Kill Your Darlings (2013)

by Linda Kay

Directed by: John Krokidas

This review contains a Near Kitty Carnage Warning!

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

Synopsis: Allen Ginsberg (Daniel Radcliffe) arrives at college and meets some fellow writers; The rebellious Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan), experimental William Burroughs (Ben Foster) and the innovative Jack Kerouac (Jack Huston). Together they set out to change the trajectory of literary convention, but the shocking murder of fellow writer, David Kammerer (Michael C. Hall), threatens to impact their plans.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): Jack, who is staying at the home of his girlfriend Edie (Elizabeth Olsen), owns a longhair white cat wearing a belled collar. The cat first appears when Jack throws a football to Allen and knocks a painting off the wall. When Edie calls from the other room to ask what happened, Kerouac quickly blames the “damn cat.” A barely audible Poor Cat Screech comes shortly afterward.

Kill Your Darlings - longhair white cat Kit Kat

Later Jack returns home with Lucien to find Edie eating birthday cake with her grandmother. The cat is on a bookcase eating something in the background.

Kill Your Darlings - longhair white cat Kit Kat on bookcase behind Edie Elizabeth Olsen and grandmother

In the next shot the cat is suddenly on a chair behind Edie.

Kill Your Darlings - longhair white cat Kit Kat on chair behind Edie Elizabeth Olsen and grandmother

Kill Your Darlings - longhair white cat Kit Kat on chair

Lucien is being stalked by David who appears at the window of the home. After being rebuffed, David eyes the cat who is meowing on the floor.

Kill Your Darlings - longhair white cat Kit Kat on floor in dark room

Jack awakens a short time later to some strange sounds and goes to investigate. He finds the poor cat closed into the oven with the gas turned on and quickly rescues the kitty, clutching the animal close to him as the cat lets out a louder Poor Cat Screech.

Kill Your Darlings - longhair white cat Kit Kat being held by Jack Kerouac Jack Huston with Lucien Carr Dane DeHaan

Kill Your Darlings - longhair white cat Kit Kat being held by Jack Kerouac Jack Huston

According to an online script the cat’s character name was Kit Kat, although this is not mentioned in the film itself.

Kill Your Darlings - longhair white cat Kit Kat sitting on lap of Lucien Carr Dane DeHaan on couch — **Dane DeHaan on set with feline thespian who played Kit Kat**.

Kerouac was known as a cat lover in real life, a trait he developed thanks to his brother Gerard who taught him to love cats when he was young. Jack owned a cat named Tyke who was lovingly written about in the author’s memoir entitled Big Sur.