The Cat in the Hat (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Cat in the Hat |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Bo Welch |
| Produced by | Brian Grazer |
| Screenplay by |
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| Narrated by | Victor Brandt |
| Starring | |
| Music by | David Newman |
| Cinematography | Emmanuel Lubezki |
| Editing by | Don Zimmerman |
| Studio | Imagine Entertainment |
| Distributed by |
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| Release date(s) | November 21, 2003 (United States) |
| Running time | 82 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $109 million |
| Money made | $134 million |
The Cat in the Hat is a 2003 American comedy film. It was directed by Bo Welch, which was his first time directing a movie. The story was written by Alec Berg, David Mandel, and Jeff Schaffer.
The film is based on the famous 1957 book of the same name by Dr. Seuss. It was the second movie based on a Dr. Seuss book to be made with real actors. The first was How the Grinch Stole Christmas in 2000.
The movie stars Mike Myers as the Cat. Other actors include Alec Baldwin, Kelly Preston, Dakota Fanning, and Spencer Breslin.
Making the movie started in 1997. At first, Tim Allen was going to play the Cat. But he had to leave because he was busy with another movie, The Santa Clause 2. So, Mike Myers took over the role.
Filming for The Cat in the Hat happened in California. It took about three months to finish. To make the short book into a full movie, new characters and extra story parts were added.
The film came out on November 21, 2003, in the United States. It was released by Universal Pictures. The movie made $134 million around the world. This was more than its budget of $109 million.
However, many movie critics did not like the film. They thought the story, humor, and how Mike Myers played the Cat were not good. They also felt it didn't stay true to the original book. But some people did like the music and the way the movie looked.
Because of how the movie was received, Dr. Seuss's wife, Audrey Geisel, decided not to allow any more live-action movies based on his books. This meant a planned sequel, based on The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, was canceled. All Dr. Seuss movies made after this one have been animated.
As of 2018, a new animated Cat in the Hat movie is being planned. It is being developed by Warner Bros. Pictures through their Warner Animation Group studio.
Contents
The Story of the Cat in the Hat
A Day at Home
Conrad and Sally Walden live in the city of Anville. They live with their mom, Joan. Joan works as a real estate agent. Her boss, Hank Humberfloob, is very strict.
One day, Joan leaves her kids at home with their babysitter, Mrs. Kwan. Joan has to go back to her office. She tells Conrad and Sally not to go into the living room. It needs to stay perfect for a party she is having that night.
Meeting the Cat
After Mrs. Kwan falls asleep, Sally and Conrad meet a strange visitor. It's The Cat in the Hat! He is a tall, talking cat with a red-and-white striped top hat. He also wears a big red bow tie.
The Cat tries to convince the kids to have fun. But as they play, the Cat makes a huge mess in the house. He jumps on the couch and bakes cupcakes that explode. He even uses Joan's dress to clean the wall!
Things 1 and 2
The Cat also brings out two mischievous creatures. They are called Thing 1 and Thing 2. They come from a special crate. The Cat tells Conrad not to open the crate. He says it's a door to his world.
But Conrad doesn't listen. He opens the lock on the crate. The crate then grabs onto the collar of the family dog, Nevins. Nevins runs away!
The Search for Nevins
The Cat, Conrad, and Sally go looking for Nevins. They end up at a party for Sally's old friend, Denise. At the party, the Cat pretends to be a piñata.
Meanwhile, the Waldens' neighbor, Larry Quinn, is dating Joan. But Larry is actually unemployed and in debt. He wants to marry Joan only for her money. He also wants to send Conrad to military school.
A Race Against Time
While the kids and Cat are looking for Nevins, Larry sees the dog and takes him. The kids and the Cat chase Larry in the Cat's super-powered car. Larry goes to tell Joan what's happening.
But the Cat tricks Larry into giving Nevins back. Thing 1 and Thing 2 pretend to be police officers. This helps the Cat and kids get home before Larry. Larry realizes what they are doing and chases them on a police motorcycle. He tells Joan to meet him at the house.
The Mother of All Messes
When the kids and the Cat get back to the house, Larry stops them. He orders them inside. Conrad tries to warn him about the mess. But Larry makes them go in anyway.
The Cat surprises Larry. Larry is allergic to cats, so he starts sneezing a lot. The house turns into "The Mother of All Messes." It looks like paper falling apart. Larry falls into a gooey pit.
The Cat and the kids try to find the crate and lock it. When they do, the house goes back to its normal size. But then it immediately falls apart again! The kids get angry at the Cat. They realize he planned the whole messy day. They tell him to leave.
Cleaning Up and Happy Endings
Conrad and Sally are ready to face their mom's anger. But the Cat changes his mind. He comes back with a special cleaning machine. He fixes the house perfectly. Conrad and Sally make up with the Cat and thank him. Then, the Cat leaves just before Joan arrives.
Larry, covered in goo, also comes back. He thinks he has caught the kids. But Joan sees the clean house. She doesn't believe Larry's story and breaks up with him. Conrad and Sally are very happy about this.
After a successful party, Joan spends time with her kids. They all jump on the couch together. The Cat and Things 1 and 2 walk off into the sunset.
Who's Who in the Movie
- Mike Myers as The Cat in the Hat: A tall, talking cat with a Brooklyn accent. He wears a big red bow tie and a magical red-and-white striped top hat. His hat has many funny gadgets.
- Spencer Breslin as Conrad Walden: Joan's son and Sally's older brother. He is often mischievous and gets into trouble.
- Dakota Fanning as Sally Walden: Joan's daughter and Conrad's younger sister. She is usually well-behaved and likes to follow rules.
- Kelly Preston as Joan Walden: Conrad and Sally's single mother. She works very hard as a real estate agent.
- Alec Baldwin as Larry Quinn: The main bad guy. He is the Waldens' lazy neighbor. He is allergic to cats and wants to marry Joan for her money. He also wants to send Conrad away to military school.
- Amy Hill as Mrs. Kwan: The kids' babysitter. She is often asleep on the job, which is a funny part of the movie.
- Sean Hayes as Hank Humberfloob: Joan's boss. He is very strict and doesn't like germs. He can fire employees for small mistakes.
- Sean Hayes also provides the voice for the family fish. The fish is a bit grumpy.
- Danielle Chuchran and Taylor Rice as Thing 1, and Brittany Oaks and Talia-Lynn Prairie as Thing 2: Two playful, trouble-making creatures. They come with the Cat. Dan Castellaneta provides their voices.
- Steven Anthony Lawrence as Dumb Schweitzer: A younger boy who is not very smart.
- Bugsy as Nevins: The Waldens' pet dog. Frank Welker provides his voice. Welker also voiced Max the dog in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
- Paige Hurd as Denise: Sally's former friend.
Movie Music
| The Cat in the Hat | |
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| Film score / Soundtrack album by
David Newman
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| Released | November 18, 2003 |
| Recorded | 2003 |
| Genre | Orchestra |
| Length | 51:55 |
| Label | BMG Soundtracks |
The music for the movie was released on November 18, 2003. David Newman wrote the score for the film. The soundtrack also has a song by the band Smash Mouth called "Getting Better". This was the third movie starring Mike Myers in a row to feature a Smash Mouth song.
The movie's trailer used a song called "Hey! Pachuco!" by the Royal Crown Revue. Mike Myers, who plays the Cat, also sings two songs on the soundtrack. David Newman's music won an award called the BMI Film Music Award.
Video Game Fun
A platform game based on the movie was released. It came out for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Game Boy Advance on November 5, 2003. A version for Microsoft Windows was released on November 9, 2003. This was just before the movie came out in theaters.
