The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Michael Lehmann

Writer (WGA):

Audrey Wells (written by)

Release Date:

26 April 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Brian's about to discover the woman he loves isn't the woman he loves.

Plot:

A successful veternarian & radio show host with low self-esteem asks her model friend to impersonate her when a handsome man wants to see her.

Plot Keywords:

Self Esteem | Model | Dog | Art | Mistaken Identity

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Uma Thurman	...	Noelle
Janeane Garofalo	...	Abby
Ben Chaplin	...	Brian
Jamie Foxx	...	Ed
James McCaffrey	...	Roy
Richard Coca	...	Eric
Stanley DeSantis	...	Mario
Antoinette Valente	...	Susan
Mitch Rouse	...	Bee Man
La Tanya M. Fisher	...	Emily
Faryn Einhorn	...	Child Model
David Cross	...	Voice of Male Radio Caller / Bookstore Man
Mary Lynn Rajskub	...	Female Radio Caller (voice)
Bob Odenkirk	...	Bookstore Man
Dechen Thurman	...	Bookstore Cashier

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 on appeal for a sex-related scene and brief strong language.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Philippines:PG-13 | South Korea:18 | Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Germany:12 (w) | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (appeal) (Approved No. 34015) | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Abbot's Habit - 1401 Abbot Kinney Blvd , Venice, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Uma Thurman's own brother, Dechen Thurman was the bookstore clerk who commented on what a great body she had!

Goofs:

Continuity: When "Donna" (Abby) is in the bar with Brian, she spills salsa on her shirt twice, which leaves two stains. When they arrive at his studio, the stains have disappeared, and her shirt is clean. Later, the stains reappear.

Quotes:

Dr. Abby Barnes: [to a radio caller:] Dogs don't like to be left alone. It's not like, when you leave, he goes, "Great, time to finish writing my novel!" No, when their humans leave, dogs get depressed, and they show it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Will & Grace: The Truth About Will and Dogs (#1.10)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

Bad Idea

"You can love your pets -- you just can't 'love' your pets."

This film is an absolute gem, showcasing the incredible talents of Janeane Garofalo and highlighting the physical beauty of Uma Thurman (and Ben Chaplin).

It is an incredibly well crafted and well-written film due to the efforts of director Michael Lehmann and author Audrey Wells.

If there were ever any doubts as to the acting ability of Ms Garofalo this film will put them to rest. There are scenes in which she is positively luminescent as the ‘voice on the radio' – Dr Abby Barnes.

This film was to be a star vehicle for Uma Thurman: she has top billing both in the opening title sequence and in the closing credits. She also has the personal assistant, personal makeup and hair and even a personal acting coach! But she has worked on just 12 films since `Cats and Dogs' was released and Ms Garofalo has completed 39!

Janeane steals the show (again)!

The story is derivative: Basically it is the Cyrano story; however, it is given new life and freshness by the appealing characters and plot twists.

I must admit that I am a bit tired of Janeane Garofalo playing the ‘ugly' girl roles. She is far from ugly and really should be playing the romantic characters more often.

This really is an outstanding film – the scenes with `Hank' steal the show and the late-night telephone conversation between Abby and Brian should not to be missed.