Poor Paw Paw

PLeaqse spoil me as I will not be seeing this one after I have read your comments. Sounds like he ends up back at the shelter?

I do too much with discarded animals in my real life to probably be able to appreciate whatever this movie is trying to say I think.

Whenever you look up, there I shall be -- and whenever I look up there will be you.

If Sophie and Jason only had the heart of Paw Paw! The cat was the most humane character in the film. Sophie and Jason are the Cheech & Chong of the You-Tube-Facebook generation, except it's not funny. They don't need drugs, they're just "naturally stoned" and bereft of any sense of purpose. They belong in a "Occupy Wall Street" protest. Of course, we don't know what animals feel or might understand, but the ONE thing these two useless idiots could have provided is a home for a sick cat. This was a very, very, very sad story. Sophie and Jason FAILED completely in their search for something that mattered. Ouch. This film was a commentary on much of contemporary culture.

so very sad

When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...

:( me too .. cried myself to sleep after watching the movie

I agree with bluesdoctor. I am an old man, keep a loving cat, and enjoy nearly all types of films. I enjoyed "Me & You...", and read Ms. July's book of short stories, "No One Belongs Here More Than You". I expected "The Future" to be more of the same: whimsical, funny, outrageous, inspired, and incontestably unique. And it was all these things, but more. To be honest, I didn't expect the outright pathos and pettiness of the relationship of the two main characters, or their pathetic search for something else or something more before it's too late. And I too got tripped up by the cat puppet, Paw Paw, who seemed to be the only human, humane, relatable creature in the film. I was indeed quite distressed by his "fate". But after reading so many of these IMDB entries, both pro and anti the use the cat was put to, I find myself concurring with the opinions of Paw Paw as metaphor for the film's characters (and by extension its viewers) waiting in vain for something to happen in the future, when "now" is the only time that anything can happen. The cat was a set-up: mother abandoned, born & raised in the wild, crippled leg, shut up in a cage for a month, then finally re-abandoned and euthanized. That a very obvious puppet with a creaky feminine voice could inspire so much emotion -- such anger and sadness and bitterness, not to mention renewed love for our own animals -- is surely a testament to Ms. July's talents as a writer and director. She said herself that many of her associates wanted her to take the cat out of the film, but she said no, that she considered Paw Paw to be the soul of the film. So whether you like it or whether you don't, the presence of this fictional cat greatly influences the individual's reaction to the film. I do not see this as crass manipulation; rather, I accept it as an invitation to see the world as she sometimes does, and as we all sometimes do, in all its thoughtless, casual cruelty. To me, "The Future" is a thoughtful, profound, quirky, and altogether wonderful film -- just not for every taste.

yes candypants 42 - you are alone in that.

Whether pawpaw was meant to be a metaphor or real, it was a super sad character. I cried so much and so hard by the end of the movie & even months later, when I think about it, i still feel awful. a truly depressing film. I love Miranda July, but i really hope she comes up with something a bit more uplifting & positive for her next film!!!!!!!!

I have a cat that puts up with me. Doesn't go out of it's way to say hello, but also wont shy away if I go to pet. Anyways, I used to have another cat who I was tight with, but he ran away to die somewhere.

Well, towards the end of this movie when, well.... you know. I started thinking of my 'homie' who ran away. Then the cat who puts up with me randomly crawls up in my bed (Which, literally never happens) and lays on my chest like the cat I was tight with used to.

It was pretty sweet. Plus it was a Miranda July flick so it was zen there for a second.