The Cat in the Hat (film)
Encyclopedia
The Cat in the Hat is a 2003 American slapstick
comedy film
loosely based on the 1957 book of the same name
by Dr. Seuss
. It was produced by Brian Grazer
and directed by Bo Welch
, and stars Mike Myers
in the title role of the Cat in the Hat, and Dakota Fanning
as Sally. Sally's brother, who is not named in the book, is in this version named "Conrad" and played by Spencer Breslin
.
While the basic plot of the live-action adaptation of The Cat in the Hat revolves around that of the book, the film filled out its 82 minutes by adding new subplots and characters quite different from those of the original story, similar to How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Reviews were critically negative, criticizing the film's serious crude humor and mature content.
Mike Myers stated in an interview (on the day the film was released) that he expected there to be a sequel to the film (since after all, there was a sequel to the book, The Cat in the Hat Comes Back
). However, it's unlikely this will ever happen, as Audrey Geisel (Dr. Seuss's widow) decided there would be no further live-action adaptations of Dr. Seuss' books following the bad reviews of the film, with confirmed legal threats if another live-action Seuss adaptation is produced.
) is called back to work, she gets a babysitter to baby-sit her kids, Conrad (Spencer Breslin
) and Sally (Dakota Fanning
). Conrad, a twelve-year-old boy, has two problems: he is constantly doing the exact opposite of what he is supposed to do and causing trouble, and Sally, Conrad's eight-year-old little sister, tries to stop his trouble making and is being rather bossy and perfect. Their next door neighbor, Lawrence "Larry" Quinn (Alec Baldwin
) dreams of marrying Joan and sending Conrad away to a military school to straighten up his behavior. When Joan leaves, their baby-sitter, Mrs. Kwan (Amy Hill
), falls asleep. Not long after, it starts to rain outside and the children get bored. But then there is a thud somewhere in the house, and as the children go investigate, the Cat in the Hat (Mike Myers
) appears. Once the cat introduces what he is there to do the Fish starts talking, arguing about him being here. The Cat ignores the Fish and then starts balancing on a ball with other things. After this, he convinces Conrad and Sally to sign a contract
which will allow them to have all the fun they want, and will stop anything bad happening.
When they make cupcakes out of everything in the kitchen, the cupcakes explode causing a large, purple
gooey mess. The Cat tries to clean up the mess with Joan's dress, much to the horror of Conrad and Sally. The Cat then brings in a large red crate, opens it, and releases Thing 1 and Thing 2 (voiced by Dan Castellaneta
). Conrad is eager to open the crate again, but the Cat explains that the crate is a transport to his own world, and warns him not to open it. He then locks the crate. Conrad goes against the Cat's rules and sneakily opens the crate. The lock ends up on the collar of his dog, Nevins. Thing 1 and Thing 2 then throw Nevins out the window. Sally fusses over the state of the house, but The Cat warns them that they have more important things to worry about: if they do not put the lock back on the crate, they will be in the middle of "the mother of all messes". The trio puts the humorously heavy babysitter on the crate to buy some time, and chase after Nevins.
Meanwhile, Larry is revealed to be a rude, disgusting, unemployed
slob who is too lazy to work for a living, and the only reason he wishes to marry Joan is for her money. He sees Nevins running through the street and seizes the opportunity to try to frame Conrad for being unable to take care of Nevins, just as the TV he is watching is being repossessed by a trio of Repo Men. Larry grabs Nevins and heads for Joan's office. Conrad, Sally, and the Cat catch up to Larry with a vehicle called the Super Luxurious Omnidirectional Whatchamajigger (SLOW) which ends up being destroyed in a crash. They then trick Larry into handing over Nevins and the crab lock by making him sign a petition about an acid-spitting Zumzizaroo with a large, over-sized pen that requires two hands. While The Things distract Joan and Larry, the trio get back home, unaware that the babysitter has fallen off the crate to answer a phone call from Joan and that all terror is breaking loose as the crate erupts. An obsessed Larry decides to run to the house and tells Joan to meet him there.
