Garfield in the Rough is the third Garfield television special.
Synopsis[]
Packing for a vacation, Garfield is appalled to discover his destination; he's getting back to nature with his owner Jon and his playmate, Odie the mutt. Of course, Garfield isn't in for much fun - the forest rangers insult him; the tent doesn't fit him; Odie dunks him in the lake; and, to top it all, a vicious panther is on the loose - and may be stalking him.
Plot[]
In the Arbuckle residence, Garfield is living in a black-and-white world, due to his boring life routine, thus all the color has been drained from his life. He finds a bored Jon Arbuckle in the kitchen who reveals that he wants to take a vacation, much to Garfield's joy (restoring the color in Garfield's life). Garfield wonders where they will be vacationing, and imagines himself in Honolulu, Acapulco and Venice, where he attempts to hit on female cats. Garfield asks Jon where they are going, only to learn that they are going camping, much to Garfield's dismay. While driving, they stop at a ranger station, where Garfield learns they will be staying a week. They find a spot where they prepare the camp. Jon catches Garfield trying to eat the food and tells him that it must last the week. When Jon finishes setting up the tent, he finds it to be smaller than he imagines, recalling that it looked larger in the ad.
When night approaches, Jon switches on the radio to a news bulletin about a panther that has escaped from the local zoo, and is lurking in the Lake Wobegon area. Garfield wants to leave upon hearing the news, but Jon stops him, certain they are miles from the area. Jon pulls out a guitar and prepares to sing a campfire song his mother taught him to play. After singing, they retire for the night. Immediately afterwards, the panther approaches, and watches the campsite for the point to make its move. The next day, Odie wakes Jon up by licking his feet until they all fall into the lake. After Garfield tells Odie to go play "with something poisonous", the dog runs past a sign, which reads "Lake Wobegon", the exact area the panther was reported in. Meanwhile, the rangers are hunting the panther, and stop at Jon's campsite. When they see it is empty, they think Jon must be out hiking or at the lake, and do not have the time to wait for him to return, as they have to stay on the trail of the beast, and decide to leave him a note, which reads "Killer Panther Loose in Area. You Must Evacuate Immediately." Unfortunately, right after the rangers depart from the campsite, a gust of wind blows the note into a recently extinguished campfire, where it burns up immediately.
When Jon and Garfield return, Jon finds that Garfield and Odie ate all of the food except for the dried fruit. He is furious with the two, saying that they are stranded in the wild backcountry with no connection to the outside world, while Garfield decides to take a hike and starts to appreciate the beauty of nature. He suddenly remembers the local animals and fears he will be eaten. He then meets a beaver and rabbit named Dicky and Billy respectively, and begs for mercy. However, Billy and Dicky say they are not going to eat Garfield, as they are harmless herbivores. However, when Garfield asks them about the dangerous panther at large, they warn him that it has been attacking other forest animals, and Billy remarks "What it did to a friend of mine is too ghastly to repeat."
Dicky and Billy quickly flee after hearing a noise, while Garfield hides in a tree stump only to find that it is merely Odie. In fear, the two return to the campsite and try to warn Jon of the danger, but Jon is still relaxed and oblivious to the situation, simply sitting by a campfire and offering Garfield a piece of dried fruit. As night falls, the panther awakens and enters the campsite. Garfield runs up a tree while Jon and Odie first hide in the tent, then in the car. Jon realizes that Garfield is not with them, as they cannot leave without him. The panther spots them and smashes the window. After the panther narrowly misses Jon while attacking, Garfield comes to the rescue when he leaps onto the panther and fights it. The panther throws Garfield off and approaches him menacingly. The rangers enter the campsite and subdue the beast with a tranquilizer dart. Jon calls Garfield a hero, before they decide they have had enough adventure and they should head back to civilization. While heading home, Garfield fumbles the saying "When the going gets tough, the tough get going".
Characters[]
Main characters[]
Major characters[]
Minor characters[]
- Honolulu cat (voiced by Desirée Goyette)
- Acapulco cat #1 (voiced by Desirée Goyette)
- Acapulco cat #2
- Venice cat (voiced by Desirée Goyette)
- Radio announcer (voiced by Gregg Berger)
Trivia[]
- This is the first Garfield feature to be produced by Film Roman.
- For the first few minutes of the special, Garfield is depicted with round eyes, as in the first two specials, while Jon’s eyes are larger. Garfield’s eyes become oval-shaped as of the scene where Jon announces that they are going camping.
- Following the radio report about the panther being located in the Lake Woebegone area, "So Long Old Friend" is briefly heard.
- At the beginning of the special, a caption appears telling viewers that there is nothing wrong with their television, and that the picture has gone black-and-white because all of the color has been drained from Garfield's life.
Cultural references[]
- The fictional Lake Wobegon is best known for its use in the long-running radio series, A Prairie Home Companion, making its reference an apparent breaking of the fifth wall.
- In Garfield's "Venice" daydream, he sings a variation of 'O sole mio.
- Garfield does an impersonation of Igor from the 1931 film Frankenstein while fetching water for Jon.
Book adaptation[]
- In the comic adaptation, Billy Rabbit and Dicky Beaver have bigger roles. When meeting them for the first time, Billy and Dicky try to get Garfield to try food they like, to no avail. Prior to their departure, Garfield tells Billy of the panther's capture. Billy then offers Garfield to live with them due to his bravery against the panther. Garfield declines and stays with Odie and Jon.
- In Garfield's daydream, his "hat dance" changed from doing an actual dance on top of the hat to simply stomping on it.
- At the end, Garfield is delighted to be home when Jon hears scratching at the door and tells Garfield to answer it. Garfield claims he is no longer afraid of anything and says that he will take care of it. He peers out into the dark and sees a pair of glowing eyes. After Garfield screams and faints, a little black kitten walks into the house. Jon also suggests camping again, with Garfield and Odie pouncing on him in response.
Goofs[]
- In the comic, the color of the coffee pot that got stuck on Odie's head changes from yellow, to blue, to gray.
- When the panther attacks Jon, it rips a hole through his shirt; later, the shirt is undamaged.
- While Jon is hugging Garfield and Odie, the way he is wearing his shirt changes briefly.
Songs[]
- "R and R" performed by Lou Rawls
- "In the Rough" performed by Lorenzo Music and Thom Huge
- "So Long Old Friend" performed by Desirée Goyette (briefly heard on the radio)
- "Camping is My Life" performed by Thom Huge
- "The Music of Nature" performed by Desirée Goyette
- "Run-Run I'm Afraid" performed by Thom Huge and Desirée Goyette
Awards[]
| Organization | Recipients | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primetime Emmy | Jay Poynor Phil Roman Jim Davis |
Outstanding Animated Program |