History Film / ATalkingCat

Duffy (Creator/EricRoberts) is a stray cat with the ability to talk to any person once, but ''only'' once. When he comes across Phil (Johnny Whitaker), a respected programmer who's recently entered retirement, and Susan (Kristine [=DeBell=]), a caterer who's trying to keep her business and family together, he decides to help them and their families. HilarityEnsues... or, at least, it ''tries'' to ensue, anyway.

Made on a budget of $1 million,[[note]]To put that in perspective, ''Film/FruitvaleStation'' cost $900,000 to produce.[[/note]] the film nonetheless features amateurish camera, sound and special effects, is largely confined to two houses and Roberts sounds like he's recording his lines through a burner phone in a public bathroom.[[note]]It was later discovered that Roberts recorded all of his dialogue in his living room in ''15 minutes''.[[/note]] Creator/NathanRabin [[http://www.avclub.com/article/ia-talking-cat-iis-ithe-roomi-of-anthropomorphic-a-93563 called it]] "''Film/TheRoom2003'' of [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative anthropomorphic animal movies starring Eric Roberts]]" and wondered "where the other $990,000 went".

* BleachedUnderpants: The director's also done ''a lot'' of softcore gay porn, but this is family friendly, granted he used a pseudonym.[[note]]On the other hand, Duffy does say that he "[[GettingCrapPastTheRadar came on [himself] ... not that hard]]" at around the 20 minute mark, so traces of [=DeCoteau=]'s typical films are seen.[[/note]]

* DidNotDoTheBloodyResearch: See GratuitousSpanish below. "Pinche" is quite a bit stronger than the costuming department thought, if anyone there could actually speak Spanish at all. It was more likely GettingCrapPastTheRadar -- and probably Getting Crap Past [=DeCouteau=], too.

Made on a budget of $1 million,[[note]]To put that in perspective, ''Film/FruitvaleStation'' cost $900,000 to produce.[[/note]] the film nonetheless features amateurish camera, sound and special effects, is largely confined to two houses and Roberts sounds like he's recording his lines through a burner phone in a public bathroom.[[note]]It was later discovered that Roberts recorded all of his dialogue in his living room in ''15 minutes''.[[/note]] Creator/NathanRabin [[http://www.avclub.com/article/ia-talking-cat-iis-ithe-roomi-of-anthropomorphic-a-93563 called it]] "''Film/TheRoom'' of [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative anthropomorphic animal movies starring Eric Roberts]]" and wondered "where the other $990,000 went".

WebVideo/JonTron and WebVideo/TheCinemaSnob [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m76z5mgv5_A did reviews]] [[http://www.thecinemasnob.com/the-cinema-snob/a-talking-cat of the film]]. It was also covered on Episode 28 of the bad-film-review podcast, ''Podcast/TranquilTirades''. In August 2018, it was targeted by PodCast/RiffTrax, and it was the subject of a 2021 ''Podcast/HowDidThisGetMade'' episode.

-> '''Phil:''' You can talk? But only once?\\

* ExcitedShowTitle: ''QuestioningTitle'' ExcitedShowTitle

* CoversAlwaysLie: The cat on the cover is not the cat in the actual film. It's the same breed, but the one on the cover is clearly a kitten while the one in the movie is an adult cat and a little bit fat. At least the [=RiffTrax=] poster [[https://www.rifftrax.com/a-talking-cat has the correct cat]].

* SpecialEffectsFailure: The flapping dark slit that is Duffy's speaking mouth...

* BleachedUnderpants: The director's also done ''a lot'' of softcore gay porn, but this is family friendly, granted he used a pseudonym.

''A Talking Cat!?!'' (yes, with that '''exact''' interrobang punctuation) is a 2013 "family comedy" film about... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a talking cat]] who helps a couple of families with their problems.

* DidNotDoTheBloodyResearch: See GratuitousSpanish below. "Pinche" is quite a bit stronger than the costuming department thought, if anyone there could actually speak Spanish at all.

