Columbia Pictures Corporation
Starring: Albert Finney, Ewan McGregor, Perry Walston
Directed by: Tim Burton

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

Synopsis: Will Bloom (Billy Crudup) tries to understand his aging father Ed (Albert Finney) by recalling the far-fetched stories the man told him about his life.

Purr Blurs: One scene recreates a story which Ed Bloom told about when he was ten years old (played at that age by Perry Walston) and visited the home of a witch.  As he slowly moves up the walk towards the house a black cat rushes across his path with a screech.

Moments later another black cat darts back across the porch, this time silently.

Kitty Cameo: Later in the film Ed explains how he first saw his wife when he was a young man (Ewan McGregor) and stopped at a circus.  One of the acts advertised out front is a Daredevil Cat.

The cat in question is a Siamese cat which is seen climbing onto a small platform.

The platform is lifted high above the big top floor.  The cat looks down from the platform.

The cat then jumps from the platform, flying down from a great height . . .

. . . and down . . .

. . . finally landing on a pillow held by his trainer.

Later, time stands still for Ed as he approaches the girl of his dreams (Alison Lohman).  The circus performers are frozen around him, including the cat which is frozen in mid-jump.

Cat Cattle Call: Later in the film Will visits Jennifer Hill (Helena Bonham Carter) at her home in Spectre.  In the following scenes Jenny’s home is filled with cats, both in the present and in the past when she tells the story of Ed’s return to the town.

Finally when Jenny is seen during one of the final moving scenes, she is holding the long-haired calico Maine Coon which had been seen in her home in the previous scenes.

Final Mewsings: All cats are daredevils at heart!

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