by Mark Murton

Directed by: Michael Whyte

Synopsis: Northern Irish artist, Helen Cuffe (Julie Christie), widowed by an IRA bomb, embarks on a new life on the coast with her teenage son Jack. Romance slowly blossoms when she meets a mysterious American, Roger Hawthorne (Donald Sutherland), who is in the area to refurbish an old train station, but her son’s involvement with a violent political group threatens to spoil this second chance at happiness.

Purr Blur: We learn early on that Helen has a cat when during dinner Jack walks out over an argument about politics. When she points out he hasn’t even started eating his food his terse reply is “Give it to the cat”. Despite this it’s still some time before we actually see the cat, sitting on a chair behind Helen who is kneeling on the floor of her studio trimming a canvas when Roger walks in. Both she and the cat turn to look at him.

The cat turns away as Helen stands and goes to Roger as he admires one of her paintings. Even though there are various other scenes in Helen’s studio and in the house, this is the cat’s only appearance. The kitty is mentioned just once more when, after spending the night with Roger, he wants her to stay a while but she insists she has to go to “feed the cat.”

Final Mewsings: Maybe the cat actor had a train to catch?

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