Doppelganger (1993)

Doppelganger poster

Incorporated Television Company (ITC)
Starring:
 Drew Barrymore, George Newbern
Directed by: Avi Nesher

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

Synopsis: An aspiring Hollywood writer named Patrick Highsmith (George Newbern) rents a room in his apartment to an unusual girl named Holly Gooding (Drew Barrymore) who claims she is being stalked by a doppelganger.

Featured Feline: Patrick owns a tabby cat named Nathan. When Holly first sees him, she asks, “Is that your cat?” “That’s Nathan,” Patrick explains enthusiastically, “Nathan is great.” Nathan is sniffing at something on the floor which could be a hairball, but it’s not clear.

Doppelganger - tabby cat Nathan sniffing at something on floor

Doppelganger - tabby cat Nathan standing beside something on floor

Patrick walks over and picks up Nathan, explaining, “He’s very talented. He makes his own clothes.” Seeing that Holly doesn’t look thrilled he sighs, “If you have a problem with it, he’s mostly an outside cat.”

Doppelganger - Patrick George Newbern approaching tabby cat Nathan

Doppelganger - Patrick George Newbern holding tabby cat Nathan

Doppelganger - Patrick George Newbern holding tabby cat Nathan

This would explain why Nathan is not seen much in the film outside of a few scenes. One takes places a short time later when Nathan is on the bar watching Patrick cook in the kitchen. Holly joins him as the cat first licks his paw (something was likely placed on the paw to make the cat lick) and then walks back and forth, finally jumping down on the floor.

Doppelganger - Patrick George Newbern in kitchen with tabby cat Nathan on bar

Doppelganger - Holly Drew Barrymore and Patrick George Newbern in kitchen with tabby cat Nathan on bar

Doppelganger - Holly Drew Barrymore and Patrick George Newbern in kitchen with tabby cat Nathan on bar

Doppelganger - Holly Drew Barrymore and Patrick George Newbern in kitchen with tabby cat Nathan on bar

Nathan next appears briefly when Patrick wakes up on the kitchen floor to a disgusting mess after a night having sex with Holly. Nathan saunters out of the kitchen as if to say, “Not my mess!”

Doppelganger - Patrick George Newbern in kitchen with tabby cat Nathan on messy kitchen floor

Nathan is also with Patrick when he wakes up screaming from a bad dream. Needless to say Nathan is startled and runs away.

Doppelganger - Patrick George Newbern waking up from bad dream with tabby cat Nathan on his chest

Kitty Carnage Warning:  Sadly Patrick returns to the apartment one night after Holly has been arrested for murder to find Nathan hanging, dead. A fake cat was obviously used for this shot.

Final Mewsings: Who will make Nathan’s burial clothes?


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