The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996)

What makes it different from others?

Load of rubbish!!

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

When I read the synopsis for "The Truth About Cats & Dogs" I was hoping that it would not be another one of those overly sappy and corny romantic comedy that the movie industry tends to spew out by the dozens. And I was hoping it would be more than such, especially because it had Janeane Garofalo on the cast list.I sat down to watch it in 2016, 20 years after it was released. And this was actually the first time that I have seen it, believe it or not.And it turned out that "The Truth About Cats & Dogs" was a rather enjoyable movie, and one that did offer a bit more than your average run-of-the-mill romantic comedies.The story is about low self-esteemed radio show host Abby who gives a caller named Brian some good advice on how to befriend a dog. And when Brian wants to repay her for her helpful advice, Abby turns to Noelle, a tall model living in her building, to stand in for her and pretend to be her.Of course, there are elements of classic romantic comedy to "The Truth About Cats & Dogs", but it does have more than just that. I liked the aspect of the switched roles and pretending to be someone you are not, as it offered a different approach to the story.And the cast in "The Truth About Cats & Dogs" was just phenomenal. Uma Thurman and Ben Chaplin were doing great jobs and were nicely cast. However, it was Jeneane Garofalo who stole the scene, without a doubt. With her amazing on-screen charisma and presence, she just carried the movie so well on her shoulders. She was an absolute delight to witness in this movie.I was more than genuinely entertained by "The Truth About Cats & Dogs" and it turned out to be a much better movie than I had hoped. So if you haven't already seen his movie, and if you enjoy romantic comedies, then I can more than warmly recommend that you take the time to sit down and watch "The Truth About Cats & Dogs"."The Truth About Cats & Dogs" scores a solid six out of ten stars rating from me.

A romantic comedy that got by quite a few moviegoers during its original release, The Truth About Cats and Dogs is a 1996 comedy which could be considered a distaff re-thinking of Cyrano de Bergerac, not up to the quality of Steve Martin's Roxanne, but a fun and smart film that should have made a genuine movie star out of its leading lady.The film stars stand-up comedienne Janeane Garafalo as Abby, the host of the radio call-in show of the title, who almost simultaneously connects with a handsome dog owner named Brian (Ben Chaplin) who calls her show and a beautiful neighbor named Noelle (Uma Thurman) who has just escaped an abusive relationship. When Brian shows up at the radio station to thank Abby for the advice he gave her on the air, a frightfully insecure Abby asks Noelle to pretend to be Abby, but immediately regrets it when she realizes that Brian is sincerely smitten with Noelle's personality, which is really Abby's but Abby is scared that she will scare Brian off when he finds out she doesn't look like Noelle.This comedy sucks us in right from the beginning because the character of Abby is immensely likable and, as an observer to the goings-on, we don't understand Abby's insecurity about herself and we're certain she and Brian would be instant soul mates. However, the story aggravates as we realize that as much as he loves Abby's personality, he is also smitten by the package wrapped around it in Noelle. Even Noelle, not the brightest bulb in the row, realizes it is Abby that Brian wants but can't convince Abby to come clean.Audrey Well's screenplay is clever and serves its cast well. Garafalo is an absolute revelation in the role of Abby, her first leading screen role...sort of a Streisand for the 90's, the gal who may not be a raving beauty, but has enough brains and wit to make her looks seems not so important. Garafalo's performance here should have made her an instant movie star, but mysteriously, it didn't. Uma Thurman brings a substance to the role of the empty-headed Noelle that really isn't in the screenplay and Ben Chaplin is a very sexy leading man, a guy who thinks he's torn between two women, but really isn't. The scene where Garafalo and Chaplin have an all-night phone conversation is wonderful but further aggravates us as we wonder why Brian seems oblivious to the fact that the voice of radio Abby is different than the voice of Noelle/Abby and the fact that he accepts Abby's explanation that she uses a "radio voice" is kind of hard to swallow, but I digress. The film is funny and smart and kept me interested until the final reel because, refreshing for a contemporary film comedy, the ending isn't really foreshadowed. A romantic comedy with a one-of-a-kind lead character that will charm and endear her to you.

Dr. Abby Barnes (Janeane Garofalo) hosts the "Truth About Cats and Dogs" radio show. Caller Brian (Ben Chaplin) wants to meet Abby. She gives him a description of her hot neighbor Noelle (Uma Thurman). She comes to the rescue standing up to Noelle's brutish manager-boyfriend. Brian comes to the station to find Abby but mistakes Noelle as Abby. Abby becomes the fake best friend Donna. He falls for Abby's voice and Noelle's body. Ed (Jamie Foxx) is Brian's best friend.It's Cyrano de Bergerac on the surface but more of a sitcom in its substance. These are two dimensional characters. Smart mouthed Garofalo is adorable. Uma Thurman is playing it a little too dumb. At least they have some fun together. The mistaken identity is cute and silly but not really that deep. It's definitely sitcomy with Noelle sticking her finger up a turtle's butt. The best part of the movie is the girls' friendship. The romance isn't quite so compelling and very melodramatic.

I liked it but then I think I might have been ironing at the same time. This reworking of Cyrano de Bergerac/Roxanne is an utterly undemanding, formulaic romcom rescued from straight-to-video ignominy on its release by the sharp turn of Janeane Garofalo. Playing the Frasier of Pets, she finds herself caught in a love trap when insecurity leads her to pass her best friend (Uma Thurman) off as herself when a caller comes a-courtin'.This is an interesting film in the fascinating career of Ben Chaplin. An average British actor, he gave the Hollywood treadmill a shot with this film. He is unremarkable and his anonymity in studio productions is unsurprising on the basis of it, although he has appeared in substantial cameos in both the later Terence Malick films. Uma Thurman does a ditzy turn on autopilot and Michael Lehmann packages it all together competently. Icky phone sex though. 4/10