''A Talking Cat!?!'' (yes, with that '''exact''' interrobang punctuation) is a 2013 film about... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a talking cat]] who helps a couple of families with their problems.

Duffy (Creator/EricRoberts) is a stray cat with the ability to talk to any person once, but only once. When he comes across Phil (Johnny Whitaker), a respected programmer who's recently entered retirement, and Susan (Kristine [=DeBell=]), a caterer who's trying to keep her business and family together, he decides to help them and their families. HilarityEnsues... or, at least, it ''tries'' to ensue, anyway.

Made on a budget of $1 million,[[note]]To put that in perspective, ''Film/FruitvaleStation'' cost $900,000 to make.[[/note]] the film nonetheless features amateurish camera, sound and special effects, is largely confined to two houses and Eric Roberts sounds like he's recording his lines through a burner phone in a public bathroom.[[note]]It was later discovered that Roberts recorded all of his dialogue in his living room in ''15 minutes''.[[/note]] Creator/NathanRabin [[http://www.avclub.com/article/ia-talking-cat-iis-ithe-roomi-of-anthropomorphic-a-93563 called it]] "''Film/TheRoom'' of [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative anthropomorphic animal movies starring Eric Roberts]]" and wondered "where the other $990,000 went".

WebVideo/JonTron and WebVideo/TheCinemaSnob [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m76z5mgv5_A did reviews]] [[http://www.thecinemasnob.com/the-cinema-snob/a-talking-cat of the film]]. It was also covered on Episode 28 of the bad-film-review podcast, ''Podcast/TranquilTirades''. In August 2018 it was mocked by PodCast/RiffTrax, and it was the subject of a 2021 ''Podcast/HowDidThisGetMade'' episode.

* BleachedUnderpants: The director's also done a lot of softcore gay porn, but this film is family friendly.
* CampStraight[=/=]AmbiguouslyGay: Chris and Trent. This IS a David [=DeCoteau=] film, after all.

** It's not really clear why Phil and Chris are having problems. Phil acts a perfectly friendly and loving father, albeit a slightly eccentric one. Yet for most of the film Chris is weirdly hostile towards him, talking to him as if he's a deadbeat jerkass. Based on some dialogue early on, the intent appears to have been that Phil prioritized work over family (e.g. Chris opining he had enough money to retire years ago, Phil saying they can finally take some trips that had been put off), but the rest of the movie portrays him as a rather attentive parent fully involved in his son's life, making Chris's hostility this.
** There's also Susan absolutely freaking out when Phil accidentally drops some food she made, which seems to happen solely to keep the movie going.

* GratuitousSpanish: At one point, Phil can be seen wearing a shirt that says "UN PINCHE DIA A LA VEZ" - "One [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] day at a time". This in an otherwise wholesome movie.

* TheMatchmaker: Duffy the Cat gets two couples together (Frannie and Chris) and (Phil and Susan).

* MoodWhiplash: [[spoiler: Duffy getting hit by a car and critically injured right in the middle of a typical cutesy scene.]] It comes so far out of left field that you'd be forgiven for thinking someone altered your copy of the film.

* RandomEventsPlot: There's no real structure to the story, which seems to shamble from one scene to the next.
* RichBoredom: Phil starts the movie freshly retired and not sure what to do with all his free time. Duffy suggests he start taking walks so that he'll meet Susan.

** It's not really clear why Phil and Chris are having problems. Phil acts a perfectly friendly and loving father, albeit a slightly eccentric one. Yet for most of the film Chris is weirdly hostile towards him, talking to him as if he's a deadbeat jerkass.

WebVideo/JonTron and WebVideo/TheCinemaSnob [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m76z5mgv5_A did reviews]] [[http://www.thecinemasnob.com/the-cinema-snob/a-talking-cat of the film]]. It was also covered on Episode 28 of the bad-film-review podcast, ''Podcast/TranquilTirades''. In August 2018 it was mocked by PodCast/RiffTrax.

''A Talking Cat!?!'' (yes, with that exact punctuation) is a 2013 film about... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a talking cat]] who helps a couple of families with their problems.

