Starring: Smarty Pants
Directed by: Michael Peterson
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!
Synopsis: 12 year old Henry (Luca Villacis) is dropped off at his grandfather’s (Michael Ironside) remote farm just before a major storm hits. Circumstances quickly devolve to where Henry must fight for his life against a nasty predator.
Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): While gathering wood at the open woodshed, Henry is startled by a snarling torbie (the snarl is actually dubbed in).
Henry sets up a box trap and then beats the pile with a stick until the cat runs for the shelter of the box and is trapped.
The cat growls while sticking its paw through a hole in the box.
Henry seems to contemplate what to do for a moment then uses a stick to lift the box, freeing the cat. This not only sets up Henry’s skill at setting traps but also shows him to be compassionate. The cat does not appear again.
The cat actor was played by torbie rescue cat Smarty Pants and trained by Courtney Voth. The animal coordinator was Flo Krisko with Alberta Film Animals.
Photo used with permission of Courtney Voth.
Final Mewsings: Good kids release cats; better kids don’t trap them in the first place!
Many thanks to Courtney Voth for providing information on the cat actor and trainers for this film.
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