Proof (1991)

Proof poster

House & Moorhouse Films
Starring: Russell Crowe, Hugo Weaving
Directed by: Jocelyn Moorhouse

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

Synopsis: Martin (Hugo Weaving) is a blind photographer with trust issues who befriends restaurant worker Andy (Russell Crowe) causing jealousy for Martin’s possessive housekeeper (Geneviève Picot).

Featured Feline: As Andy is taking out trash behind the restaurant, a Bengal tabby cat he calls Ugly is eating from some trash.

Proof - Bengal tabby cat Ugly eating bits of meat in crate

Proof - Bengal tabby cat Ugly in crate

Kitty Carnage Warning! Andy throws Ugly some tidbits of meat. At this moment, Martin is walking down the alley, feeling his way with a cane. The cane accidentally knocks over some bottles which causes Martin to tumble into the crates and boxes where Ugly is eating.

Proof - Bengal tabby cat Ugly eating meat in alley as Martin Hugo Weaving approaches

Martin gathers himself and walks away. Andy moves to gather the fallen items and sees that Ugly is now lying motionless beneath the debris. It should be noted that from this moment on the cat appears to be a fake cat.

Proof - Bengal tabby cat Ugly lying motionless beneath trash being moved by Andy Russell Crowe

Some time later, Martin is leaving the restaurant through the back when Andy stops him and says he killed Ugly. Andy shows Martin the cat lying in a garbage can and Martin realizes Ugly is not dead. Martin gathers up the cat and starts to carry him away, saying he knows someone who can help. Andy offers to drive.

Proof - limp Bengal tabby cat Ugly being held by Martin Hugo Weaving

They arrive at a veterinary clinic and sit in the waiting room. Martin hands Ugly to Andy and asks him to pose for a picture.

Proof - limp Bengal tabby cat Ugly lying in lap

Proof - limp Bengal tabby cat Ugly being held by Martin Hugo Weaving in veterinary waiting room with Andy Russell Crowe

Martin takes a series of photos with Ugly, Andy and some of the other people in the waiting room with their pets. This includes a woman who has a cream-colored Persian.

Proof - cream colored Persian cat in lap

Proof - photo of cream colored Persian cat held up by woman

Proof - photo of limp Bengal tabby cat Ugly being held up by Andy Russell Crowe with woman holding cream colored Persian cat

Proof - photo of limp Bengal tabby cat Ugly being held by Andy Russell Crowe with other people and pets

The photos then show how Ugly is taken in to see the vet and makes an apparently miraculous recovery (a real cat is brought back for the last of these). What happens to Ugly after this is now known.

Proof - photo of Bengal tabby cat Ugly in veterinary office with Andy Russell Crowe