Made on a budget of $1 million,[[note]]To put that in perspective, ''Film/{{Moonlight|2016}}'' cost $1.5 million to make.[[/note]] the film nonetheless features amateurish camera, sound and special effects, is largely confined to two houses and Eric Roberts sounds like he's recording his lines through a burner phone in a public bathroom. [[note]] It was later discovered that Roberts recorded all of his dialogue in his living room in ''15 minutes''.[[/note]] Creator/NathanRabin [[http://www.avclub.com/article/ia-talking-cat-iis-ithe-roomi-of-anthropomorphic-a-93563 called it]] "''Film/TheRoom'' of [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative anthropomorphic animal movies starring Eric Roberts]]" and wondered "where the other $990,000 went".

* BleachedUnderpants: The director's also done a lot of softcore porn, but this film is family friendly.

* CoversAlwaysLie: The cat on the cover is not the cat in the movie. It's the same breed, but the one on the cover is clearly a kitten while the one in the movie is an adult cat and a little bit fat. At least the poster for the [=RiffTrax=] version [[https://www.rifftrax.com/a-talking-cat has the correct cat.]]

* DiabolusExMachina: [[spoiler: The car that hits Duffy.]]

* ManChild: Phil, who cheerfully plays with a car and makes car noises.

* MoodWhiplash: [[spoiler: Duffy getting hit by a car and critically injured right in the middle of a typical cutesy scene]]. It comes so far out of left field that you'd be forgiven for thinking someone altered your copy of the film.

* PublicDomainSoundtrack: Played loudly on a electronic keyboard and incessantly repeated. The song "La Cucaracha" in particular is recognizable.

* StockFootage: Several shots of empty rooms, house exteriors, and surrounding woodlands and wildlife, which director David [=DeCoteau=] inserts and reuses in most all his movies filmed in these same locations. All told, there are 59 establishing shots in this 83-minute movie, and none of them have any logical place in the context of the film.

* TheUnfavourite: Tina's an interesting example in that she's actually the overachiever compared to her brother.
* UnknownCharacter: The driver of the car that comes out of nowhere which hits Duffy, who is never shown in full outside of a barely visible figure when the car enters the shot. [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment Though it wouldn't have helped the scene much anyway with how oddly edited and out of place it is]].

* VoodooShark: As pointed out in the [=RiffTrax=] version, who makes the rule that Duffy can only speak to humans once?

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Phil's shirt with a Spanish cuss word.

'''Duffy:''' I don't make the rules, Phil.[[note]][[Podcast/{{Rifftrax}} Bill]]: Or explain why their are rules, or where the rules come from.[[/note]]

'''Duffy:''' I don't make the rules, Phil.

''A Talking Cat!?!'' (yes, with that exact punctuation) is a 2013 film about... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a talking cat]] who helps a couple families with their problems.

* CoversAlwaysLie: The cat on the cover is not the cat in the movie. It's the same breed, but the one on the cover is clearly a kitten while the one in the movie is an adult cat and a little bit fat. At least the poster for the [=RiffTrax=] version has the correct cat.

* BleachedUnderpants: You ever wonder why most of the actors/actresses in this movie have the charisma of porn veterans? Well, that's because several of them ''are'', as is the director.

* CoversAlwaysLie: The cat on the cover is not the cat in the movie. It's the same breed, but the one on the cover is clearly a kitten while the one in the movie is an adult cat and a little bit fat.

* NoEnding: [[spoiler: Duffy's collar heals his wounds without fanfare and the movie just... ''stops'' without any resolution.]]

* UnknownCharacter: The driver of the car that comes out of nowhere which hits Duffy, who is never shown in full outside of s barely visible figure when the car enters the shot. [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment Though it wouldn't have helped the scene much anyway with how oddly edited and out of place it is]].

* UnknownCharacter: The driver of the car that comes out of nowhere which hits Duffy, who is never shown in full outside of s barely visible figure when the car enters the shot. [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment Though it wouldn't have helped the scene much anyway eith how oddly edited and out of place it is]].