Breaking Away (1979)

Breaking Away poster

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Starring:
 Dennis Christopher, Paul Dooley, Daniel Stern
Directed by: Peter Yates

Cat Out of the Bag Alert!  This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: Dave (Dennis Christopher) is an aspiring cyclist from a small town in Indiana who dreams of being as great as the Italian cyclists he emulates.

Featured Feline: Dave’s family owns a tabby cat and we first see him sitting on Dave’s bed.

Breaking Away - tabby cat Fellini Jake sitting on bed

Dave is obsessed with everything Italian and even speaks Italian around home. He addresses the cat as Fellini and offers him some cat food in a Cinzano ashtray.

Breaking Away - tabby cat Fellini Jake sitting on bed with Dave Dennis Christopher

Breaking Away - tabby cat Fellini Jake standing on bed

Breaking Away - tabby cat Fellini Jake sitting on bed with Dave Dennis Christopher and food

Breaking Away - tabby cat Fellini Jake on bed with Dave Dennis Christopher holding out food

Later Dave’s dad (Paul Dooley) is sitting in the living room with the cat on his lap. He sets the cat aside when he gets up to have dinner.

Breaking Away - tabby cat on Dad's Paul Dooley's lap in background

Breaking Away - tabby cat Fellini Jake on chair in background

At one point the cat gets up at the table and the mother (Barbara Barrie) scolds the cat, calling him Fellini. The father objects, saying the cat is his and his name is Jake.

Breaking Away - tabby cat Fellini Jake on kitchen table with Mom Barbara Barrie and Dad Paul Dooley

Jake, aka Fellini, is sitting on Dave’s bed when Dave’s friend Cyril (Daniel Stern) is practicing a song on the guitar.

Breaking Away - tabby cat Fellini Jake sitting up on bed

Cyril makes the comment that he’ll make the catgut meow and strums hard, scaring away the cat.

Breaking Away - tabby cat Fellini Jake jumping from bed and running away when Cyril Daniel Stern strums guitar animated gif

Fellini / Jake is only seen once more in the film when Dave is tearing the posters off his wall.

Breaking Away - tabby cat Fellini Jake sitting on bed while Dave Dennis Christopher is tearing down posters

Final Mewsings: Cats don’t care what you call them, just don’t call them late for dinner!


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