, who is looking sharp in dark blue suit jacket over
blue tee and slacks.
So,
how did these two actors end up playing a married journalist couple who
add a puppy, then kids to their lives? And why is Clyde jumping around,
sniffing everything etc. like an untrained pup rather than a disciplined
"movie dog"? We asked his trainer...
AGW: How did you train Clyde and the other dogs playing Marley to be untrainable
like the real-life dog was?
Trainer:
We did what I call anti-training. We just encouraged bad behavior and
told them it was good. The most important thing was to not rehearse him
so he'd be natural (we can hear him panting).
Owen:
I think you worked with my dog.
AGW:
Jennifer, can you talk about the challenges of working with a dog and
the different ages of dogs?
Jennifer:
Well, I think it helped only because I wasn't afraid of dogs but honestly
he was so easy to work with. I would say the younger Marleys were, to
hit their mark, a little bit more challenging for the trainers. We (indicating
she and Owen) had a ball, we never had a hard time.
AGW: Was there any scene that was tricky or difficult or took a long time
to get?
Jennifer:
The scene where we were taking him to get neutered. That was definitely
a challenging scene in the car 'cause you also have Matilda in the back
seat, the trainer who's fantastic. It was just a lot of action for the
dog.
Owen:
Clyde was always good at getting his stuff. Getting the puppy to sort
if imitate like he was going to the bathroom like that one (indicates
Clyde) took a long time because he had a little stool that he had to sit
on. They were going to I guess green screen (it out).
Jennifer:
(laughs) Don't give it away.
 AGW:
Jennifer, did you adopt one of the dogs who played Marley?
Jennifer:
I didn't but both of my dogs are adopted, but that was years ago. I almost
adopted the dog that's in the poster (a cute puppy). What was the name
of that dog?
Owen:
Tank? (she laughs) or Chud?! (more laughter) Judd! There were so many
dogs playing Marley that it was like doing a Vietnam movie where you didn't
want to get too close because you knew that that dog might not be there
the next day.
Jennifer:
Yeah. They would grow up, literally. It's so true.
Owen:
And then some of the people that did adopt some of those puppies then
called (the trainers) saying they were having sort of behavior problems
(laughter).
AGW:
How did you physically get ready for movie?
Jennifer:
Well I trained five hours a day (laughter). No. How did I physically get
ready? Not much. Physically I had to show the passage of time, there were
wigs and certain extensions of hair, additions; a bang piece for a more
youthful look (laughter) but that's basically it.
Owen: But you did do a lot of training. That one scene where we had to
do the running you were kind of bandaged up, kind of getting helped back
to the start mark but, every time they said 'action', it was off like
you see in Bolt.
Jennifer:
(She laughs) That's very true.
AGW:
A lot of times, when we talk to actors playing moms they will say 'you
know I never could have played this role unless I had been a mother' do
you think you should have waited?
Jennifer:
No. (she laughs) I wanted to be in the movie!
Owen:
How many times have you played...
Jennifer:
I have been pregnant in so many movies its ridiculous.
Owen:
She's like Lady Madonna.
Jennifer:
The reason I wanted to be in this movie is that it wasn't the sort of
girl trying to get the guy or the guy trying to get the girl or the chase
and then you end the movie where they ride off into the sunset. This is
sort of the prequel to that.
Owen:
Sequel
Jennifer:
I'm sorry, sequel. My bad. Thank you Owen. (laughs) You know where you
get to see the in's and outs of a relationship and see them over fifteen
years and have this sort of human thread that takes you through and have
it be funny just because life is funny and dramatic. I just loved it.
I responded to the material.
AGW:
Okay almost everyone knows now that the elderly Marley (not the puppy)
finally dies in the movie. Can you talk about those scenes? I mean people
will cry. I did.
Jennifer:
Those were really hard. That was the last two weeks for me of shooting
so it was kind of fortunate that that came at the end because you don't
always get to shoot in order at all so those were the days where I couldn't
read the sides in the morning in the trailer because I was just bubbling
over with emotion. I was just sort of hoping that I would be able to look
at the lines while I was on set and remember them.
 Owen:
Yeah. I knew those scenes were coming up and I was kinda nervous like
'gosh I hope I feel something so they don't have to get out those fake
tears'; the glycerin that was on stand-by. But, I didn't really need it
because as soon as Copper, the dog who played the old man Marley, as soon
as you see this dog it was hard not to start getting kind of emotional.
That was what was nice about the movie that the situations didn't ever
feel contrived. Everything seemed kind of relatable so it wasn't difficult
to understand. This makes sense what (my character) is feeling.
AGW:
Do you two have a favorite dog movie?
Jennifer:
Benji
Owen:
I like Sounder.
AGW:
What's more high maintenance, Owen, a dog or a woman?
Owen:
Which is more high maintenance? Probably humans I think tend to be more
demanding than dogs.
AGW:
Very diplomatically said! Was it easy or hard getting into the roles of
a real life couple?
Jennifer:
That was in the material. It was on the page and it was something that
was extremely important to us because this book has such an audience and
such a fan base and these are two people that are actually here on the
planet and you want to honor their story.
Owen:
(The real couple, the Grogans) came and visited early on and were in the
obedience school scene. It was kind of strange but it was like a little
bit nerve-wrecking. Like 'I wonder what he's thinking about me playing
him?' but they came a few times and they were just kind of...
