A Street Cat Named Bob (film)
| A Street Cat Named Bob | |
|---|---|
.png) British release poster | |
| Directed by | Roger Spottiswoode |
| Produced by | Adam Rolston |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Peter Wunstorf |
| Edited by | Paul Tothill |
| Music by | |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing |
Release dates |
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Running time | 103 minutes[1] |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $8 million[2] |
| Box office | $8 million[2] |
A Street Cat Named Bob is a 2016 British biographical drama film directed by Roger Spottiswoode and written by Tim John and Maria Nation. It is based on the book of same name by James Bowen. The film stars Luke Treadaway, Ruta Gedmintas, Joanne Froggatt, Anthony Head and Bob the Cat as himself. The film premiered in London, England on 3 November 2016, followed by a general release the next day on 4 November 2016.
The film won Best British Film at the U.K. National Film Awards on March 29, 2017.[3]
Summary
Homeless and a recovering drug addict, James Bowen (Luke Treadaway) is running low on his luck. He’s given a last chance to turn his life around by his support worker, Val (Joanne Froggatt), who helps him to finally be given his own flat to live in. As James attempts to build a life and future for himself by busking in Covent Garden, he struggles to gain any traction as the London crowd passes him by. Whilst in the bath one day, he hears a break-in and finds a ginger cat in his kitchen eating the corn flakes. Thinking it belongs to a neighbour, he sets out to find the owner but with no luck concluding that it must be a stray. Over the next few days, the cat continues to linger on the estate, and James discovers an infected wound on the animal’s leg. He takes the cat to be treated by a charity vet and from that point onwards, the two lives become entwined. James, in learning to care for something other than himself, starts becoming a responsible person and Bob helps him make money busking, in their touching symbiotic relationship. Bob also acts as a matchmaker of sorts as James develops a romantic relationship with his neighbor Betty.
Cast
- Luke Treadaway as James Bowen[4][5]
- Bob as himself.
- Stand-ins for Bob: Oscar, Booker, Jafffa, Leo, Ricki and Trayce
- Ruta Gedmintas as Betty, Bowen's animal loving neighbour and James' love interest.[4][5]
- Joanne Froggatt as Val, Bowen's drug support worker.[5]
- Anthony Head as Jack Bowen, Bowen's father.[5]
- Caroline Goodall as Hilary
Production and release
On 24 August 2015 it was announced that Roger Spottiswoode would direct a film based on the book A Street Cat Named Bob by James Bowen, while Tim John scripted the film.[4] Adam Rolston would produce the film through his Shooting Script Films.[4] The Exchange sold the film's international rights.[6] Maria Nation also wrote the script.[7]
Principal photography on the film began on 25 October 2015 in London, at Twickenham Film Studios and on location in Covent Garden.[5] Filming wrapped up on 6 December 2015.[7][8]
The world premiere of A Street Cat Named Bob was at the Curzon Mayfair Cinema, London on 3 November 2016 and was attended by Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.[9] The film opened to the public in London on November 4 and in the US on November 18
Reception
Box Office
A Street Cat Named Bob grossed $82,703 in the United States and Canada and $7,852,881 in other countries for a worldwide total of nearly $8 million, against an equivalent production budget.[2]
Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 77% based on 56 reviews, with an average score of 5.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "A Street Cat Named Bob uses a fact-based feelgood tale as the inspiration for an unapologetically heartwarming movie that should move all but the most cynical of viewers."[10] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 54 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[11]
Possible sequel
Due to Bowen's world-famous books based around Bob, it is as of yet unknown if Sony Pictures and Bowen will make the follow-up film adaptation of The World According to Bob. But some believe there's a potential chance it could happen.[who?]
References
- ^ "A Street Cat Named Bob (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. 28 June 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^ a b c "A Street Cat Named Bob (2016)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
- ^ Admin (29 March 2017). "National Film Awards 2017 – Winners announced". National Film Awards UK. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
- ^ a b c d McNary, Dave (24 August 2015). "Luke Treadaway to Star in 'A Street Cat Named Bob' Movie". Variety. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Grater, Tom (16 October 2015). "'A Street Cat Named Bob' to shoot in London from Oct 25; new cast join". www.screendaily.com. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
- ^ McNary, Dave (4 November 2015). "AFM: 'A Street Cat Named Bob' Sells to Key Markets". Variety. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
- ^ a b Rosser, Michael (11 December 2015). "'A Street Cat Named Bob' wraps London shoot". www.screendaily.com. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
- ^ "On the Set 12/11/15: James Franco and Seth Rogen Start 'The Disaster Artist', Owen Wilson & Ed Helms Wrap 'Bastards'". SSN Insider. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
- ^ Jobson, Rob. "A Street Cat Named Bob premiere: Kate Middleton stuns in white on the red carpet". London Evening Standarddate=3 November 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
- ^ "A Street Cat Named Bob (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
- ^ "A Street Cat Named Bob Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
