DANNY AND SAWYER
Cats Don’t Dance is a film that has its fair share of problems and not everything about the film makes sense. However, while I acknowledge the issues people have with the movie, it is still one I hold close to my heart. A significant reason for that is Sawyer, Danny and their relationship as this relationship is one of the first that I remember supporting.
Danny and Sawyer come from a film that I believe is underrated. These kitties definitely do not start out on the right…er…paw. Sawyer gets knocked into the fountain by Danny before they even meet and after they meet he accidentally slams the door on her tail.
However, as the film continues, they grow closer and their opinions of each other change for the better.
Some say Danny is a bland character but I really liked him. He is a farm cat who grew up with few luxuries but he does have a big dream, one that he has had since he was a little kitten: to become a Hollywood star. He certainly has the talent to back up his dream as he demonstrates it through his arrival in Hollywood through his impressive singing and dancing.
He is an ambitious, optimistic, kind character and I always admired him for his passion and drive to succeed and achieve his dreams. He is also polite, sarcastic and comedic. He is willing to take responsibility for his mistakes and own up to them.
When he puts his mind to something, he is determined to make it a reality even if not all of his methods are completely sound.
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Sawyer is a memorable character and I love how her relationship with Danny helps evolve her character. Sawyer is a character who once had big dreams to become a singer and dancer.
However, over the years, she became disillusioned and jaded by Hollywood’s unfair treatment of animal actors, just like the rest of her friends. When her dreams fell apart, she fell on hard times, became a secretary for Farley Wink and became cynical. In my opinion, this makes her progress of becoming a happier spirit an interesting and emotionally rewarding experience.
She is a damaged character who never tried to find her optimism again until Danny brought it back into her life with his own optimism, believing in her, and reminding her why she came to Hollywood in the first place. Sawyer proves she still has a heart, spirit and spark buried underneath all her negativity and the darkness of the real world. Thanks to Danny, she finds a reason to believe again, in herself and in Danny.
Moreover, I think Danny and Sawyer’s bickering is really cute and they perform so well off each other. I also really like the thought of these two characters playing the lead characters of some of my favorite romance films, like Singing in the Rain, and bringing their own spin to the story.
In many ways, they are opposites but they balance each other out nicely and I found their relationship progression adorable and enjoyable. By the end, Danny and Sawyer believed in each other’s dreams and were able to achieve them together.
This is such a cute and adorable movie….and a good portion of that is owned to Danny and Sawyer. I absolutely love these characters and their romance arc!