Jennifer:
So sweet.
Owen:
Especially John. Just talking with him and just easy to get along with.
But I think what (Jennifer) was saying is true. It was on the page and
made sense.
AGW:
Jennifer, you seem to jump effortlessly from genre to genre and from independent
films to mainstream. Do you find it challenging to find the kinds of projects
that really get you going creatively?
Jennifer:
Yeah, sure it's hard if you're specific and picky but I've been lucky
to have things come to me that creatively fulfill me. Those are usually
the independent films just because you have a little bit more freedom.
But, this particular movie is just rare where you hit all the notes. It
was unbelievably creatively fulfilling. It's a mainstream film and I loved
everybody I worked with. This one was sort of a home run. They don't always
all happen that way.
AGW:
What's the appeal of this massive, best selling story? What's the key
appeal of Marley?
Owen:
It's strange because it does seem that's its not just America. We were
talking to John Grogan (who he plays in the film) and in Argentina they
love the book. I guess there's something in the story that has a sort
of universal appeal that people are able to connect with. (we can see
and hear Marley/Clyde panting throughout this as if in agreement).
Jennifer:
And it's a true story; a simple story and I think people go to movies
and they escape with these big crazy plotlines and here is a movie where
people are actually going like 'that's me' or 'I did that', 'I walked
through that.' Or 'my dog' or even if you don't have a dog, you've been
in a relationship and it doesn't even have to be a married relationship,
just partnered life, you know?
Owen:
There's the connection
Jennifer:
The simplicity of it.
Owen:
You remember the story about the parrot, Alex? There was a book that's
come out on 'Alex and Me'. First it was in the New York Times, then they
ended up doing three articles about it and now there's a book coming out
of it. I think it's just this wanting to connect.
AGW:
People love their pets! One of the greatest things about dogs is their
unconditional love but also they live in the present. With all the recent
complications in your lives, have you guys learned to do that?
Jennifer:
(thinking, then smiling) It's a work in progress.
Owen:
I think that's the great thing about having a dog is it kinda forces you
to be in the present because that's definitely where they're spending
their time.
AGW:
Makes sense. Was here any discussion of not having the ending you did
in this film?
Owen:
We were talking about being true to the book and people love that book
so much that it really wasn't a choice. You have to tell the story and
honor that story. There can be something beautiful about being together
as a family for the whole cycle of a life and not shying away from that.
AGW:
What should parents tell kids up front about it so they can better deal
with it? Or, what should teens tell their younger siblings?
Owen:
I would think its okay to say there are real life issues (in the film).
Jennifer
: Yes.
 Owen:
We've been doing press for the movie and sometimes I'll think 'am I supposed
to give away what happens?' but again were kind of telling the story that
the book told and you hope that people appreciate that and that story.
I guess that's just something for parents to decide. I think that, as
an adult, you underestimate or forget kids' ability to deal with stuff
or how much they do soak up.
AGW:
Did playing a journalist in this movie change your feelings about what
journalists do? I guess your character is more a columnist than a reporter.
Owen:
It seemed like it would be more fun to be a journalist than to be an editor.
To be out there doing stories. It seemed like the stories Eric Dane (who
plays a reporter friend in the movie) covered were more interesting; he's
out doing more Woodward/Bernstein type stuff. It's like being in an action
movie.
AGW:
The reason this movie worked so well was because of the chemistry between
you two. Was there a moment in the filming where you sort of realized
that's there? You come across as a very married couple.
Owen:
We didn't really know each other before the movie began. We just met in
passing and I think it was more like in rehearsal just early on feeling
like we're on the same page with the way we thought things should go.
The thing about chemistry, it's sort of you get along with a person and
then, if the movie does well, then you have 'great chemistry'. (we laugh).
AGW:
Jennifer, you do well in various kinds of roles. To what do you attribute
your career success; luck, a plan?
Jennifer:
I don't know. I've never sat there and plotted out how I was going to
become successful or famous. I just really wanted to work and I wanted
to do good work ever since I was at a High School of Performing Arts and
my Russian acting coach told me I was a disgrace to the Moscow Theatre
(more laughs). I was determined to prove him wrong and do good work and
I think I've never had my eye on a prize. I just really wanted to enjoy
the passage of time. Before 'Friends' and the success of that, I had a
graveyard of sitcoms that thank god you don't know about them. I was happy
to get a job every year whether or it went on (the air) or not.
AGW:
Was it just luck going from TV to film?
Jennifer:
I got the opportunity to do films while I was on 'Friends' and I think
I kind of just created or built that up a little bit and somehow was welcomed
into the other side. I crossed over.
AGW:
What are you doing next? (by this time, Owen is over petting the dog)
Jennifer:
Well, there's a movie in the Spring that I'm in the middle of deciding
if I want to do and I'm going to be (doing interviews for) three other
movies after this one.
AGW:
Plans for the Holidays?
Jennifer:
I'll be with my family.
I
show her a photo layout in "Entertainment Weekly" featuring
her and several cute Marley type dogs.. oh her shoulder or peeking out
from under her long formal skirt. She's never seen it and is delighted
with the pictures. I get an "ooooo" as she looks at them. She
signs one for me.
AGW:
I think those are adorable.
Jennifer:
Thank you so much (more dog petting ensues).
Photos courtesy
of and copyright 20th Century Fox, 2008
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