Cats | 2019 | PG | – 1.3.1

Why is “Cats” rated PG? The MPAA rating has been assigned for “rude and suggestive humor.” The Kids-In-Mind.com evaluation includes a few nuzzling scenes between male and female cats, and cat fur that shows the form of female cat breasts and both male and female buttocks; several sequences show a cat making other cats disintegrate in a cloud of dust and reappear unharmed, and there are references to cats being left behind and suffering as they age; and some name-calling. Read our parents’ guide below for details on sexual content, violence & strong language.”

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Adapted from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical: A group of street cats called Jellicles come together once a year to determine which of them will have the honor of ascending to the Heaviside Layer and thus come back to a new life. With Taylor Swift, Francesca Hayward, Idris Elba, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Rebel Wilson, James Corden, Mette Towley, Ray Winstone, Laurie Davidson, Jennifer Hudson, Jason Derulo, Naoimh Morgan, Laurent Bourgeois and Robbie Fairchild. Directed by Tom Hooper. [Running Time: 1:50]

Cats SEX/NUDITY 1

 – A few scenes show male and female cats nuzzling and rubbing cheeks, as well as touching noses together. A male and a female cat move close together with evident romantic interest. Male and female cats dance and they thrust their hips a few times and cats move in a sensual manner in several scenes. Cats dance around and a few seem to be sniffing each other. A cat lies on her back and spreads her legs wide apart to scratch her inner thighs. Male and female cats lie in beds under covers briefly.
► Female cats watch a male cat as he sings and they swoon; he lifts one cat up by the paws and drops her back to the floor. A female cat sings, dances, and shimmies her shoulders. A female cat asks if a male cat was just neutered because he sings with a high voice.
► Female and male cats are covered with fur, some of the female cats reveal the shape of their breasts, and both show the outline of their buttocks. A cat unzips her fur to reveal more fur with a dance costume underneath, a couple of times. Cockroaches wearing dance costumes (resembling the Rockettes) have breastplates (they’re shells) that form the shape of breasts.

Cats VIOLENCE/GORE 3

 – A woman gets out of her car and throws a pillow sack into a pile of discarded furniture and garbage; the bag wriggles and cats surround it and paw at the bag until a cat inside the bag pops out. A cat pokes another cat in the back with a pointed stick and forces her to walk the plank on a barge in a river (she does not fall in). A cat pokes another cat in the head with a claw and the other cat winces. Two cats are chained on the deck of a barge and when they get free, one cat swings the chain to hit their captor and she hits herself in the face first. A cat gets caught on a bed post by a necklace around her neck; she struggles to get free as she hears a dog barking and approaching until she breaks free and tries to close the door of the room but cannot and another cat throws a bone to distract the dog so they can both close the door and get away. A cat jumps and dangles from a rope on a hot air balloon and when he slips and loses his grip he falls and lands on the hat of a statue and cannot get down. A cat falls off a plank and into a river (we don’t see him again). A cat drops from the sky and slams onto the deck of a barge floating in a river.
► A cat slaps another cat and she bursts to a cloud of dust (she is seen unharmed later); this happens to a few other cats as well. A cat entices another cat to jump from a ledge into a tube and he bursts into a cloud of dust (he’s OK later). A cat closes a book and several cats turn to dust (we see them OK later).
► Cats talk about stealing from houses and we see them running through a house, taking things, and they throw food and dishes off a table. There are a few references to cats being left behind, abandoned and suffering as they age. Cats surround a new cat and sing a song about being blind when you’re born and whether she knows heaven or hell. Many cats scatter and leave one cat behind; a larger cat stands behind her and speaks in a deep voice in a threatening manner.
► Cats dance on train tracks. A cat is launched into a pipe by standing on a seesaw and other cats jump onto the other side; he lands on the rim of the pipe first and he moans in pain before falling in. A cat snarls and slashes at other cats a couple of times. Cats hiss and bat at each other in a few scenes. A cat slides down a tombstone and lands hard on the ground (he’s OK). A cat tumbles over a footstool and lands on the floor, crashes into a ledge and falls back onto the floor, and a cat’s paw is snapped in a mousetrap. Lightning flashes in the sky and thunder rumbles.
► A cat falls into a garbage can and later eats a whole shrimp as he sings about being fat; a large bin of garbage is dumped on the ground and many more cats dig in to find food (we see some chewing on bones). A cat pokes its head into a toilet that has been discarded in an alley (it looks dirty but waste is not evident). A cat spits out a slimy fur ball and it hits another cat in the face. A cat spits bits of chewed food in another cat’s face. A long line of cockroaches wearing dance costumes (like the Rockettes) march along and sing as cats snap a few up and eat them (we hear a crunch).
► A cat is shown with a scar on her temple and near her eye. A cat has a scar on his cheek. A cat is shown missing a part of his ear.

Cats LANGUAGE 1

 – 1 mild obscenity, name-calling (depravity, monster, mad as a hatter, cocky, old school, terrible bore, awful, annoying, curious cat, no man’s land, fat, puss in spats, horrible cat, Napoleon of crime), exclamations (stop milking it, wow, oh no, look what the cat dragged in, oh gosh), 2 religious exclamations (e.g. Hallelujah, Heaven And Hell). | profanity glossary |

Cats SUBSTANCE USE

 – Cats are sprinkled with catnip and they act inebriated while some fall unconscious briefly. A cat guzzles from a large bottle from champagne or wine, and a cat makes a comment about having some gin.

Cats DISCUSSION TOPICS

 – Cats, street cats, abandonment, aging, reincarnation, memories, cheating, confidence, happiness, superstition, understanding.

Cats MESSAGE

 – Everyone deserves a chance at dignity at the end of their life.