Movies - Garfield

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	Movies - Garfield

Garfield is a 2004 live-action movie based on the Jim Davis comic strip Garfield. In this movie, Garfield the cat was created with computer-generated imagery, though all other animals were real.

The movie was directed by Peter Hewitt, produced by Davis Entertainment for 20th Century Fox, and stars Breckin Meyer as Jon Arbuckle, Jennifer Love Hewitt as Dr. Liz Wilson, and features Bill Murray as the voice of Garfield. None of the voice actors for Odie received screen credit.

The movie was released in the United States on June 11, 2004. Reviews of the movie were generally very negative, although Murray's voice work received some positive notices.

Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties
is currently in Post-Production, and is scheduled to be released in theaters on June 23 2006 in North America.

Box Office

Summary

The movie for the most part follows the comics. Garfield is a fat, lazy, selfish cat who hates Mondays and eats a lot. One day, his owner Jon takes him to the vet. There, they meet a homeless puppy, Odie (portrayed as a "normal" house dog). Dr. Liz Wilson tells Jon that Odie will be taken to the pound if nobody claims him, so Jon brings him home, much to Garfield's chagrin (in this film adaptation, Liz is portrayed as Jon's love interest). He torments and teases the dog. One day, Jon and Liz go out to a dog show with Odie. Odie steals the show with his dancing (accompanied by the Black Eyed Peas), which does not go unnoticed by Happy Chapman, a television host who features house pets. He offers to put Odie on his show. Jon refuses. One night Odie gets lost (after Garfield lets him out), and is kidnapped by Happy Chapman. Garfield, together with Louis, one of Jon's pesky house mice, Persnikitty, Happy Chapman's cat, and other characters, sets out to rescue Odie, although Garfield is seemingly indifferent at first ("Nermal" and "Arlene" resort to shaming Garfield and making him feel guilty in order to get him to help).

Differences

In the comics, Liz essentially "hates Jon's guts", as it were, repelling Jon's advances, and insisting on keeping the relationship professional (although they did date in one episode of Garfield and Friends). In the movie, Liz is portrayed as Jon's love interest (significantly different from her comic portrayal). In the comics, Jon's entire romantic life is a series of cancelled or failed dates.

Although Garfield retains his original design (rendered in CG), Odie is portrayed as a "normal" looking dog. "Nermal", the "world's cutest kitten", is portrayed in the film as older and more "masculine". "Arlene" also has a generic "cat" design, and does not have her trademark pink fur.

The "origin" story is slightly changed. In the film, Jon does not find Garfield (or Odie) at the pet store.

Jon can not hear Garfield, despite the fact that in the film (unlike the comics and cartoon) he is actually talking.

In the movie, Garfield's lips move when he talks, but in the cartoon they do not.

In the comic strip Garfield is portrayed as an extremely lazy cat, seen mostly sleeping or eating. In the movie, Garfield can be seen dancing, running, jumping and making a lot of unnecessary movement that seems out of character.

Odie in the comic wasn´t originally owned by Jon like in the movie. In the comics he was originally owned by by Jon's former roommate, Lyman.

Many of these differences are, of course, needed to make it easier to tell the story.

Trivia

There is a considerable amount of product placement in the film. For instance, Jon drives a Volvo (instead of his red station wagon from the comics), uses an Apple iMac and buys pet food and supplies from Petco. There also products from Kellogg's and General Mills, among others.

Interestingly, Lorenzo Music
(the original voice of Garfield) was the original animated voice of Peter Venkman in The Real Ghostbusters, the animated series based on Ghostbusters
, in which Venkman was played by Bill Murray.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Garfield (film) ]

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Movies - Garfield

Box Office

Summary

Differences

Trivia

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