Waking Ned (1998)

American Title: Waking Ned Devine
Directed by: Kirk Jones

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

Synopsis: A small Irish village is rocked when one of their residents wins the lottery but dies at the shock. So how to cash in his winnings?

Kitty Cameo: Resident Jackie O’Shea (Ian Bannen) convinces his friend Michael O’Sullivan (David Kelly) that they can trick the lottery board into thinking Michael is the deceased lottery winner, Ned Devine (Jimmy Keogh). In one scene, Jackie is trying to delay the lottery representative outside Ned’s home while Michael gets in place. A tabby cat approaches them outside the front door.

Waking Ned Devine - tabby cat outside cottage with Jackie O'Shea Ian Bannen and lottery official
Waking Ned Devine - tabby cat outside cottage with Jackie O'Shea Ian Bannen and lottery official

When Jackie turns to run around the cottage, the cat runs away.

Waking Ned Devine - tabby cat outside cottage with Jackie O'Shea Ian Bannen and lottery official

Cat Cattle Call: Later in the film, Jackie, his wife Annie (Fionnula Flanagan), and Michael go to visit the cantankerous and reclusive Lizzy Quinn (Eileen Dromey), the only one in the village not willing to go along with the fraud without additional compensation. Lizzy is also a crazy cat lady with numerous cats around her home.

Waking Ned Devine - tabby cats eating on table
Waking Ned Devine - Lizzy Quinn Eileen Dromey in front of tabby cats eating on table
Waking Ned Devine - Annie Fionnula Flanagan with black and tuxedo cats in background
Waking Ned Devine - Lizzy Quinn Eileen Dromey Jackie O'Shea Ian Bannen Michael O'Sullivan David Kelly and Annie Fionnula Flanagan in room with cats
Waking Ned Devine - Jackie O'Shea Ian Bannen and Michael O'Sullivan David Kelly on couch with gray cat behind them on dresser

Final Mewsings: Crazy cat ladies are not usually so disagreeable.

Many thanks to Nick Wale for letting us know about the cat in this film!

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