Directed by: Burt Reynolds
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!
Synopsis: Sonny Lawson (Burt Reynolds) finds out he has a rare blood disease and is going to die, causing him to contemplate suicide.
Cat Cattle Call: Sonny is married but is seeing a girl named Mary Ellen (Sally Field) on the side. She lives in a small house which is extremely unkempt. Her housemates are numerous cats, three of which are seen prominently. The first is a large ginger and white tabby cat who is sitting beside the bed when Sonny tells Mary Ellen he is dying.
Sonny wants to make out with Mary Ellen despite the bad news.
When they do make love, Mary Ellen is more interested in petting the cat.
Later this same cat is sitting on top of the refrigerator.
A gray tabby is in the background behind Sonny.
A small cream tabby kitten is sitting on the kitchen table as Sonny and Mary Ellen discuss why Sonny gets more out of their love making than Mary Ellen does.
Sonny gets so aggravated he even ends up yelling in the direction of the grey tabby, who growls in response (the growls are actually dubbed in).
Even in the midst of their argument, Mary Ellen pauses to call to an unseen kitty in a little house, offering the cat a slice of pizza!
When Sonny returns to the house later in the film, the ginger and white tabby is sitting on the sink.
Mary Ellen even has a large poster of a cat in her room!
Looking for the gun he gave Mary Ellen previously, Sonny digs through the cats’ litter box, tossing cats aside as he searches. The cream kitten watches as this scene begins.
Final Mewsings: Cats are more interesting than just about anything!
Many thanks to Ted Davis and Nick Wale for letting us know about the cats in this film.
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