Mum's Monday: Street Cat Named Bob

When watching this film, it seems you have to ask yourself ‘who rescued who?’

This film is based on a book of a true story, of the same name by James Bowen (played in the film by Luke Treadaway) the London busker who took in Bob (who played himself along with other cats) and gave him a home. I read the book in one day, I just couldn’t put it down, and as it is an easy read, that is not a bad thing, it actually adds to the impact of the story. I can see why they made the book into this film.

As you watch this film, it proves, give some people something good to focus on and wonderful things can happen as a result. Also as I watched I hoped that there are more understanding, for the right reasons, people out there as portrayed in this film; such as when he missed an appointment because he had to take Bob to a vet. People never gave up on James and he proved to them, to be a worthy candidate.  

When James sees his flat for the first time he says “Wow”, despite the flat being unpainted, having a resident mouse and in a block where most people would fear to tread. Just goes to show the different levels of “wow factor” out there and this film should make us realise how grateful we should be for what we have.

You couldn’t have a film like this without including that clichéd line you can “stay for one night”. That never or rarely works. In this case though a good thing wouldn’t you say. Made me smile when I heard James say that to Bob and said to myself “Yeah right”.

What I also thought was a great idea was how the filmmakers told parts of the story looking through Bob’s eyes. This added to the film and included Bob in it as one of the main characters. He is after all one of the reasons the story came about.

When I first watched this film I cried all the way through. The connection between Bob and James was so beautiful and it was heart-warming to hear when James’s dad Jack (played in the film by Anthony Head) said “Son and Grandson”.

This film gives a realistic, graphic insight into what addicts and those who want to become ex-addicts go through. Even how their families may react to them, this has another level to it, as you have also a step family thrown into the mix. As James’s dad has remarried and has two other daughters. One who is sadly allergic to cats, which also doesn’t help matters when James turns up at their house with Bob, who despite being described in the half hour special feature, behind the scenes, on the DVD as acting as human, is still a cat, but still a great actor by all accounts.

The film is certainly worth a watch, just have plenty of tissues ready.