When Larry catches the kids at the doorway and takes them to the house, the Cat reappears. Larry stumbles backwards while sneezing (due to being allergic to cats), only to fall from a high cliff into the Cat's world. The kids are surprised at what has become of the house, being the "mother of all messes", just as the Cat had warned before.
They finally find the crate after passing through the Cat's world. They successfully close it, and the house returns to normal, but then suddenly collapses. The kids berate the Cat for not fixing things, despite the fact that he was not responsible for the mess. He admits that he planned the entire day, so the kids order him to leave. Much to their surprise, he comes back with Thing 1 and Thing 2 and a cleaning machine called the Dynamic Industrial Renovating Tractormajigger (DIRT). He explains that, when Conrad opened the crate, the contract was rendered null and void, thus explaining why bad things happened contrary to prior agreement. However, he then explains that "if Sally and Conrad learn from their mistakes the contract shall be reinstated". They clean up the mess, and the house is clean and put back together, much to the kids' relief. The Cat and the Things then leave the house, just in time for Joan to come home. Mrs. Kwan wakes up and tells Joan that the children were "angels" - she doesn't know anything about what happened because she was sound asleep the whole time. But then Larry barges in, covered from head to toe in purple slime and starts telling Joan about the mess and the Cat's world. Not believing Larry (as the house has already been cleaned), Joan declines his proposal of marriage and instead sends him away, much to Larry's sadness and horror and Conrad and Sally's delight. The party goes as scheduled; Joan carries a tray of purple cupcakes, and Sally tells her, "You can make cupcakes out of anything." The film ends with a shot of the Cat and the Things walking away on the street in the sunset.
Tim Allen
was originally planned to play the role of the Cat, but dropped out at the last minute, since he was filming for The Santa Clause 2
. Coincidentally, Spencer Breslin
appeared in both The Cat in the Hat and The Santa Clause 2.
reports that 11% of critics gave the film a positive review out of 149 reviews, with the consensus statement being: "Filled with double entendres and potty humor, this Cat falls flat." A characteristic evaluation was that of Ty Burr, writing in the Boston Globe: "The big-screen Cat represents everything corrupt, bloated, and wrong with mainstream Hollywood movies." However, the film did receive sixteen positive reviews, one of them on The Washington Post
.
It also received an average grade of D+ from critics in the interpretation of Yahoo
's film website. On Metacritic
, the film has a score of 19/100 based on 37 reviews.
In its review on Common Sense Media
, Nell Minow
gave the film two stars and criticized the film's subplot. Minow said that it was an "iffy" choice for ages 5-7, as it was too mature for children who read Dr. Seuss' books due to its use of violence, language, double entendres
, Dr. Seuss tie-ins, and drug references. In its review on IGN
, Steve Head gave the film two stars and stated, "Universal coughs up a swell-looking hairball." Audrey Geisel (Dr. Seuss's widow, who holds the rights to his work) decided not to allow any further live-action adaptations of Seuss' work following the poor reviews of The Cat in the Hat, and also because of the film's mature content.
), Worst Supporting Actress (Kelly Preston
), Worst Director, Worst Screenplay and Worst Screen Couple (Myers and either Thing One or Thing Two), winning one for Worst Excuse for an Actual Movie (All Concept/No Content).
's score, plus a song by Smash Mouth
("Getting Better
") and a couple songs performed by Mike Myers (the role of the Cat).
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
loosely based on the 1957 book of the same name
The Cat in the Hat
The Cat in the Hat is a children's book by Dr. Seuss and perhaps the most famous, featuring a tall, anthropomorphic, mischievous cat, wearing a tall, red and white-striped hat and a red bow tie. He also carries a pale blue umbrella...
by Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone....
