The Beach Bum (2019)

Directed by: Harmony Korine

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

Synopsis: Moondog (Matthew McConaughey) is a poet, stoner and rebel living life his own way in the Florida Keys.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): At the beginning of the film Moondog comes across a tiny white kitten which he claims as his own.

The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey finding tiny white kitten
The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey finding tiny white kitten
The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey finding tiny white kitten animated gif

The kitten is seen with Moondog throughout the opening and closing segments which take place in the Keys.

The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey sitting on bench with tiny white kitten
The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey with tiny white kitten
The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey holding tiny white kitten animated gif
The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey writing with tiny white kitten

Moondog even takes the kitten to the clubs and bars.

The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey reciting in club with tiny white kitten
The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey reciting in club with tiny white kitten
The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey at outdoor bar with tiny white kitten
The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey at outdoor bar with tiny white kitten
The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey at outdoor bar with tiny white kitten
The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey petting tiny white kitten animated gif

In one scene Moondogs pours some milk for the kitten and then adds some beer. He ends up drinking the concoction himself.

The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey pouring milk for tiny white kitten
The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey pouring beer into milk for tiny white kitten
The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey drinking beer and milk with tiny white kitten

At the end of the film, Moondog has returned to the Keys and resumes his attachment to the kitten.

The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey holding tiny white kitten
The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey holding tiny white kitten

They are on Moondog’s yacht as they watch the fireworks display he arranged.

The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey holding tiny white kitten
The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey lying on yacht with tiny white kitten

In the unique ending, the kitten remains with Moondog as he makes his final shocking act of rebellion (we don’t want to give away too much!)

The Beach Bum - tiny white kitten sitting on stacks of money
The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey holding tiny white kitten sailing away from burning yacht

Assistant director Sam Hayes is quoted as saying, “The kitten is one of our early introductions to Moondog, the protagonist in the movie. He just happens upon this perfect white kitten, in a drunken, raw, on the dock—he’s just like, stumbling drunk. He comes across this kitten, and it becomes his kind of, like, sidekick in the first segment of the film. You look at this dude, and he seems kind of like a wild street drunk, but then he has this kitten and you realize he’s kind of, like, an amazing, innocent soul, you know?”

The Beach Bum - tiny white kitten on couch

The animal supervisor on the film was Stacy Moreno with Kitten Wrangling credit going to Martha Davis.

The Beach Bum - Moondog Matthew McConaughey at outdoor bar with tiny white kitten

Final Mewsings: Nothing good can come from giving kittens beer.

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