Nine Lives parents guide

Nine Lives Parent Guide

Even though the plot is predictable, the underlying message of keeping priorities straight will likely play purr-fectly to family audience.

Overall A-

When a businessman (Kevin Spacey) mysteriously finds himself trapped inside the body a ca and gets adopted by his own family, he has the unusual opportunity to see his life through feline eyes.

Release date August 5, 2016

Violence B
Sexual Content A
Profanity B+
Substance Use B

Why is Nine Lives rated PG? The MPAA rated Nine Lives PG for thematic elements, language and some rude humor.

Run Time: 87 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

Career obsessed CEO Tom Brand (Kevin Spacey) is proving himself to be an absent father and husband. All of his available time and energy is focused on building FireBrand Tower, the tallest building in North America. When the distracted bread-winner finally makes an appearance, his wife Lara (Jennifer Garner) reminds him that their daughter Rebecca (Malina Weissman) is turning eleven the next day. She makes it clear that he needs to show up at the party with a suitable gift.

Young Rebecca, who adores her father, has been asking for a cat as a birthday present for years. Tom hates cats. However, pressed for time and out of options, the desperate dad makes the decision to grant his child’s wish. So Tom steps in to Purrkins, a store on a deserted street (resembling Diagon Alley) with kitties crawling everywhere. Inside, the odd shopkeeper Felix Perkins (Christopher Walkin) assists the surly customer in picking out a suitable pet - Mr. Fuzzypants. Enroute home, after a series of strange events, Tom finds himself trapped inside the body of the meowing fur-ball without really knowing how or why.

Obviously Mr. Fuzzypants (a.k.a Tom) has had a stressful day, so what better way to sooth his nerves than with a bowl full of Scotch? Hard liquor proves to be impactful and, in his drunken state, he relieves himself on the carpet. (He never liked that rug anyway.) Dinner doesn’t go much better, even though he is presented with a dish of high-end cat food. Too picky to even consider consuming it, he instead opts to develop his jumping skills and finds a box of cold cereal. (Much mess ensues.) That helps to quash the immediate needs, but still hungry, frustrated and somewhat hungover, the man-stuck-within-the-mammal can see no easy way out of his hairy predicament.

Meanwhile back at FireBrand, Tom’s oldest son, David (Robbie Amell) is left holding the bag while the cat is out. Although he originally only took a job at the family business to be near the father, he now finds himself privy to a private plot devised by employee Ian Cox (Marc Consuelos) to sell the company in the absence of its leader. Already feeling like a disappointment to the proud patriarch, David is determined to do anything to protect his Dad’s interests… even if he needs to jump off a building to do it. (Not to worry parents, it is quickly evident taking his own life isn’t the plan.)

Nine Lives harkens back to the 1960s Disney era when movies such as That Darn Cat! and The Shaggy Dog flooded screens. Like those films, this one avoids heading down storylines that might include sexual or vulgar content. It also presents some pleasant surprises. For example, Tom’s ex-wife, Madison (Cheryl Hines) is portrayed as being friends with the current Mrs. Brand, which is a nice and unexpected twist. She still harbors some hard feelings toward her former husband yet she reminds the children that their father loves them. Also refreshing is the calm pace in which the scenes are filmed and edited. And a unique musical score adds to the whimsical plot.

While living his new life, this Tom cat is forced to recognize how his behavior is impacting his family members and, of course, eventually sees what he needs to do to change. Even though the plot is predictable, the underlying message of keeping our priorities straight and paying attention to that which matters most comes through loud and clear. It’s also a good reminder that it’s never too late to teach an old cat some new tricks.

Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. Starring Robbie Amell, Kevin Spacey, Teddy Sears, Jennifer Garner. Running time: 87 minutes. Theatrical release August 5, 2016. Updated

Nine Lives
Rating & Content Info

Why is Nine Lives rated PG? Nine Lives is rated PG by the MPAA for thematic elements, language and some rude humor.

Violence: A character appears to be considering suicide, but we soon recognize that’s not the intent. A cat attacks people, leaving claw marks and fur. Adults verbally argue and engage in business confrontations. After an accident, a character is left clinging to the railing of a building and falls a distance; the sustained injuries leave the character in a coma. A cat faces a life threatening situation.

Sexual Content: A character views his wife undressing; we very briefly see her shoulder and lower leg; other than longing for her affection no sexual innuendo is included. Characters embrace and kiss. A character threatens to have a cat “fixed”.

Language: Two partial mild expletives and a couple of other mild terms are heard.

Alcohol / Drug Use: A cat drinks hard liquor and is later seen staggering about.

Other: The script includes some brief scatological humor involving a cat using a litter box and an animal urinating on a rug.

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Nine Lives Parents' Guide

How might portrayals of wealthy families affect young viewers, especially those who come from different social circumstances than the one depicted? What questions might they raise about lifestyles, material possessions and expectations about what parents should provide?

Why do you think the screenwriter of this story choose a wealthy father to depict a parent who neglects his children? Is this a stereotype? How might audiences react if the movie portrayed the mother as the absent and neglectful parent instead?

News About "Nine Lives"

From the Studio: Tom Brand (Kevin Spacey) is a daredevil billionaire at the top of his game. His eponymous company FireBrand is nearing completion on its greatest achievement to date - the tallest skyscraper in the northern hemisphere. But Tom's workaholic lifestyle has disconnected him from his family, particularly his beautiful wife Lara (Jennifer Garner) and his adoring daughter Rebecca (Malina Weissman). Rebecca's 11th birthday is here, and she wants the gift she wants every year, a cat. Tom hates cats, but he is without a gift and time is running out. His GPS directs him to a mystical pet store brimming with odd and exotic cats- where the store's eccentric owner- Felix Perkins (Christopher Walken), presents him with a majestic tomcat, named Mr. Fuzzypants. En route to his daughter's party, Tom has a terrible accident. When he regains consciousness he discovers that somehow, he has become trapped inside the body of the cat. Adopted by his own family, he begins to experience what life is truly like... Written by EuropaCorp

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Nine Lives movie is November 1, 2016. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Nine Lives
Release Date: 1 November 2016
Nine Lives releases to home video (Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy) with the following extras:
- Letting the Cat Out of the Bag: The Making of Nine Lives
- Russian for Herding Cats

Related home video titles:

Another man’s mind is transferred into the body a dog in the movie The Shaggy Dog (2006), the remake of The Shaggy Dog (1959) and its sequel The Shaggy D.A. (1976). A mom and her teen daughter trade bodies in Freaky Friday.

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