By Lucky Gilmore | Social Media Editor

A big day is approaching: the cult classic film “The Cat and the Hat”, a live-action reimagining of the classic Dr. Suess book, will be celebrating its 20th anniversary Nov. 20. 

Recently, the movie went viral on social media platforms for a scene where Cat says, “Honey, it was ruined when she bought it,” referring to the mother’s dress he just destroyed when he used it as a towel. 

This made me wonder what else was in the movie aged well and what has not. 

Against popular opinion, I loved this movie as a kid. Upon hearing the anniversary was coming up, I knew I had to take a look back at the movie and see if my love for it stood up two decades later.

This movie has a 10% Rotten Tomatoes rating, so I knew I must have been missing something as a child watching this movie.

I should forewarn: I am a lover of very bad movies and this may cause some bias on my end. That being said, after my rewatch, I found all of Cat’s jokes to land well with me. 

Looking at the overall tone of my generation’s humor, I can see how we all collectively adopted a love for awfully delivered jokes. If anyone was raised on movies similar to “The Cat in the Hat,” the nostalgia alone can make you laugh.

The movie does have a startling racial stereotype for one of the main characters. The children’s babysitter is a Taiwanese woman named Kwan who perpetuates the typical Asian stereotype that Hollywood so loved to abuse. She sports extremely thick-rimmed glasses and an equally thick accent. 

One can hope it was not an intentional decision by the director but usually, in Hollywood, nothing is unintentional. Without excusing that unnecessary and inappropriate part of the movie, I do not understand the hate it received for other elements.

The overuse of CGI was a common complaint I ran into while doing research for this movie. I agree that the CGI was over the top, but I do disagree with it being a negative aspect of the movie. I think it brings the movie the child-like wonder brought by Dr. Suess’ stories that we know and love.

“The Cat in the Hat” provides ridiculous humor for parents to enjoy while watching, as well as helpful lessons kids watching can learn from. In my opinion, it is a well-rounded movie for all to enjoy if you’re looking for something fun and a good laugh for all. 

To commemorate this monumental anniversary, I suggest that everyone watch “The Cat in the Hat” and give the movie a second chance to redeem itself. 

Overall Rating:  8/10

Categories: Arts & Entertainment