. It was produced by Brian Grazer
Brian Grazer
Brian Thomas Grazer is an Academy Award-winning American film and television producer who co-founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. Together they have produced many acclaimed films, including Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind .- Career :Brian Grazer began his career as a producer...
and directed by Bo Welch
Bo Welch
Robert W. "Bo" Welch III is an American motion picture production designer and director.Welch was born in Yardley, Pennsylvania. He worked as a production designer on the Tim Burton films Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, and Batman Returns, as well as A Little Princess and Men in Black, among...
, and stars Mike Myers
Mike Myers (actor)
Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
in the title role of the Cat in the Hat, and Dakota Fanning
Dakota Fanning
Hannah Dakota Fanning , better known as Dakota Fanning, is an American actress. Fanning's breakthrough performance was in I Am Sam in 2001. As a child actress, she appeared in high-profile films such as Man on Fire, War of the Worlds, and Charlotte's Web...
as Sally. Sally's brother, who is not named in the book, is in this version named "Conrad" and played by Spencer Breslin
Spencer Breslin
Spencer Breslin is an American teen actor and musician.-Early life:Breslin was born in New York City, the son of Kim, a personal manager, and Michael Breslin, a telecommunications expert...
.
While the basic plot of the live-action adaptation of The Cat in the Hat revolves around that of the book, the film filled out its 82 minutes by adding new subplots and characters quite different from those of the original story, similar to How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Reviews were critically negative, criticizing the film's serious crude humor and mature content.
Mike Myers stated in an interview (on the day the film was released) that he expected there to be a sequel to the film (since after all, there was a sequel to the book, The Cat in the Hat Comes Back
The Cat in the Hat
The Cat in the Hat is a children's book by Dr. Seuss and perhaps the most famous, featuring a tall, anthropomorphic, mischievous cat, wearing a tall, red and white-striped hat and a red bow tie. He also carries a pale blue umbrella...
). However, it's unlikely this will ever happen, as Audrey Geisel (Dr. Seuss's widow) decided there would be no further live-action adaptations of Dr. Seuss' books following the bad reviews of the film, with confirmed legal threats if another live-action Seuss adaptation is produced.
Plot
When Joan Walden (Kelly PrestonKelly Preston
Kelly Preston is an American actress and former model.- Early years :Preston was born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother, Linda, was an administrator of a mental health center, and her father, who worked for an agricultural firm, drowned when Preston was three years old...
) is called back to work, she gets a babysitter to baby-sit her kids, Conrad (Spencer Breslin
Spencer Breslin
Spencer Breslin is an American teen actor and musician.-Early life:Breslin was born in New York City, the son of Kim, a personal manager, and Michael Breslin, a telecommunications expert...
) and Sally (Dakota Fanning
Dakota Fanning
Hannah Dakota Fanning , better known as Dakota Fanning, is an American actress. Fanning's breakthrough performance was in I Am Sam in 2001. As a child actress, she appeared in high-profile films such as Man on Fire, War of the Worlds, and Charlotte's Web...
). Conrad, a twelve-year-old boy, has two problems: he is constantly doing the exact opposite of what he is supposed to do and causing trouble, and Sally, Conrad's eight-year-old little sister, tries to stop his trouble making and is being rather bossy and perfect. Their next door neighbor, Lawrence "Larry" Quinn (Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
) dreams of marrying Joan and sending Conrad away to a military school to straighten up his behavior. When Joan leaves, their baby-sitter, Mrs. Kwan (Amy Hill
Amy Hill
Amy Marie Hill is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Mrs. DePaulo in That's So Raven, Mrs. Kwan in The Cat in the Hat, the Kylie Minogue-inspired singer, Penny Candy from The Puzzle Place, and the voice of Jasmine Lee Amy Marie Hill (born May 9, 1953) is an American...
), falls asleep. Not long after, it starts to rain outside and the children get bored. But then there is a thud somewhere in the house, and as the children go investigate, the Cat in the Hat (Mike Myers
Mike Myers (actor)
Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
) appears. Once the cat introduces what he is there to do the Fish starts talking, arguing about him being here. The Cat ignores the Fish and then starts balancing on a ball with other things. After this, he convinces Conrad and Sally to sign a contract
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
which will allow them to have all the fun they want, and will stop anything bad happening.
