The Truth About Cats & Dogs is a 1996

1996 in film

Major releases this year included Scream, Independence Day, Fargo, Trainspotting, The English Patient, Twister, Mars Attacks!, Jerry Maguire and a version of Evita starring Madonna.-Events:...

 American romantic comedy film

Romantic comedy film

Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...

, starring Janeane Garofalo

Janeane Garofalo

Janeane Garofalo is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist and writer. She is the former co-host on the now defunct Air America Radio's The Majority Report. Garofalo continues to circulate regularly within New York City's local comedy and performance art scene.-Early...

, Uma Thurman

Uma Thurman

Uma Karuna Thurman is an American actress and model. She has performed in leading roles in a variety of films, ranging from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action movies. Among her best-known roles are those in the Quentin Tarantino films Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill...

, Ben Chaplin

Ben Chaplin

Ben Chaplin , is an English actor.-Early life:Chaplin, the youngest of four children, was born in London, the son of Cynthia , a drama teacher, and Peter Greenwood, an engineer. He took his stage name after his mother's maiden name. He was raised in Windsor, Berkshire, England and attended Hurtwood...

, and Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx

Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...

. It was directed by Michael Lehmann

Michael Lehmann

Michael Stephen Lehmann is an American film and television director.Lehmann attended Columbia University. His first job in the film industry was answering phones at Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope film company. Later he supervised cameras on films that included 1983's The Outsiders...

 and written by Audrey Wells

Audrey Wells

Audrey Wells is an American screenwriter, film director, and producer.Wells was born in San Francisco, California, and worked as a disc jockey at San Francisco jazz radio station KJAZ FM. She graduated from U.C. Berkeley and UCLA. She has written a number of successful screenplays and has directed...

. The original music score was composed by Howard Shore

Howard Shore

Howard Leslie Shore is a Canadian composer, notable for his film scores. He has composed the scores for over 80 films, most notably the scores for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, for which he won three Academy Awards. He is also a consistent collaborator with director David Cronenberg,...

.

Plot summary

Abby Barnes (Garofalo) is a veterinarian

Veterinarian

A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....

, who hosts a Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 radio show called "The Truth About Cats and Dogs." The use of this as the title of the film also suggests the combative nature of male-female romantic relationships. Abby strikes up an unexpected friendship with her neighbor Noelle Sluslarsky (Thurman), a traditionally attractive model who is sweet, but not very sharp. When Abby makes a blind date with a caller to her show, Brian (Chaplin), her insecurity with her own appearance leads her to convince Noelle to pretend to be Abby when meeting the date. Unfortunately, both women develop feelings for the man, leading to a comedic series of misunderstandings, as the unintended consequences of their deception grow deeper.

Eventually, all three meet in Abby's place but not before Brian discovers a flyer with Abby's name and picture on it. A guessing game between him and the ladies ensues, and finally Brian discovers that Noelle is 'dumb and beautiful' while Abby is 'smart and...' He doesn't finish the sentence but both ladies get the drift. Disgusted, Brian walks out and does not return, despite Abby calling out to him.

Abby meets up with Brian in a bar and tries to explain, and admits why she wasn't honest about herself to him. Brian agrees, and Abby leaves. Months later, Brian decides to give Abby a chance and sends his dog to fetch her from her radio show, which stuns her. She cuts her program short, and allows the dog to guide her to a park, where Brian is waiting for her. They chat, and Brian and Abby reconcile and decide to give it one more shot.

Cast

Actor	Role
Janeane Garofalo Janeane Garofalo Janeane Garofalo is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist and writer. She is the former co-host on the now defunct Air America Radio's The Majority Report. Garofalo continues to circulate regularly within New York City's local comedy and performance art scene.-Early...	Abby Barnes
Uma Thurman Uma Thurman Uma Karuna Thurman is an American actress and model. She has performed in leading roles in a variety of films, ranging from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action movies. Among her best-known roles are those in the Quentin Tarantino films Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill...	Noelle Slusarsky
Ben Chaplin Ben Chaplin Ben Chaplin , is an English actor.-Early life:Chaplin, the youngest of four children, was born in London, the son of Cynthia , a drama teacher, and Peter Greenwood, an engineer. He took his stage name after his mother's maiden name. He was raised in Windsor, Berkshire, England and attended Hurtwood...	Brian
Jamie Foxx Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...	Ed
James McCaffrey James McCaffrey James G. McCaffrey is an American actor.-Biography:McCaffrey was born in Northern Ireland and raised in New York. His first role was for sills models, as a mentally challenged teen, in Bill II: on His Own, the Bill Sackter story. He also played the lead in the first and last seasons of the series...	Roy
Richard Coca	Eric
Stanley DeSantis Stanley DeSantis Stanley DeSantis was an American actor and businessman. He appeared in 15 motion pictures, the last of which being The Aviator, in which he portrayed Louis B. Mayer. He also made many television appearances...	Mario
Antoinette Valente	Susan
Mitch Rouse Mitch Rouse Edward Mitchell "Mitch" Rouse is an American film and television actor, director and screenwriter.Rouse was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and raised in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where he played football at Oak Ridge High School. He attended the University of Tennessee before developing an interest in...	Bee Man
David Cross David Cross David Cross is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian perhaps best known for his work on HBO's sketch comedy series Mr...	Male Radio Caller (voice) Bookstore Man
Mary Lynn Rajskub Mary Lynn Rajskub Mary Lynn Rajskub is an American actress and comedian, best known for her leading role as Chloe O'Brian on the Fox action-thriller 24.-Early life:...	Female Radio Caller (voice)
Bob Odenkirk Bob Odenkirk Robert "Bob" Odenkirk is an American actor, comedian, writer, director and producer. He is best known as the co-creator and co-star of the HBO sketch comedy series Mr...	Bookstore Man

See also

• The Truth About Cats & Dogs
  The Truth About Cats & Dogs (soundtrack)
  The Truth About Cats & Dogs is the soundtrack from the 1996 film The Truth About Cats & Dogs, released by A&M Records in 1996. The album features a variety of music such as rock, R&B, and pop.-Track listing:#"For Once in My Life" - Dionne Farris...
  
  (soundtrack)
• Cyrano de Bergerac (fictional character)

External links

• "The 'Truth' About Stardom", a 1996 Entertainment Weekly
  Entertainment Weekly
  Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
  
  article about Garofalo, Thurman, and the making of The Truth About Cats & Dogs.