Garfield

Garfield lives the easy life, indulging in naps and lasagna while his owner Jon fusses over attempts to impress Liz, a veterinarian and Jon's old crush. When Jon brings home a boisterous dog named Odie to win Liz over, Garfield's comfortable world is upset by a new rival for attention. Stuffed with sly schemes, slapstick pranks, and feline commentary, the story follows Garfield as he reacts to the newcomer, tests boundaries, and faces consequences he didn't expect. The tone stays light and family oriented, keeping tensions playful rather than dark, and it avoids major plot surprises.

Released in 2004 and directed by Peter Hewitt, the movie adapts Jim Davis' long-running comic strip, with a screenplay credited to Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow. Bill Murray provides Garfield's voice, supported by Breckin Meyer as Jon and Jennifer Love Hewitt as Liz.

The film did well enough commercially to reach broad family audiences worldwide, drawing steady ticket sales and later home video viewers, helped by recognizable characters and merchandising opportunities.

Critical response was mixed, and audience scores reflect that balance, with a 5.733/10 average from one aggregation. Reviewers often liked Murray's dry, sardonic vocal turn but pointed out a thin plot and humor that leans toward the broad and obvious. For many viewers the movie works as undemanding family fare, centering on themes of jealousy, belonging, and what it means to share affection.

Garfield's move from two-dimensional comic strip to a live-action world with a CGI title character made headlines, largely because of Murray's casting and the effort to preserve Garfield's look and attitude. The film helped introduce the lasagna-loving cat to younger viewers who didn't grow up with the newspaper strip, and certain visual gags and moments have stuck with fans even as opinions about the movie remain divided.