When they make cupcakes out of everything in the kitchen, the cupcakes explode causing a large, purple
Purple
Purple is a range of hues of color occurring between red and blue, and is classified as a secondary color as the colors are required to create the shade....
gooey mess. The Cat tries to clean up the mess with Joan's dress, much to the horror of Conrad and Sally. The Cat then brings in a large red crate, opens it, and releases Thing 1 and Thing 2 (voiced by Dan Castellaneta
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
). Conrad is eager to open the crate again, but the Cat explains that the crate is a transport to his own world, and warns him not to open it. He then locks the crate. Conrad goes against the Cat's rules and sneakily opens the crate. The lock ends up on the collar of his dog, Nevins. Thing 1 and Thing 2 then throw Nevins out the window. Sally fusses over the state of the house, but The Cat warns them that they have more important things to worry about: if they do not put the lock back on the crate, they will be in the middle of "the mother of all messes". The trio puts the humorously heavy babysitter on the crate to buy some time, and chase after Nevins.
Meanwhile, Larry is revealed to be a rude, disgusting, unemployed
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
slob who is too lazy to work for a living, and the only reason he wishes to marry Joan is for her money. He sees Nevins running through the street and seizes the opportunity to try to frame Conrad for being unable to take care of Nevins, just as the TV he is watching is being repossessed by a trio of Repo Men. Larry grabs Nevins and heads for Joan's office. Conrad, Sally, and the Cat catch up to Larry with a vehicle called the Super Luxurious Omnidirectional Whatchamajigger (SLOW) which ends up being destroyed in a crash. They then trick Larry into handing over Nevins and the crab lock by making him sign a petition about an acid-spitting Zumzizaroo with a large, over-sized pen that requires two hands. While The Things distract Joan and Larry, the trio get back home, unaware that the babysitter has fallen off the crate to answer a phone call from Joan and that all terror is breaking loose as the crate erupts. An obsessed Larry decides to run to the house and tells Joan to meet him there.
When Larry catches the kids at the doorway and takes them to the house, the Cat reappears. Larry stumbles backwards while sneezing (due to being allergic to cats), only to fall from a high cliff into the Cat's world. The kids are surprised at what has become of the house, being the "mother of all messes", just as the Cat had warned before.
They finally find the crate after passing through the Cat's world. They successfully close it, and the house returns to normal, but then suddenly collapses. The kids berate the Cat for not fixing things, despite the fact that he was not responsible for the mess. He admits that he planned the entire day, so the kids order him to leave. Much to their surprise, he comes back with Thing 1 and Thing 2 and a cleaning machine called the Dynamic Industrial Renovating Tractormajigger (DIRT). He explains that, when Conrad opened the crate, the contract was rendered null and void, thus explaining why bad things happened contrary to prior agreement. However, he then explains that "if Sally and Conrad learn from their mistakes the contract shall be reinstated". They clean up the mess, and the house is clean and put back together, much to the kids' relief. The Cat and the Things then leave the house, just in time for Joan to come home. Mrs. Kwan wakes up and tells Joan that the children were "angels" - she doesn't know anything about what happened because she was sound asleep the whole time. But then Larry barges in, covered from head to toe in purple slime and starts telling Joan about the mess and the Cat's world. Not believing Larry (as the house has already been cleaned), Joan declines his proposal of marriage and instead sends him away, much to Larry's sadness and horror and Conrad and Sally's delight. The party goes as scheduled; Joan carries a tray of purple cupcakes, and Sally tells her, "You can make cupcakes out of anything." The film ends with a shot of the Cat and the Things walking away on the street in the sunset.
