The life-affirming-messianic-domestic-animal genre is about to get a new entry. Blame Marley and Me for the news that Making the Rounds With Oscar, the best-selling biography of an American nursing home's cat, is to get the movie treatment.
David Dosa's book describes how Oscar arrived at the Steers House dementia unit as a kitten, and soon developed the habit of unerringly picking the next resident to check out. The staff at the home used the sight of Oscar curling up with any of their patients as a cue to call their nearest and dearest to prepare them for the worst. Professionals speculate that the cat may be attracted to ketones, the biochemicals released by dying cells.
Stephen Lindsey (Hachi) and Luis Ugaz are writing the screenplay, from the point of view of physician Dosa, discovering Oscar's ability and finding his own belief system changed because of it. No indication yet of a director, or who'll play the cat.