Directed by: Peter Hewitt
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains spoilers for this film!
Synopsis: Museum security guards Roger (Christopher Walken), Charles (Morgan Freeman) and George (William H. Macy) are obsessed with specific works of art and plan to steal the pieces when they find out the entire exhibition is moving overseas.
Cat Cattle Call: Charles is obsessed with the Hal Yaskulka painting entitled Girl With Cats.
His home is filled with his attempts to recreate the girl and her cats. He also happens to own numerous cats.
As Charles prepares to show Roger and George his model of the museum (made mainly out of cat food boxes) he reaches over to remove a Himalayan cat from the display. A Poor Cat Screech is dubbed in as he moves the kitty.
Cats are present in the background as the heist is planned and during other scenes set in Charles’ apartment. Other cat mews and cries are dubbed in (in fact this movie uses an awful lot of stock cat sounds.)
As the robbery starts to get underway, the men are shown on split screens. Charles is holding and petting the Himalayan cat.
Charles then bids his cats goodbye and leaves.
Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): Amazingly, Charles brings along one of his cats as he drives the van that will take the art away.
The ginger tabby is named Renoir after the painter. “He likes to ride in the car sometimes,” Charles explains.
Renoir is seen in the van as things go awry and Roger and Charles have to try to rescue George from an awkward situation.
Along the way they pick up Roger’s wife, Rose (Marcia Gay Harden), who is expecting a trip to Florida. As she waits for Roger in the van, she holds and pets Renoir. She explains she used to have a white cat named Snuggles when she was a little girl.
The animal trainer on the film was Gleanna Doyle with Rhodes Collar.
Final Mewsings: Cats don’t know art but they know whether or not they like car rides!
Many thanks to Mark Murton and Wahrhaftig for letting us know about the cats in this film.
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