Cast
- Mike MyersMike Myers (actor)Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
as The Cat in the Hat, a giant, anthropomorphic, wise-cracking cat. His hat has many magical abilities: a CD player, a voice-changer, an airbag, a periscope, a box of tennis balls, and even a box to put the crate into when it shrinks. He likes to balance things while he's on a ball - Alec BaldwinAlec BaldwinAlexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
as Lawrence "Larry" Quinn, the Walden's pompous next-door neighbor who is allergic to cats. He is determined to both: Marry Joan for her wealth and send Conrad to military school to straighten up his behavior. - Kelly PrestonKelly PrestonKelly Preston is an American actress and former model.- Early years :Preston was born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother, Linda, was an administrator of a mental health center, and her father, who worked for an agricultural firm, drowned when Preston was three years old...
as Joan Walden, real-estate agent/Conrad and Sally's mother. - Spencer BreslinSpencer BreslinSpencer Breslin is an American teen actor and musician.-Early life:Breslin was born in New York City, the son of Kim, a personal manager, and Michael Breslin, a telecommunications expert...
as Conrad Walden, Joan's destructive and misbehaved son. - Dakota FanningDakota FanningHannah Dakota Fanning , better known as Dakota Fanning, is an American actress. Fanning's breakthrough performance was in I Am Sam in 2001. As a child actress, she appeared in high-profile films such as Man on Fire, War of the Worlds, and Charlotte's Web...
as Sally Walden, Joan's dull and well-behaved daughter although she doesn't have the right to boss people about. - Sean Hayes as the Mr. Humberfloob, voice of The Fish, The Waldens' pet fish.
- Amy HillAmy HillAmy Marie Hill is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Mrs. DePaulo in That's So Raven, Mrs. Kwan in The Cat in the Hat, the Kylie Minogue-inspired singer, Penny Candy from The Puzzle Place, and the voice of Jasmine Lee Amy Marie Hill (born May 9, 1953) is an American...
as Mrs. Kwan, an elderly lady who's hired to watch the kids, though she sleeps through her job. Her weight and sleep serves as a running gag. - Dan CastellanetaDan CastellanetaDaniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
as the voices of Thing One and Two, two gibbering creatures the Cat brings with him. - Steven Anthony LawrenceSteven Anthony LawrenceSteven Anthony Lawrence is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his recurring role as Bernard "Beans" Aranguren in the hit Disney Channel Original Series Even Stevens. His other television credits include That's So Raven, Married with Children, ER, Frasier, The Amanda Show and among...
as Schweitzer - Paris HiltonParis HiltonParis Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
as Female Club-Goer - Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
as the voice of Nevins, The Walden's pet dog. Nevins is three years old. - Candace BrownCandace BrownCandace June Brown is an American actress and comedian best known for her work on shows such as Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Head Case, The Wizards Of Waverly Place...
as a Secretary who works for Humberfloob Real Estate. - Victor BrandtVictor BrandtVictor Brandt is an American actor mostly known for his voice-over performances.Brandt was born in Los Angeles, California. He has appeared as an actor in several classic shows such as Star Trek, Mission Impossible and T.J Hooker...
as the Narrator, who tells the story. Revealed to be the Cat using a fake voice at the end. - Daran NorrisDaran NorrisDaran Morrison Nordland , usually credited as Daran Norris, is an American film and television actor and voice artist. Since 1977 he has participated in more than 400 films, video games, and television projects. He is best known as Gordy from Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, the voice of...
as Announcer - Clint HowardClint HowardClinton "Clint" Howard is an American film and television actor. He is a character actor with numerous brief appearances on television and films. He has played many bit parts in movies directed by his brother, actor-turned-director Ron Howard. He is also the uncle of actress Bryce Dallas Howard...
as Kate the Caterer. Kate makes brownies, cakes, and pies for parties, weddings, funerals, and graduations.
Tim Allen
Tim Allen
Tim Allen is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement...
was originally planned to play the role of the Cat, but dropped out at the last minute, since he was filming for The Santa Clause 2
The Santa Clause 2
The Santa Clause 2 is a 2002 American comedy film and the sequel to the 1994 film, The Santa Clause. All the principal actors from the first film reprise their roles, except for Peter Boyle, who returns portraying a different minor character...
