The Electrical Life of Louis Wain

Louis began painting cats as a coping mechanism after his wife Emily was diagnosed with breast cancer. To ease their grief, they adopted a stray kitten named Peter. As Emily's health declined, Louis started creating whimsical, anthropomorphic depictions of Peter, which evolved into his signature style of playful cat illustrations.

The film hints at his artistic shift when Louis first adopts Peter, showing how personal tragedy fueled his creativity.

Louis married Emily in 1884 because they had fallen deeply in love when she was hired as a governess for his sisters. Despite the scandal caused by their ten-year age difference and her status as a governess, Louis chose to pursue the relationship, leading to another rift within his family.

Their attraction is immediate from the moment Emily is hired, building toward the controversial marriage.

Louis was admitted to Springfield Mental Hospital in 1924 after suffering a complete mental breakdown. The cumulative grief of losing his wife Emily, mother, youngest sister Marie, his patron Sir William, and his beloved cat Peter had become overwhelming. His sisters made the difficult decision to have him institutionalized.

The film shows Louis's declining mental state escalating through multiple tragedies throughout the years.

Louis's cat illustrations gained immense popularity by 1891 because they were whimsical and playful, featuring anthropomorphic cats in imaginative scenarios. His work appeared on postcards and greeting cards, fundamentally changing public perception of cats as household pets. The unique artistic style stood out during a time when cats were not commonly kept as companions in Victorian England.

The Christmas edition success hints at the commercial potential that would eventually explode.

Louis fell into a coma after falling off a double-decker bus and hitting his head while attempting to jump off it. During his unconscious state, he experienced a vivid vision of the year 1999, which inspired him to design avant-garde cat toys upon waking.

The accident occurs during World War I, as Louis struggles with the cumulative weight of his losses.

Louis remained financially struggling because he failed to copyright his artwork. Without legal protection, others reproduced his cat illustrations without payment, and the Wain family constantly faced debt. This led to their eviction from their Sussex home, forcing them to rely on the charity of Sir William Ingram.

Sir William warns Louis about the importance of copyright early in his career.

Louis's youngest sister Marie began showing signs of mental illness during the family's financial struggles. She was eventually institutionalized in an asylum. Both Marie and their mother later died from influenza, adding to Louis's profound grief.

Marie first exhibits disturbing behavior when the family faces eviction and mounting pressures.

Louis traveled to New York in 1907 hoping to establish a successful career in America and relieve his family's chronic debts. Newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst sponsored the trip, and Louis discovered his work was widely admired in America. However, tragedy struck when he learned of his mother's death from influenza shortly after arriving.

Sir William encourages Louis to seek opportunities abroad as financial pressures mount.

Louis's sisters committed him to Springfield Mental Hospital in 1924 because he was experiencing severe mental breakdowns from accumulated grief and was no longer functional. They felt it was necessary for his safety and care, though it was a painful decision for the family.

The film shows his mental state deteriorating progressively through multiple losses.

When Sir William Ingram first offered Louis a full-time position at The Illustrated London News in 1881, Louis initially turned it down because he hoped to succeed in music and playwriting instead. He wanted to find more creative and potentially lucrative avenues to support his family, but those efforts proved unsuccessful.

Louis shows interest in creative pursuits beyond illustration from the beginning.

During his coma following the bus accident, Louis experienced a vivid vision of the year 1999, which inspired him to create futuristic cat toys upon waking. This vision represented his enduring connection to his cats and his creative spirit, though the hope was dashed when a German U-boat destroyed the ship carrying the toys.

The coma occurs at a low point in Louis's life, and the vision symbolizes a brief glimpse of hope.

Louis was moved from Springfield to Bethlem Royal Hospital in Southwark after Dan Rider, who recognized Louis from their past, launched a fundraising campaign to secure better care. Thousands of admirers contributed, including author H.G. Wells. Bethlem was more humane and allowed patients to keep cats, eventually giving Louis companionship of his own.

Dan Rider remembers Louis from an earlier encounter and takes action during a hospital inspection.

Emily Richardson was the catalyst for Louis's iconic cat paintings. After her breast cancer diagnosis, they adopted Peter to cope with their grief. As her health worsened, Louis began painting Peter with increasingly anthropomorphic and whimsical qualities, creating the distinctive style that would make him famous. Her decline directly fueled his artistic transformation.

The film establishes early that Louis finds emotional comfort in Emily, which extends to their shared life with Peter.