Thank You, Marley & Me, For Bringing Jennifer Aniston back

Marley & Me has committed sins that are unforgivable even by dog film standards. It adapted the sappiest memoir not written by Mitch Albom, exploited the holiday movie crowd for $37 million in box office returns and extended Owen Wilson's stay in family comedy purgatory.

Though it patronized the American public and did irreparable damage to film in general, Marley and Me achieved what marginally better films including Bruce Almighty, Along Came Polly, Rumor Has It, Derailed, The Break Up and Friends With Money could not: The return of Jennifer Aniston. For this, the nation owes Marley & Me a debt of gratitude.

As do I. By the time March 7, 1996, had arrived, Syracuse, N.Y., was well on its way to nearly 171 inches of snow for the winter. With flakes already filling the first floor windows just below my dorm room at the Shaw Residence Hall, it seemed like as good a time as any for issue No. 729 of Rolling Stone to arrive; Complete with its cover featuring a naked Friends-era Aniston. One could argue that it was far too cold for Aniston to cover herself in only her fingers and a pair of panties, as she did on a photo inside, but this writer and several other dorm residents of various persuasions, kept that image on the wall until the end of spring semester.

When Aniston appeared in only a tie on the cover of GQ's January 2009 issue, it was almost unfair. Much of the population has spent the last 12 years growing wrinklier, rounder, grayer and balder. Aniston, despite very public slights and stumbles, is as well-preserved as a Smithsonian exhibition.

This warrants mentioning primarily because Aniston has spent the last few years being reduced to tabloid fodder for aging Gen Xers whose lives are becoming more mundane with each passing wedding, child and year. For an Olympiad, mediocre onscreen fare was the only reply from an underrated comedic actress whose adherents are more likely write poisoned pen comments beneath a TMZ story about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt than actually pay money to see a Jennifer Aniston film. Marley and Me may not look like a comeback film, but Aniston found her voice during its publicity push.

First came the guest spot on 30 Rock; then her "uncool" comment in Vogue about Jolie's hookup with Pitt while making Mr. and Mrs. Smith; then her move onto Anna Wintour's hit list after saying Vogue went "tabloid" by focusing on the comment. Whatever. The rehash of all of these events and whatever she's doing with John Mayer sounds like a fan fiction lead in for her nude photo shoot for GQ.

That shoot, and the oft-forgotten interview that expresses her frustration with Pitt-Jolie questions and being pigeonholed as the sad-sack girl without a guy, highlighted Aniston's best assets. She's real, she's funny and she's hot. Though her cryogenically frozen figure will have to succumb to time at some point, her humor and humility have kept her eminently more relatable than the woman to whom she's intrinsically tied.

Empathy routinely poured kerosene on the Aniston-Jolie fire. In Aniston's case, fans often say they can relate to a woman who was shrugged off for an exotic, seemingly crazy, attention-seeking person reminiscent of that girl from college who was such a "sexual being" that she simply had to steal your boyfriend. That's a nice, exciting story, but nowhere near true.

In reality, Aniston's seamless fit into working-class roles and girl-next-door identity earned her more loyal followers than any homewrecking Academy Award winner ever could. It made her flair-laden suburban waitress in Office Space so endearing and her pained portrayal of a Madame Bovary-inspired big box store clerk in The Good Girl so believable. Guys want to date those characters, girls often are those characters and Angelina Jolie couldn't realistically play any of those characters.

Of course, Aniston isn't any of those characters. She's dating a rock star and she earns more for uttering three lines in a film than any of her characters would in a year. Then again, Bruce Springsteen doesn't work in a factory and Jay-Z hasn't dealt drugs since before Lil' Wayne was born. It's a problem of perception, and while she may be sexy enough to pull off the Cougar role she envisions for herself in her dream project Pumas, she'll probably earn more praise as put-upon, marriage-hungry Beth in next year's He's Just Not That Into You.

Which wouldn't be so bad. If she can ride a dog like Marley and Me out of the tabloids and into her second stint as America's Sweetheart and most prized pinup, she can put off being a puma for just a bit longer.

Comments

[downwardpuppy]

I love this! Jennifer Aniston is beautiful and a great comedic actress (which some people read as "TV only" actress- not true). I find it infuriating that the press seems so determined to paint her as the sad, jilted woman.They broke up (as couples sometimes do) and she's still out there doing her thing and being way hotter than the skanky 20-somethings who seem to be everywhere.

There was actually a girl I knew in college who slept with everyone (attached or not) and lamented the fact that no one understood that she was just "very sexual" so that made me laugh out loud.

And, seriously, I don't think anybody over the age of 6 goes to see a movie "for the dog"

[LovingHope]

Who cares. She still a great actress. she has the luck that she can focus on a great career. I hope to see more of her. And it will be fun to see who will be the lucky guy.

[soka9932]

IJust my opinion but she isn't a great actress. What's with all the comments like the one by grntree like "homewrecking Academy Award Winner" Have a opinion about this person but why get all personal. I happen to think Angelina is a great actress. I think Jennifer Aniston is a good TV actress but not a movie actress. I also think she was miscast in this movie. Rachel Mc Adams would have been better. Gee if everyone is getting personal I hear she and John Mayer just broke up.. something about her wanting to keep him around till after the movie came out. Face it people seen the movie cause of the dog not Aniston!

[bubbuh]

PS If you had taken the time to read the article, you would know that

"In reality, Aniston's seamless fit into working-class roles and girl-next-door identity earned her more loyal followers than any homewrecking Academy Award winner ever could. "

is a quotation taken from the article. grntree was merely expressing enthusiastic agreement with the sentiment.

[soka9932]

P.S I am also expressing a enthusiastic opinion that I think she is a overrated actress.

[andj]

Great article about Jennifer Jason Notte

[Brasileira]

I agree! Finally, someone gets it right. I started '08 out on a weird lark as a lowly seat filler at an awards show (usually my pride wouldn't bother but I had the day off). For some reason I kept getting parked at the A list tables and my night ended at Brad and Angelina's table. What I noticed was interesting - when cameras would come up, they'd canoodle endlessly, when the cameras would retreat she'd go back to playing with her food and they'd stop touching. It seemed like a business transaction. They seemed boring to me and I wasn't in awe in the least (now George Clooney, that's a different story).

The media seems to focus on sanctifying Angelina (snooze) and creating a martyr out of Jen or bashing her and I don't get why - both story lines seem tired and patently untrue. Jen's a phenomenal actress, she's candid, she's honest and good on her for speaking openly and honestly in a time filled PR hype. Jennifer Aniston seems accessible and maybe, a little kooky but at least she seems like a genuine human being. Keep it up Jen, may '09 be your oyster.

[rockyb26]

go get em jen! don't listen to the h8rs girl, just keep being you and everything else will follow

[LovingHope]

Aniston embraces getting older. I love her. She is beautiful and talented. I accept her as America's sweetheart. She deserves the title.

[grntree]

Hear, Hear!. Finally, someone who gets it and is able to articulate what most of us feel. This is why she is so popular and well liked. I agree she is way underrated and I think she is one of the best comedic actors of our generation. Some great lines in this article - "her humor and humility have kept her eminently more relatable" and "Aniston's seamless fit into working-class roles and girl-next-door identity earned her more loyal followers than any homewrecking Academy Award winner ever could."