The Truth About Cats & Dogs
| The Truth About Cats & Dogs | |
|---|---|
 The movie poster. |
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| Directed by | Michael Lehmann |
| Produced by | Cari-Esta Albert |
| Written by | Audrey Wells |
| Starring | Janeane Garofalo Uma Thurman Ben Chaplin Jamie Foxx |
| Music by | Howard Shore |
| Cinematography | Robert Brinkmann |
| Editing by | Stephen Semel |
| Studio | Noon Attack |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) |
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| Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | Unknown |
| Box office | $34,073,143 (USA) |
The Truth About Cats & Dogs is a 1996 American romantic comedy film, starring Janeane Garofalo, Uma Thurman, Ben Chaplin, and Jamie Foxx. It was directed by Michael Lehmann and written by Audrey Wells. The original music score was composed by Howard Shore.
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Plot summary [edit]
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This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (March 2013) |
Abby Barnes (Garofalo) is a veterinarian and host of a radio show called The Truth About Cats and Dogs. When she makes a blind date with Brian (Chaplin), a caller to her show, her insecurity about her appearance leads her to persuade her more conventionally attractive (though less intellectual) friend Noelle (Thurman) to pretend to be Abby on their date.
Both women develop feelings for Brian, leading to a series of comic misunderstandings. Brian's persistence in pursuing Noelle in person is thwarted as Noelle tries to maneuver him toward the real Abby.
After Abby behaves jealously while drunk and embarrasses herself at a photo shoot, she leaves and it appears to her that Brian and Noelle sleep together. However, Noelle actually leaves too, and Brian, distressed by Noelle's changing attitude, corners Abby in her apartment where he finds evidence of her real identity as the radio host he fell for through her voice. As Abby and Noelle attempt to explain, Brian decides he has been the victim of a practical joke and leaves in disgust.
Abby later approaches Brian at his regular bar and explains what happened, and although initially dismissive, he eventually meets with Abby and he has fallen for the real Abby and was only attracted to Noelle because of their deception. He suggests they start again, and Abby happily agrees.
Cast [edit]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Uma Thurman | Noelle Slusarsky |
| Janeane Garofalo | Abby Barnes |
| Ben Chaplin | Brian |
| Jamie Foxx | Ed |
| James McCaffrey | Roy |
| Richard Coca | Eric |
| Stanley DeSantis | Mario |
| Antoinette Valente | Susan |
| Mitch Rouse | Bee Man |
| David Cross | Male Radio Caller (voice) Bookstore Man |
| Mary Lynn Rajskub | Female Radio Caller (voice) |
| Bob Odenkirk | Bookstore Man |
Themes [edit]
Many movie reviewers found a similarity to the play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, with Abby as the talented but "ugly" Cyrano, Noelle as Christian (Noel is another name for Christmas), and Brian as Roxane.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Uma Thurman said about the ugly-versus-beautiful theme, "We probably keep going back to that idea because there's a whole industry that needs to sell a lot of products that wants us to think that the outside is the important part. There's a war going on. The inside's not as commercial as the outside. People are so affected by how they're received in the world, and some of all of our first experiences are based on how we're externally judged. The conflict between the inner and the outer is a constant battle everybody experiences on lots of levels."[8]
Notes [edit]
Although the film was a decent commercial success, Garofalo was not proud of the film, calling it "corny" and unrealistic.
Several years later, Garofalo became a radio talk show host for real (something she'd maintained for years in interviews that she wanted to do), when she co-hosted The Majority Report on Air America Radio.
