The January Man (1989)

Directed by: Pat O’Connor

Not Safe Fur Work! This review contains some nude imagery.

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

Synopsis: Unconventional police officer Nick Starkey (Kevin Kline) is reinstated on the force to catch a serial killer.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): Nick’s neighbor and friend Ed (Alan Rickman) is in Nick’s apartment painting a nude model named Olympia (Katherine E. Miller) with a black cat. The cat modeling for the painting is actually just a tiny black kitten. A parrot is also present in the room.

The January Man - Olympia Katherine E. Miller posing with black kitten with Ed Alan Rickman

Olympia is reading a magazine that the kitten in standing on. She picks up the kitten and drops it off the couch.

The January Man - Olympia Katherine E. Miller with black kitten on magazine

Ed tells Nick to catch the kitten and place it at Olympia’s feet. Nick has to run back and forth to try to catch the kitten, which darts along the back of the couch.

The January Man - Olympia Katherine E. Miller with black kitten on back of couch
The January Man - Olympia Katherine E. Miller with black kitten on back of couch

Nick is finally able to get a hold of the kitten and place it at the model’s feet, but the kitten just runs around the couch again.

The January Man - Nick picking up black kitten
The January Man - Nick setting black kitten back on couch
The January Man - Olympia Katherine E. Miller with black kitten on back of couch retrieved by Nick animated gif

Nick points a finger at the kitten and orders it to “Stay!” but the kitten reaches for his finger instead.

The January Man - Olympia Katherine E. Miller with Nick Kevin Kline pointing at black kitten on couch
The January Man - Olympia Katherine E. Miller with Nick Kevin Kline and rearing black kitten on couch
The January Man - Olympia Katherine E. Miller with black kitten on couch being told to stay by Nick Kevin Kline animated gif

Later in the movie Nick and Ed are in Nick’s new office at the police station when Police Chief Vincent Alcoa (Danny Aiello) walks in. He is shocked to see Nick sitting with his feet on the window, accompanied by the parrot and the black kitten.

The January Man - Nick Kevin Kline with parrot and black kitten in office
The January Man - Nick Kevin Kline with parrot and black kitten in office
The January Man - Vincent Alcoa Danny Aiello entering office to find Nick Kevin Kline with black kitten and parrot animated gif

The parrot and kitten are not seen again and it is never explained how they leave the police station. The animal trainer on the film was Rick Parker.

The January Man - Nick Kevin Kline with black kitten in office

Final Mewsings: The kitten was just trying to escape from this movie.

Many thanks to Mark Murton for letting us know about the kitten in this film!

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