Set in a colorful make-believe world, the film tells the classic tale of a sister and brother, Sally (Dakota Fanning) and Conrad (Spencer Breslin), who pass a rainy afternoon with their crotchety baby sitter Mrs. Kwan (Amy Hill), during which they receive a visit from the mysterious Cat in the Hat, who leads them on a series of colorful, illogical, silly misadventures. Meanwhile their mother (Kelly Preston), her paranoid boss (Sean Hayes), and her phony boyfriend (Alec Baldwin), present obstacles for the children as they become part of the Cat’s chaotic world.
With candy colored sets that pop off the screen and zany special effects that give the story a decidedly 21st century spin, this movie presents a fast-paced and very nontraditional rendering of Dr. Seuss. The rhyming lines that usually characterize Dr. Seuss stories are referenced here, but modern jokes that riff on television advertisements and pop psychology are given more importance.
Originally published in 1957, The Cat in the Hat is one of the most beloved children’s books ever written and remains one of the Top 10 best-selling hardcover children’s books to this day. In an unusual business co-venture for the time, publishing houses Houghton Mifflin and Random House commissioned Theodor S. Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss) to create a primer for children using 220 new reader vocabulary words; Houghton Mifflin intended the book for classroom usage, with Random House aiming it at the home market. While school systems were reticent to adopt the book, The Cat in the Hat immediately took off with families, and Geisel’s groundbreaking work firmly established him as one of the preeminent children’s book author/illustrators in the business.
The fantastical word of Dr. Seuss has become well-known the world over, thanks to countless re-printings and translations of his books, as well as the numerous television adaptations of his works. But during the holiday season of 2000, Seussian fans and audiences were treated to a never-before-seen motion picture adaptation of one of the author’s most beloved stories—How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Universal Pictures release (produced by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Brian Grazer and directed by Oscar winner Ron Howard under their Imagine Entertainment banner and starring Jim Carrey) became the Number One box office release for the year, signaling that moviegoers were eager to see their favorite Seuss creations on the big screen.
Read the Full Production Notes
Directed by: Bo Welch
Starring: Mike Myers, Kelly Preston, Dakota Fanning, Spencer Breslin, Alec Baldwin, Kath Soucie, Andrea Bowen
Screenplay by: Alec Berg, David Mandel, Jeff Schaffer
Sound Department: Andrea Toyias
Visual Effects by: Rif Dagher, Tom Lamb, Christopher Sjoholm. Jason Thielen
MPAA Rating: PG for mild crude humor, some double-entendres.
Studio: Universal Pictures
Release Date: November 21, 2003