Reception [edit]
The film received positive reviews from critics. It has an 84% "fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes.[9]
The reviewer for The State Journal-Register (of Springfield, Illinois) wrote that the film "is a modern-day fantasy, to be sure -- a movie based almost entirely on one long, not particularly credible misunderstanding. But don't think too hard, or you'll underestimate this fragile little movie's bite, which is considerable... The stubby, feisty and, of course, not at all unattractive Garofalo and gangly, not-as-dumb-as-she-seems Thuman make for very appealing odd fellows as they inhabit the sunny Santa Monica landscapes and chic apartment settings... Cats & Dogs gets a little goofy, but stays within its limits. For actress Garofalo, who confidently spits out words like misogynist and biosphere, it should be nothing short of a launching pad. When the skeptical, challenging Abby confronts one of those laminated, condescending, jargon-spouting cosmetics saleswomen, we see a star in the making. Holly Hunter, watch your back. And short, smart and just-regular-looking girls everywhere, rejoice."[10]
The Boston Herald reviewer named the film "the romantic comedy of the season."[11] The Fresno Bee called it "an offbeat charmer."[12] The Hartford Courant said, "This movie asks all kinds of questions about the defenses people put up and what they really have hiding inside."[13]
As many movie reviewers remarked, it is hard to believe that Garofalo is supposed to be ugly in this film, as she has rarely looked more beautiful.[10][14][15]
Soundtrack [edit]
Box Office [edit]
The movie recouped its budget.[16] It grossed about $34,073,143 in the United States by 11 August 1996, and a bit more overseas.[17]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Guthmann, Edward (September 13, 1996). "Garofalo's a Find in Cats & Dogs". San Francisco Chronicle. p. D18.
- ^ Cornell, Christopher (September 13, 1996). "THE TRUTH Will Set Cyrano Free". Lexington Herald-Leader.
- ^ Toppman, Lawrence (April 26, 1996). "Cats and Dogs is CYRANO Light (and Bright)". The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, North Carolina: The McClatchy Company). p. 4E.
- ^ Connelly, David (April 26, 1996). "Cats and Dogs reverses genders in Cyrano classic". Mobile Register (Mobile, Alabama). p. E1.
- ^ Peterson, Deborah (April 26, 1996). "A Sassy, Sexy Switch On CYRANO Story". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 3E.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (April 26, 1996). "This Version of Cyrano Has Humor As Well As Sweetness". Press-Telegram (Long Beach, California). p. W6.
- ^ Abedon, Emily (April 25, 1996). "Cats and Dogs takes a bite of Cyrano". The Post and Courier (Charleston, South Carolina: Evening Post Publishing Company). p. E6.
- ^ Kopp, Craig (April 25, 1996). "M-m-m-m-m- - Uma - She's in a new movie with a moral". The Cincinnati Post. Text "page- Metro 12" ignored (help)
- ^ Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ a b Povse, Paul (May 2, 1996). "IN TRUTH, IT'S MAINLY THE PLAIN JANE WHO REIGNS". The State Journal-Register (Springfield, Illinois: Walt Lafferty).
- ^ Verniere, James (April 26, 1996). "Cats and Dogs unleashes a new star". Boston Herald. p. Scene 3.
- ^ "Best Bet". The Fresno Bee (Fresno, California: The McClatchy Company). September 13, 1996. p. G1.
- ^ "THE TRUTH ABOUT MEN, WOMEN, PETS". Hartford Courant (Hartford, Connecticut). September 8, 1996. p. G10.
- ^ Beale, Lewis (April 25, 1996). "Not-So-Plain Janeane Garofalo THE TRUTH Is, This Standup Kinda Woman Is Looking Good In New Film". New York Daily News (Manhattan: Mortimer Zuckerman). p. 55.
- ^ Pearlman, Cindy (May 2, 1996). "The Truth About JANEANE GAROFALO - It Hasn't Been Quite a Dog's Life So Far, But The Actress-Comedian Is Ready To Shed Her Chubby-Chum Image For Better Movie Roles". Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Tribune Company). p. E1.
- ^ "'The Craft' Has the Knack for Scaring Up an Audience". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-06-03.
- ^ "Box office / business for The Truth About Cats & Dogs". International Movie Database. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
External links [edit]
- "The 'Truth' About Stardom", a 1996 Entertainment Weekly article about Garofalo, Thurman, and the making of The Truth About Cats & Dogs.
- The Truth About Cats & Dogs at the Internet Movie Database
- The Truth About Cats & Dogs at Box Office Mojo
- The Truth About Cats & Dogs at AllRovi
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