Garfield: The Movie (2004)

Not to be confused with the upcoming 2024 animated film The Garfield Movie
Jon Arbuckle buys a second pet, a dog named Odie. However, Odie is then abducted and it is up to Jon's cat, Garfield, to find and rescue the canine.
Garfield: The Movie is a 2004 American comedy film based on Jim Davis' comic strip Garfield. Directed by Peter Hewitt and written by Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow, it stars Breckin Meyer as Jon Arbuckle, Jennifer Love Hewitt as Dr. Liz Wilson and features Bill Murray as the voice of Garfield, who was created with computer-generated imagery. It is the 5th film of Chace! Studios after Ice Age and before Shark Tale
Produced by Davis Entertainment and 20th Century Fox, Garfield was released in the United States on June 11, 2004. Despite receiving negative reviews from critics, it was a commercial success, grossing $208 million on a $50 million budget. A sequel, Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties, was released in 2006.
== Plot ==
Garfield, an overweight, lethargic and free-spirited orange cat, lives with his owner Jon Arbuckle. Garfield passes his time by tormenting Jon and outwitting his vicious Dobermann neighbor, Luca. Aside from Jon, Garfield maintains an unlikely friendship with a mouse, Louis, by constantly sparing him, and also socializes with his fellow neighborhood cats, Nermal and Arlene.
Jon has begun habitually bringing Garfield to the veterinarian, in order to see vet Dr. Liz Wilson, whom he is in love with. Jon tries to ask Liz out, but due to a misunderstanding, Jon is given custody of a dog named Odie, who is sociable, friendly and hyperactive. Garfield, however, takes an instant dislike to Odie and competes for Jon's attention. Odie is brought to a canine talent show, where Liz is a judge. Garfield gets chased by the other dogs, which prompts Odie to the center of the ring, where he does a successful improvised dance to the Black Eyed Peas' "Hey Mama". A local television host named Happy Chapman, who is also a judge, is impressed with Odie's performance, and offers Jon a television deal for Odie, but Jon declines.
When Garfield returns home, fed up with Odie's presence in his life, he hits a ball, causing a chain reaction that leaves the house in disarray. When Jon discovers this, he forces Garfield to sleep outside for the night. When Odie comes out to comfort Garfield, he gets inside and locks Odie out. Nermal and Arlene witness this as Odie runs away but is then picked up by an elderly woman named Mrs. Baker. Jon and Liz search for Odie while Garfield's friends express their disappointment with him regarding his treatment of Odie.
Meanwhile, Happy Chapman, revealed to be allergic to cats, is envious of his news reporter brother, Walter, and dreams to perform on Good Day New York. Chapman and his assistant Wendell find a notice 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, Garfield sets out to rescue Odie. Jon discovers Garfield is also missing, so he asks Liz to help search for him and Odie. Garfield gets into the broadcast tower via the air vents and finds Odie locked in a cage, but Chapman enters and secures a shock collar to Odie, which, when activated, releases an electric shock that forces Odie to perform tricks.
Chapman heads for the train station with Garfield in hot pursuit. However, an animal control officer intercepts Garfield, mistaking him as a stray. Meanwhile, Mrs. Baker tells Jon that Chapman took Odie, making him believe Garfield was taken by Chapman as well and then learn Chapman is leaving for the train station. Concurrently, Chapman's abandoned feline star Persnikitty, who dubs himself Sir Roland, along with the other animals Garfield finally understands that his friends were right cause he was jealous of him and realizes how Jon truly cares for Odie. So he tells Sir Roland that he is rescuing Odie from Happy Chapman. They release Garfield from the pound. Chapman boards a New York-bound train, with Odie in the luggage car. After arriving just to see the train depart, Garfield sneaks into the train system control room and switches the tracks, leading to an impending multiple train wreck. Garfield hits an emergency stop button which halts all the trains just in time, then returns Chapman's train to the station. Garfield frees Odie and they prepare to leave. However, Chapman chases them and eventually corners the duo in a suitcase area. Chapman threatens Odie with the shock collar, but Garfield's friends from the pound, Louis with his entire rat family, led by Sir Roland, attack Chapman and place the collar on his neck.
