Catwoman(film)

Catwomanis a 2004 Americansuperhero filmdirected byPitofand written byJohn Rogers,John Brancato and Michael Ferrisfrom a story byTheresa Rebeck,Brancato and Ferris, with music byKlaus Badelt.It is loosely based on theDC ComicscharacterCatwoman.The film starsHalle Berry,Benjamin Bratt,Lambert Wilson,Frances Conroy,Alex Borstein,andSharon Stone.Its plot centers on Patience Phillips, a meek graphic designer, who discovers a conspiracy within the cosmetics company she works for that involves a dangerous product that could cause widespread health problems. After being discovered and murdered by the conspirators, Patience is revived by anEgyptian maucat that grants her superhuman cat-like abilities, allowing her to become the crime-fightingsuperheroineCatwoman.

Catwoman
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Pitof
Screenplay by	John Brancato Michael Ferris John Rogers
Story by	Theresa Rebeck John Brancato Michael Ferris
Based on	Catwoman by Bill Finger Bob Kane
Produced by	Denise Di Novi Edward L. McDonnell
Starring	Halle Berry Benjamin Bratt Lambert Wilson Frances Conroy Sharon Stone
Cinematography	Thierry Arbogast
Edited by	Sylvie Landra
Music by	Klaus Badelt
Production companies	Village Roadshow Pictures Di Novi Pictures Frantic Films Maple Shade Films Catwoman Films
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release dates	July 19, 2004(2004-07-19)(Los Angeles) July 23, 2004(2004-07-23)(United States)
Running time	104 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$100 million
Box office	$82.4 million

Produced byVillage Roadshow PicturesandDenise Di Novi's Di Novi Pictures,Catwomanwas released in the United States byWarner Bros. Pictureson July 23, 2004. It grossed $82.4 million against a budget of $100 million and was considered abox office disappointment.The film received generally negative reviews from critics and is considered to be one of theworst films ever made.Additionally, it also received sevenGolden Raspberry Awardnominations, winningWorst Picture,Worst Actress(Berry),Worst Director,andWorst Screenplay.

Plot

Artist Patience Phillips is an intelligent, hard working and meek people-pleaser whose main support is her best friend Sally. She works for acosmeticscompany called Hedare Beauty, which is ready to ship a new skin cream called Beau-line that is able to reverse the effects of aging. However, when Patience visits theR&Dlaboratory facility to deliver a redone ad design, she overhears a discussion between scientist Dr. Ivan Slavicky and Laurel Hedare, the wife of company-owner George Hedare, about the dangerousside effectsfrom continually using the product. Laurel's guards discover Patience and are ordered to dispose of her. Patience tries to escape using a conduit pipe, but the minions have it sealed and flush her out of it, drowning her. Washed up on shore, Patience is mysteriously revived by anEgyptian Maucat named Midnight which had appeared at her apartment earlier; from that moment on, she develops cat-like attributes.

From Midnight's owner, eccentric researcher Ophelia Powers, Patience learns that Egyptian Mau cats serve as messengers of the goddessBast.Patience realizes that she is now a "Catwoman",rebornwith abilities that are both a blessing and a curse. While at home, Patience is annoyed by the ruckus caused by her neighbor’s party and lashes out by spraying the amplifiers to mute the noise. Disguised as a mysterious vigilante, namedCatwomanto hide her identity, Patience, under cover of darkness, searches for answers as to who killed her and why. Eventually, her search (which includes finding Slavicky's body and later being accused of his murder) leads her to Laurel. She asks Laurel to keep an eye on George, to which Laurel agrees. However, when Patience confronts George (who is attending an opera with another woman) as Catwoman, he reveals that he knows nothing about the side effects. The police led by Patience's love interest, detective Tom Lone, arrive and Catwoman escapes. Later on, Laurel murders George for his growing suspicions and infidelity and admits to having Dr. Slavicky killed because he wanted to cancel the product's release. She contacts Catwoman and frames her for the murder, planning to release Beau-line to the public the following day. Tom then takes Catwoman into custody.

Patience slips out of her cell and confronts Laurel in her office, rescuing Tom, who came to question Laurel after second thoughts about Patience's guilt, in the process and revealing that Laurel is the one responsible for her death. As they fight, Patience sees she's unable to hurt Laurel. Laurel reveals the product's side effects: discontinuing its use makes the skin disintegrate, while continuing its use makes the skin as hard as marble and the user impervious to pain. During the fight, she scratches Laurel's face several times, causing Laurel to fall out of a window and grab onto a broken glass pipe. Laurel sees her rapidly disfiguring face in a window's reflection, and horrified, she fails to grab hold of Patience's outstretched hand, and falls to her death.

Although Patience is cleared of any charges made against her regarding the deaths of Dr. Slavicky and the Hedares, she decides to continue living outside the law and enjoy her newfound freedom as Catwoman.