. Coincidentally, Spencer Breslin
Spencer Breslin
Spencer Breslin is an American teen actor and musician.-Early life:Breslin was born in New York City, the son of Kim, a personal manager, and Michael Breslin, a telecommunications expert...
appeared in both The Cat in the Hat and The Santa Clause 2.
Differences from the book and the film
- At start of the book, it is rainy outside. In the film, it is sunny at first, then it is rainy.
- In the book, all the things fall onto the floor. In the movie, The Cat catches the things when they fall.
- In the book, Mother's dress is referred to as her gown. But, in the movie, it is referred to as her dress, most notably when Conrad and Sally say it's hers when the Cat gets the purple frosting off the wall with it.
- The Cat and the children make cupcakes in the film. However, this scene is not included in the original story.
- The Things help the Cat clean up in the movie. They did not do this in the book.
Critical response
The Cat in the Hat received disastrously negative reviews from critics. Review aggregate website Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports that 11% of critics gave the film a positive review out of 149 reviews, with the consensus statement being: "Filled with double entendres and potty humor, this Cat falls flat." A characteristic evaluation was that of Ty Burr, writing in the Boston Globe: "The big-screen Cat represents everything corrupt, bloated, and wrong with mainstream Hollywood movies." However, the film did receive sixteen positive reviews, one of them on The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
.
It also received an average grade of D+ from critics in the interpretation of Yahoo
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
's film website. On Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the film has a score of 19/100 based on 37 reviews.
In its review on Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media , commonly known as CSM, is a San Francisco-based non-profit organization which serves as a guide for parents that has reviews for most media types, including books, movies, video games, music, and websites, and rates them in terms of violence, sex, and profanity. The website...
, Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Nell Minow is a film reviewer and writer who writes and speaks frequently on film and media, and corporate governance and investing.-Personal:...
gave the film two stars and criticized the film's subplot. Minow said that it was an "iffy" choice for ages 5-7, as it was too mature for children who read Dr. Seuss' books due to its use of violence, language, double entendres
Double entendre
A double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....
, Dr. Seuss tie-ins, and drug references. In its review on IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
, Steve Head gave the film two stars and stated, "Universal coughs up a swell-looking hairball." Audrey Geisel (Dr. Seuss's widow, who holds the rights to his work) decided not to allow any further live-action adaptations of Seuss' work following the poor reviews of The Cat in the Hat, and also because of the film's mature content.
Box office
The film only managed to recoup $101 million of its $109 million budget domestically at the box office; however, an additional $32 million from foreign countries brought the film's total box office revenue to $133 million.Awards
The Cat in the Hat was nominated for eight Razzie Awards, including Worst Picture, Worst Actor (Mike Myers), Worst Supporting Actor (Alec BaldwinAlec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
), Worst Supporting Actress (Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston is an American actress and former model.- Early years :Preston was born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother, Linda, was an administrator of a mental health center, and her father, who worked for an agricultural firm, drowned when Preston was three years old...
), Worst Director, Worst Screenplay and Worst Screen Couple (Myers and either Thing One or Thing Two), winning one for Worst Excuse for an Actual Movie (All Concept/No Content).
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for the movie was released on November 18, 2003 (three days before the movie itself was released). It includes David NewmanDavid Newman
David Newman may refer to:*David Newman of Loughborough since 2009*David Newman , aka David "Fathead" Newman, American jazz saxophonist*David Newman , American composer...
's score, plus a song by Smash Mouth
Smash Mouth
Smash Mouth is an American rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994, and was originally composed of Steve Harwell, Greg Camp, Paul De Lisle and Kevin Coleman as lead vocals, guitar, bass and drums respectively...
("Getting Better
Getting Better
"Getting Better" is a song written mainly by Paul McCartney, with lyrical contributions from John Lennon . It was recorded by The Beatles for the 1967 album Sgt...
") and a couple songs performed by Mike Myers (the role of the Cat).