Director Michael Lehmann Talks Janeane Garofalo, Fighting R Ratings, and The Truth About Cats & Dogs [Exclusive]

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In the 1990s, you couldn't get away from modernized spins on classic literature. If you lived through the period between 1996-1999, this manifested in the likes of contemporary takes on Shakespeare (Romeo + Juliet, 10 Things I Hate About You, etc.). But in 1996, theaters got a gender-swapped contemporary take on French poet Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac entitled The Truth About Cats and Dogs.

The film tells the story of pet therapist/radio personality Abby Barnes (Janeane Garofalo) who attracts the attention of listener Brian (Ben Chaplin). Concerned about what Brian will think about her, physically, she decides to have her neighbor Noelle (Uma Thurman) act as her. What results is a comedic love triangle that tries to get to the heart of personal fears of rejection and feminine self-esteem.

This is one of the unsung gems of 1996. A movie that's equally funny and sexy, with a solidly unique script by writer Audrey Wells. It was also a rare opportunity to see the deadpan Garofalo in a lead role. For director Michael Lehmann, best known at the time for helming the 1989 black comedy Heathers and 1994's Airheads, was seeking a "diversity of material" when he discovered Wells's script. "The Truth About Cats and Dogs was very different than anything I'd done," Lehmann tells The Film Maven.