The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Michael Lehmann

Writer (WGA):

Audrey Wells (written by)

Release Date:

26 April 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Brian's about to discover the woman he loves isn't the woman he loves.

Plot:

A successful veternarian & radio show host with low self-esteem asks her model friend to impersonate her when a handsome man wants to see her.

Plot Keywords:

Self Esteem | Model | Dog | Art | Mistaken Identity

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Uma Thurman	...	Noelle
Janeane Garofalo	...	Abby
Ben Chaplin	...	Brian
Jamie Foxx	...	Ed
James McCaffrey	...	Roy
Richard Coca	...	Eric
Stanley DeSantis	...	Mario
Antoinette Valente	...	Susan
Mitch Rouse	...	Bee Man
La Tanya M. Fisher	...	Emily
Faryn Einhorn	...	Child Model
David Cross	...	Voice of Male Radio Caller / Bookstore Man
Mary Lynn Rajskub	...	Female Radio Caller (voice)
Bob Odenkirk	...	Bookstore Man
Dechen Thurman	...	Bookstore Cashier

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 on appeal for a sex-related scene and brief strong language.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Philippines:PG-13 | South Korea:18 | Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Germany:12 (w) | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (appeal) (Approved No. 34015) | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Abbot's Habit - 1401 Abbot Kinney Blvd , Venice, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Janeane Garofalo, a shade over five feet tall, sometimes had to stand on a box just to be in the same frame with 6-foot co-star Uma Thurman.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Brian is crawling on the floor towards Hank when he first talks to Abby on the phone, you can clearly see kneepads on under his jeans

Quotes:

Abby: Did you call me?
Roy: What?
Abby: I heard dumb bitch. I assumed you were talking to me.
Roy: I was talking to her.
Abby: Your name is dumb bitch TOO? No wonder I keep getting all of your mail! You know, we could be related. There are a lot of us dumb bitches here in LA.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Sopranos: D-Girl (#2.7)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

For Once In My Life

Truth Must Be Told: I like this romantic comedy that echoes "Syrano de Bergerac".

Janeane Garofalo stars as Abby, a veterinarian who has her own radio show. She is a cultured, educated woman, who is smart, has a good sense of humor and makes a great living. The problem is that her self-esteem is low because she does not find herself attractive being 5'1 brunette who once upon a time while in college had gained 40 pounds. Well, she looked like she lost all of them and she was charming if you ask me (perhaps, it is solidarity of another 5'0 brunette ) but when she developed a relationship over the phone with one of the callers, she tells him that she is 5'10" statuesque blonde who is hard to miss. The blonde (Uma Thurman) happened to be her next-door neighbor, the aspiring model/actress who agrees to go on the date instead of Abby... It may sound like cliché, and the film has several holes in the plot but is very enjoyable thanks to wonderful performance by Janeane and to these words:

"You know how someone's appearance can change the longer you know them? How a really attractive person, if you don't like them, can become more and more ugly; whereas someone you might not have even have noticed... that you wouldn't look at more than once, if you love them, can become the most beautiful thing you've ever seen. All you want to do is be near them."

7/10