Cast

• Halle BerryasPatience Phillips / Catwoman
• Sharon Stoneas Laurel Hedare
• Benjamin Brattas Detective Tom Lone
• Lambert Wilsonas George Hedare
• Frances Conroyas Ophelia Powers
• Alex Borsteinas Sally
• Michael Masseeas Armando
• Byron Mannas Wesley
• Alex Cooper as Gloria Ojeda
• Kim Smithas Drina
• Peter Wingfieldas Dr. Ivan Slavicky
• Berend McKenzie as Lance

Missy Peregrymappears uncredited as the Hedare factory computer monitor image (Beau-line graphics model), depicting the bad effects of the beauty product.A photograph ofMichelle PfeifferasSelina KyleinBatman Returnsis among various photographs that Ophelia uses to explain the history of former Catwomen.

Production

Development

WithWarner Bros.developingBatman Foreverin June 1993, aCatwomanspin-off film was announced.Michelle Pfeifferwas cast to reprise her role fromBatman Returns,Tim Burtonbecame attached as director, and producer Denise Di Novi and writer Daniel Waters also returned.In January 1994, Burton was unsure of his plans to directCatwomanor an adaptation ofThe Fall of the House of Usher.On June 16, 1995, Waters turned in hisCatwomanscript to Warner Bros., the same dayBatman Foreverwas released. Burton was still being courted to direct. Waters joked that "turning it in the dayBatman Foreveropened may not have been my best logistical move, in that it's the celebration of the fun-for-the-whole-family Batman.Catwomanis definitely not a fun-for-the-whole-family script ".In an August 1995 interview, Pfeiffer reiterated her interest in the spin-off but explained her priorities would be challenged as a mother and commitments to other projects.

The film labored indevelopment hellfor years withAshley Juddas the lead in 2001,but she eventually dropped outsoNicole Kidmanwas considered.When Warner Bros. canceled aBatman vs. Supermanfilm scheduled for 2004, the studio decided to quickly produceCatwomanas replacement, starringHalle Berry.Warner Bros. mandated that the film should be separate from theBatmanuniverse and not have the character mentioned.Berry chose to be involved with the film after the cancellation ofJinx,aJames Bondspin-off featuring her character Giacinta "Jinx" Johnson fromDie Another Day(2002).Josh Lucaswas considered for the role of Tom Lone.

I checked out some to see how Catwoman is treated in the comics, to make sure that our Catwoman was in the same vein. But I didn't want to be too influenced by the comic book, because the whole point of the movie is to be first a movie, and to be different. Different fromBatman,different fromSpider-Man– this movie has its own identity. I tried to find my sources more in the character of Catwoman herself. To me, the Catwoman we're filming now with Halle Berry is in the continuity of the others. She's different than Michelle Pfeiffer's character, different from anybody who's played Catwoman in the past. But she is Catwoman. When you look at the differences between the comic book Catwoman and the TV or movie Catwoman, they're all different – but there's a feeling that they are all Catwoman. Halle brings her own personality, through her attitude and through the outfit.

—DirectorPitof

Costume

The catsuit was designed byAcademy Award-winning costume designerAngus Strathietogether with Berry, director Pitof, and producers Di Novi and McDonnell. Strathie explained that they wanted a "reality-based wardrobe to show the progression from demure, repressed Patience to the sensual awakening of a sexy warrior goddess".

Choreography and training

Berry started intensive fitness training withHarley Pasternakin June 2003.ChoreographerAnne Fletcherinstructed Berry in cat-like movement,and in the Brazilian martial art styleCapoeira.Berry was trained to crack a whip by coach Alex Green.

Filming

Principal photography began in late September 2003. Shooting took place on 4th Street in downtownLos Angeles,California,inWinnipeg,Manitoba,atLionsgateFilm Studios,Vancouver,British Columbia,and atWarner Bros.Burbank Studios, 4000 Warner Boulevard,Burbank, California.Most of the cats cast in the film came from animal shelters throughout California. Filming finished in March 2004.

Pitof said reshoots happened as late as June 2004 — one month before release — after working cuts yielded confusing, incomplete dialogue sequences and awkward visual transitions. New scenes were added, including a fresh ending that shifted Patience’s relationship with Tom from a “romantic comedy” -style conclusion, as Pitof calls it, to a darker, open-ended closer.

Release

Halle Berry at theCatwomanpremiere inHamburg,Germany

Theatrical

The film was originally given anIMAXrelease coinciding with the general release as evidenced by a poster with the tagline "CATch Her in IMAX", but Warner Bros. announced its cancellation on June 30, 2004, because the delays on the visual effects did not give IMAX enough time to remaster the film in time for its release.

Home media

Catwomanwas released onVHSandDVDon January 18, 2005, and onBlu-rayon September 8, 2009.

Reception

Box office

Catwomangrossed $40.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $42.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $82.4 million against a production budget of $100 million,becoming abox office flop.

The film grossed $16.7 million in its opening weekend at 3,117 theaters with a $5,366 per-theatre average, ranking third behindThe Bourne SupremacyandI, Robot.The biggest market in other territories being France, Spain, Japan and Mexico where the film grossed $5.2 million, $4.05 million, $3.05 million and $2.9 million, while topping the Bulgarian weekend listing.