Shortly after, Garfield and Odie incapacitate Chapman by activating the collar. Jon and Liz arrive and find Chapman, whom Jon punches in the face for kidnapping his pets. Garfield, Odie, Jon, and Liz reunite and return home, while Chapman is arrested for his supposed involvement with the trains, as well as kidnapping Odie. Back home, Garfield regains his friends' respect as they hail him a hero while Liz and Jon form a relationship.
== Production ==
Jim Carrey was considered for the role of Jon Arbuckle. Jennifer Garner and Angelina Jolie were considered for the role of Liz, but both dropped out with busy schedules. Brad Dourif, Thomas Lennon, and Michael Ironside were considered to play Happy Chapman. Ironside was cast, but he dropped out after one day for unknown reasons, and Lennon was busy on Reno 911. Jack Nicholson was considered for the role of Garfield; he was the only candidate besides Bill Murray. According to Murray's Reddit AMA, he was interested in voicing the titular character because he mistook the screenplay writer's name, Joel Cohen, for Joel Coen of the Coen brothers. He accepted the role, briefly skimming through the script. Co-writer Alec Sokolow disputed Murray's claim in 2014: "He knew it was not Joel Coen well before he met Joel Cohen. It's a funny take. And it kind of defends him against the criticism of making such an overtly commercial film. But, it's complete horse shit."
According to Jim Davis, Murray recorded his dialogue in his apartment in New York City and on the set of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou in Greece.
Principal photography began on March 10 and wrapped on June 12, 2003. The animation for Garfield was produced by Rhythm & Hues Studios. Visual effects were produced by SW Digital, Pixel Magic and The Orphanage.
The film's score was composed by Canadian composer Christophe Beck. The soundtrack album was released through Bulletproof Records on October 19, 2004.
== Release ==
Garfield: The Movie was released in theaters on June 11, 2004, one week before Garfield's 26th anniversary. During its theatrical run, it was preceded by an Ice Age short film, Gone Nutty. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released the film on VHS and DVD on October 19, 2004. The special features includes a behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes, and the Baha Men music video "Holla!". The film was released on a 3-disc Blu-ray on October 11, 2011.
== Trivia ==
* Bill Murray named this movie and Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties (2006) as one of his regrets in Zombieland (2009).
* The license plate on Liz's pickup is "Pet Doc".
* This is Bill Murray's first role in a Twentieth Century Fox movie.
* The train scene was filmed at Union Station Los Angeles.
* Originally the film was to be made as a hand drawn animated movie from Twentieth Century Fox Animation. But it was changed to a live action film for unknown reasons.
* As of 2020, this film contains the final feature film work of animator/visual effects specialist Con Pederson.
* Bojan Navojec, Janko Rakos and Alen Balen sound different in this Croatian version, but the others sound normal and same.
* The film has several reused elements from the first animated Garfield special Here Comes Garfield (1982) which is Garfield getting taken to Animal Control, a little girl wanting to adopt a pet, the dogs and cats fleeing from Animal Control and the whole plot involving Garfield saving Odie from the main villain who kidnaps him.
* Garfield hurts his nose three times in this film. First where he slammed into the back end window of Liz's truck. Second when his face hit the metal front of the air vent. And third when he hits his face on a suitcase when he and Odie were escaping from Happy Chapman.
* Jim Davis: Garfield's creator has a cameo as the train conductor who makes the "all aboard" announcement.
=== References or Mentions in CHACE! Media ===
=== References from CHACE! Media ===
== Gallery ==
Garfield: The Movie/Gallery
Category:Garfield
Category:20th Century Fox
Category:2000s
Category:Live Action
Category:Comedy
Category:2004
Category:Films about Cats
Category:Films about Animals
Category:Films about Pets
Category:Films about Dogs
Category:Films set on trains
Category:Films set in Los Angeles
Category:June
Category:Films about Missing People
Category:Films shot in Los Angeles
Category:Films based on Comic Strips
Category:Live Action films based on Animated Series
Category:Christophe Beck