Just saw a wonderful, adorable, charming, really terrific movie. "Duma",
about a South African boy who adopts an orphaned cheetah cub. The cheetah
grows up with the family and becomes their pet. They live on a farm, so
he's outdoors most of the time, but really, he's more domesticated than
my cats. :) He follows the boy around everywhere like a dog. (My cats
certainly don't do that!) There's an adorable scene of the boy in bed,
unable to fall asleep because the cheetah is in bed with him and purring
very loudly.

Ultimately this is a story of an adventure the two of them have together,
and no, nothing tragic happens to the cheetah. That's a little bit of a
spoiler, I guess, but I would never have been able to see it if I hadn't
at least known that much. The movie is very sweet, but without any cloying
Disney cutesyness. It's even based on a memoir written by the man who had
that experience when he was a boy, although I suppose the film takes a
few liberties with reality. It's beautiful to look at, too.

I don't think it's on DVD yet - I just saw it in a theater tonight. If
it's in your area, don't miss it!!

Joyce