THAT DARN CAT
A predictable cat caper with a moral turn.
Should You Watch It?
That Darn Cat is a predictable but ultimately moral comedy. The young ones will enjoy it most, especially as Patty’s cat helps solve a kidnapping and Patty herself moves beyond selfishness to appreciate and love others.
The movie’s execution sometimes soars, but it often seems just silly. Parents should also know about the strong dose of rebellion at the beginning, along with action violence and a few obscenities. The rebellion is rebuked and eventually resolved.
This is a pleasant choice for a winter afternoon, provided your family is ready for its content and uneven humor. The practical answer: WORTH THE TRIP for families using discernment.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESPatty, a girl who feels out of place in small-town Edgefield, Massachusetts, is frustrated by what she sees as a boring life. Then a maid from the wealthy Flint family is kidnapped.
The FBI has no leads until Patty’s cat turns up with a watch resembling the one connected to the kidnapping. Patty brings the clue to the FBI and is assigned Zeke, an inept agent who takes her seriously. Together with the cat, they begin a troublesome search for the victim.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means this is an enjoyable but uneven comedy. The kidnapping premise gives the movie a clear engine, and the cat, Patty, and Zeke get into plenty of trouble. The moral resolution gives the predictable story a worthwhile purpose.
Still, the movie often plays as silly rather than genuinely funny. It will not become a Disney classic, though it can provide light enjoyment on a winter’s afternoon.
The Worldview
The movie presents an ultimately moral worldview about a girl who turns from rebellion to love. Patty begins by rejecting her small town and resisting her mother’s appeal to compassion. Her selfishness is eventually rebuked, and she learns to appreciate and love others.
That moral movement gives the story its sense of purpose. The film values compassion, love, and a change of heart, even though its early rebellion and disobedience are significant concerns. Its message aligns with Scripture’s call to put away selfishness and treat others with kindness.
The film’s central longing is for a life with meaning and love rather than one defined by boredom or self-centeredness. Scripture gives that turn a clear shape: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another” (Ephesians 4:32).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Ultimately moral worldview about a girl who turns from rebellion to love; 6 obscenities; slapstick violence including man falling down stairs, people fighting with squirt guns, man bitten by dog, & other childish comedy; drinking; and, rebellion & disobedience
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Patty begins by rejecting her town and resisting compassion. Why can rebellion feel attractive, and what helps a person turn toward love?
Proverbs 3:5–7 · Ephesians 4:31–32Patty learns to appreciate people she had dismissed. Who is easy for you to overlook, and how could you show that person love?
Philippians 2:3–4 · Romans 12:10What does it mean to have a sense of purpose when life feels boring or disappointing?
Ephesians 2:10 · Colossians 3:23–24How can parents correct rebellion while still showing compassion?
Proverbs 15:1 · Ephesians 6:4The Final Word
That Darn Cat is predictable, occasionally silly, and not a new Disney classic. But its moral turn from rebellion to love gives it real value for a family afternoon. Use discernment around the obscenities, slapstick violence, drinking, and disobedience. WORTH THE TRIP.