Critical response

The film was critically panned.The Village Voicereported that the critics "universally—and predictably—tore apartCatwoman".

OnRotten Tomatoes,the film has an approval rating of 8% based on 197 reviews, with an average rating of 3.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Halle Berry is the lone bright spot, but even she can't save this laughable action thriller."OnMetacritic,the film has a weighted average score of 27 out of 100 based on 35 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".Audiences polled byCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.

The review fromSan Diego Metropolitan Magazinepraised Berry's appearance in the suit, the dynamic action sequences with Catwoman's whip and the director's efforts to maintain momentum, but criticized the film's script and logical consistency, highlighting the absurdity of certain scenes, and found the actors struggling "to make sense" of the script, ultimately deeming it one of the worst of the year.In a negative review, Kirk Honeycutt ofThe Hollywood Reporterexplained that the film "seems destined to joinShowgirlsand its ilk as a fast-starting and even faster-fading theatrical release that could enjoy an afterlife as a midnight movie and video/DVDitem where viewers supply alternate dialogue ".

The film appeared on the list ofRoger Ebert's most hated films.He criticized the filmmakers for giving little thought to providing Berry "with a strong character, story, supporting characters or action sequences", but he primarily criticized the film for failing to give the audience a sense of what her character experienced as she was transformed into Catwoman. He rather referred to it as being a movie "about Halle Berry's beauty, sex appeal, figure, eyes, lips, and costume design. It gets those right".On theirAt the Moviesshow, Ebert and his former co-hostRichard Roeperboth gave the film a "thumbs down".

In a scholarly analysis of female protagonists in action cinema, Caroline Heldmanet alsaid that the film ends with Catwoman choosing "a solo existence as hersexualizedbody slinks into the full moon; even this otherwiseagenticact is constructed for the consumption of themale gazethat follows her. The film presents her agency, power, and freedom as derivative of her hypersexualization ".Bill MullerofThe Arizona Republicstated that Berry should possibly give back her 2001Academy Awardas a penalty for the film.

In July 2024, the 20th anniversary of Catwoman,IndieWiredescribed the film as a "superherocult classic"that" has become asleeper hit".The film's director Pitof says Catwoman was “ahead of its time” and "People weren’t ready for that kind of movie," due to the film starring the first African American woman as a superhero and states "Now, after some key movements, we have more diversity and inclusiveness. Younger audiences see things differently and are much more open. Back then, comic book fans hated the movie because the film didn’t involve Batman; with a new generation, it’s not a problem. They take it as it is.".

Despite Catwoman being panned by critics who said "it sucked balls" Berry says she loves the film, loved working on it, and is happy that it has gained newfound popularity from a new generation.

Accolades

Berry arrived at the ceremony to accept her Razzie in person while carrying her Best Actress Oscar. She semi-sarcastically described the finished film as "a god-awful movie" and quipped, "It was just what my career needed".She later explained that "The studio [Warner Bros.] knew what I was going to do at the Razzies. I told them I wanted to take the piss out of it and laugh at it [...] I don't think it's a God-awful film, but I was at the Razzies, so I had to do what they do; I shit on it because they shit on it! I wrote [that speech] within an inch of my life. I put a lot of thought into how I could do it in a fun way and let everyone know I didn't take it that seriously. You can never take away my Oscar, no matter how bad you bash me! If you say I earned it, I'll take this, too."

Award	Ceremony date	Category	Subject	Result
Golden Raspberry Awards	February 26, 2005	Worst Picture	Warner Bros.	Won
		Worst Actress	Halle Berry	Won
		Worst Supporting Actor	Lambert Wilson	Nominated
		Worst Supporting Actress	Sharon Stone	Nominated
		Worst Screen Couple	Halle Berry and eitherBenjamin Brattor Sharon Stone	Nominated
		Worst Director	Pitof	Won
		Worst Screenplay	John Brancato and Michael Ferris,John Rogers	Won
Stinkers Bad Movie Awards	2005	Worst Picture	Warner Bros.	Won
		Least "Special" Special Effects		Won
		Most Intrusive Musical Score		Nominated
		Worst Screenplay		Nominated
		Worst Director	Pitof	Won
		Worst Actress	Halle Berry	Won
		Worst Supporting Actress	Sharon Stone	Won

Оther media

Main article:Catwoman(video game)

A video game based on the film was published byElectronic ArtsUK andArgonaut Games.Featuring voice actorJennifer Hale,the game varies from the film's plot and received negative reviews onMetacritic.

In 2003,Warner Bros.approachedBoyd Kirklandto write a script for aCatwomandirect-to-videoanimated feature film to tie-in with the film's release. Although the script was written, the project was discarded due to the film's critical and box office failure.

See also

• List of films based on DC Comics publications
• List of films considered the worst

External links

• Official website
• CatwomanatIMDb
• CatwomanatRotten Tomatoes
• CatwomanatMetacritic