I really find hard to relate to any movie, especially one that compresses like fifteen years of a lifetime on a hour fifty on a DVD. And especially hard to relate to a movie like Marley and Me. This is other people we are talking about and yes, at the same times it talks about every each of us. We all have hopes and aspirations, but we all have different backgrounds and struggles. I watched the movie to day as to kill some time and i must confess that i like my share of tear-jearky hollywood-esque storrytelling from time to time but i did not found what you might have found.
I think we need to want a better reality but within our own reality and situation. Accepting some of our limitations and pushing ourselves forward to what we want. And that really takes a lot of work and dedication, and it will definitively have itīs time of unhappiness and exhaustion (is also shown in the movie, i mean, is not happy-go-lucky all the way). It is of a sort of envy to maybe see how people pull through at ease with their lives. I see friends that have little to none struggles and wonder how the hell they pull through and i cannot move forward? is just me, my warped self that somehow is not putting my best and fighting harder, because i prolly have to work harder to get that.
And also in general, everyone struggles with something, hardly anyone goes through life without a single scar. In general, people just donīt like to open themselves up too much and they donīt reach out. But you have people in here, SR for example, that knows that ainīt the way and you need to connect and do an open surgery of your soul sometimes so you can be understood. I am personally in prolly one of my worst weeks in the past two months or so i am in not way posting this through any sort of big-shot position, but somehow i relate to what you are saying that things get stale and maybe there is a feeling in you of being stuck, no idea. Just pouring this out of my head.