Garfield: The Movie, or simply Garfield, is a 2004 American live-action comedy film directed by Peter Hewitt and inspired by Jim Davis' comic strip of the same name. It stars Breckin Meyer as Jon Arbuckle, Jennifer Love Hewitt as Dr. Liz Wilson, and features Bill Murray as the voice of Garfield. Garfield the cat was created with computer animation, though all other animals were real. The film was produced by Davis Entertainment Company and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film shares several similarities to the 1982 animated special Here Comes Garfield.
The film was released in the United States on June 11, 2004 and followed by Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties.
The film receive negative reviews from critics and is considered to be the one of the worst films ever made.
Plot[]
Garfield (voiced by Bill Murray) is a happy, fat, connived, and lazy orange cat who lives with his owner, Jon Arbuckle (Breckin Meyer) in a cul-de-sac in Muncie, Indiana. Garfield passes his time by harassing Jon and mocking a neighbor Doberman Pinscher, Luca. Aside from Jon, Garfield maintains an unlikely friendship with a tiny mouse, Louis. He also interacts with and occasionally manipulates his fellow neighborhood cats, including Garfield's arch-rival Nermal and Garfield's romantic interest, Arlene (who are both seen as live-action cats).
Meanwhile, a local television host, Happy Chapman, known for his cat "Persnikitty" is introduced as supposedly a happy man. In reality he is allergic to cats, jealous of his brother Walter J. Chapman, a news reporter, and wants to outwit him in success wise by performing on TV show Good Day New York. Jon has made a habit of bringing Garfield to the veterinarian, hoping to woo vet Dr. Liz Wilson. Jon tries to ask her out, but due to a misunderstanding, he is given custody of a stray dog, Odie. Regardless, Jon and Liz begin dating. Garfield is displeased at having to share the house with a dog, of whom Jon grows fond. Odie is brought to a canine talent show, where Liz is a judge. Garfield gets involved in a ruckus there with other animals, which moves Odie to the center of the ring, where he begins dancing to "Hey Mama" by The Black Eyed Peas.
His impromptu performance is a hit. Happy Chapman, who also is a judge of the dog show is impressed with Odie, and offers Jon a television deal for Odie, but Jon declines leaving Happy to apparently be envious of Odie. After Garfield causes a mess inside Jon's house in a fit of rage, Jon punishes Garfield by making him sleep outside for one night. Heartbroken, Garfield sadly sings "New Dog State Of Mind". Odie comes out to comfort Garfield but Garfield as selfish he is reacts by running inside and locking Odie out. Odie runs away, and is picked up by an elderly woman named Mrs. Baker. A distraught Jon works with Liz to search for him, while the neighborhood animals ridicule Garfield for what he did to Odie. Meanwhile, Chapman and his assistant find a "lost dog" found poster Mrs. Baker created, of Odie and recognizing the lucrative possibilities, claim Odie as Happy's own.
When Garfield sees Odie on television and hears Chapman announce he and Odie are going to New York City by train for a big performance on Good Day New York, Garfield, realizing his selfishness, vows to intervene. Garfield leaves his house on a rescue mission for Odie. Meanwhile, Jon finds out Garfield is missing and he and Liz set out find him. Garfield is able to finally make it to the tower with the help of his friend, Louis but sneaks in the air vents which are being worked on. Seen as a blockage from one of the workers' scanners of the vents, Garfield is blown by the vent air, hitting random walls and it finally ends when he smacks his face on the last wall. At Chapman's studio at Telegraph Tower, Garfield finds Odie captive in a room; Chapman enters and secures a shock collar to Odie, which, when activated, releases an electric discharge that forces him to perform tricks.
Chapman heads for the train station, with Garfield in pursuit. However, an animal control officer snags Garfield as a runaway before he can reach Odie. Meanwhile, Jon contacts Mrs. Baker through her poster, and is told Odie's real owner had already retrieved him. After learning it was Chapman who took Odie, Jon believes Garfield was taken too and he and Liz race to Telegraph Tower and then to the train station, after learning Chapman has left. Garfield is sprung from the pound by Chapman's abandoned feline star, Persnikitty who turns out to be actually named as Sir Roland. At the train station, while the P.A. saying that the Texas Eagle is going to Dallas and San Antonio, Texas, Chapman boards the train, with Odie in the luggage car. Garfield arrives only to see the train depart. As the train speeds away from the station, and seeing a child with a toy train engine (probably the Flying Scotsman in a different shape and size) makes Garfield remembers that his train set at home is similar, so he sneaks into the control room and attempts to stop Odie's train. The tracks get rearranged, leading to an impending train wreck. Garfield hits an emergency control and causes Chapman's train to return, and Garfield frees Odie and they exit the train. However, Chapman notices them walk out and gives chase. Chapman corners the two, and threatens Odie with the shock collar, but is greeted by Garfield's friends and animals from the pound, led by Sir Roland. They swarm and attack Chapman, allowing for Odie to escape.
Chapman gets up to find the shock collar has been placed on his own neck, from which he receives two powerful jolts. Jon and Liz arrive to reclaim the animals and find Chapman off-balance. Jon punches Chapman for stealing his pets (although Odie was the only who was taken), and leaves with Liz and the two animals. Chapman is arrested for his supposed involvement with the trains, as well as for abducting Odie and Wendell gives chase to the cops. Garfield regains the trust of his animal friends. Back at home, Liz kisses Jon, while Garfield seems to have learned about friendship, love and not to envy others. He then shoves Odie off his chair repeatedly, and the film closes with Garfield singing and dancing to James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)". He does a split and can't get it back up without help.
As the closing credits roll over still pictures from the film (in black and white), Garfield is heard in the background asking Odie for ice.
Cast[]
Live action actors[]
- Breckin Meyer as Jon Arbuckle, Garfield's and Odie's owner
- Jennifer Love Hewitt as Dr. Liz Wilson, Garfield's vet
- Stephen Tobolowsky as Happy Chapman, a local television host, and his brother Walter J. Chapman.
- Evan Arnold as Wendell, Happy's butler
- Mark Christopher Lawrence as Christopher Mello
- Eve Brent Ashe as Mrs. Baker (as Eve Brent)
- Juliette Goglia as Li'l Girl
- Joe Bays as Raccoon Lodge Member
- Leyna Nguyen as News Reporter
- Joe Ochman as Engineer
Garfield creator Jim Davis appeared as an uncredited drunken convention attendee, but his role was cut from the final version of the film.
Voice actors[]
- Bill Murray as Garfield, Jon's overweight, lethargic, cat.
- Alan Cumming as Persnikitty (he renames himself "Sir Roland")
- Nick Cannon as Louis, a friendly tiny mouse.
- David Eigenberg as Nermal, Garfield's arch-rival.
- Brad Garrett as Luca, a very temperamental Doberman Pinscher who guards the house next door to Garfield.
- Jimmy Kimmel as Spanky (unnamed in the film)
- Debra Messing as Arlene, Garfield's girlfriend.
- Richard Kind as Dad Rat
- Debra Jo Rupp as Mom Rat
- Wyatt Smith as Kid Rat #1
- Jordan Kaiser as Kid Rat #2
- Alyson Stoner as Kid Rat #3