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:

Janeane Garofalo, a shade over five feet tall, sometimes had to stand on a box just to be in the same frame with 6-foot co-star Uma Thurman.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the car brakes for the bicyclist, the stunt driver locks the rear wheels to make noise and smoke. When he drives off, the rear wheels are still locked.

Quotes:

Abby: OK. So say you meet one of these no sparks women, and you really take the time to get to know her and then you become intellectually stimulated by her. You just really enjoy her personality, thereby igniting all your lust and passion. Have you ever thought about that?
Brian: Are you going to eat that?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Sopranos: D-Girl (#2.7)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Russian Elegy

Playfully clever Cyrano adaptation

A modern retelling of the Cyrano de Bergerac tale, except the genders are reversed. Janeane Garafalo is a veterinarian on a radio talk show who gives on-air advice to pet owners. However, she has a poor self-image about her looks, and cocoons herself away from possible relationships, in an effort to shield herself from inevitable disappointment and hurt.

If the movie has one weakness, it's the fact that Garafalo is cast as an ugly duckling. No way, folks; this woman is beautiful. Depending on whether one prefers petite brunettes or tall blondes, you may think she's even cuter than co-star Uma Thurman.

Both Garafalo and Thurman are splendid, and play off each other well in their awkward friendship/romantic rivalry situation. Thurman's ditsy wanna-be actress is very sympathetic; Garafalo's intellectual but emotionally guarded Dr. Abby at times is heartbreaking. Ben Chaplin as Brian, the object of their affections, turns in a good performance of his own. One scene where two of these actors interact with eyes only--no dialogue for at least 30 sec.--is extremely powerful.

Funny bits pop up at strategic moments. The banter between Abby and Brian is like a one-liner ping-pong match; their spontaneous wit is fun to ride along with (almost like a Neil Simon play). Brian's dog is one of the best animals in a flick that I've seen in a while, he did comedy as well as his human counterparts.

A good movie worth spending an evening on, especially as a date flick.