Little Birds (2011)

Director:

Elgin James

Writer:

Elgin James (written by)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

How far would you go?

Plot:

Lily and Alison face a life-changing event after they leave their Salton Sea home and follow the boys they meet back to Los Angeles. |

Plot Keywords:

Salton Sea | Title Based On Song | Runaway | Attempted Rape | Friendship

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Juno Temple	...	Lily Hobart
Kay Panabaker	...	Alison Hoffman
Kate Bosworth	...	Bonnie Muller
Neal McDonough	...	Hogan
David Warshofsky	...	Joseph Hoffman
Leslie Mann	...	Margaret Hobart
Bob Larkin	...	Mr. Kovacs
Kathleen Gati	...	Sally Heron
Scotty Noyd Jr.	...	Ray Cawley
Kyle Gallner	...	Jesse MacNamara
Carlos Pena	...	Louis Estes
Chris Coy	...	David Riley
Lauren Pennington	...	Shawna Cawley (as Lauren Whitney Pennington)
Lydia Blanco	...	Female Cashier
Marc Rose	...	Man
Jamie Patricof	...	Passerby
Mindy Vela-Henderson	...	Realtor
Katie Nehra	...	Realtor Assistant
Joel McKinnon Miller	...	Michael White
JR Bourne	...	John Gretton
Mike Erwin	...	Mark Muller
Erik Ellington	...	Dealer
Elizabeth James	...	LA Hipster Girl
Todd Fjelsted	...	LA Hipster Boy
J.W. Buckley	...	Skate Shop Owner
Chad Gilbert	...	Guy with Drink
Gibby Miller	...	Partygoer 1
Matthew Boettcher	...	Partygoer 2
Chad Glissmeyer	...	Partygoer 3
Chopper	...	Himself
Jake Devine	...	Salton Sea Skateboarder
George Hathaway	...	Salton Sea Skateboarder
Jared Huss	...	Salton Sea Skateboarder
Geoff Rowley	...	Los Angeles Skateboarder
David Gonzalez	...	Los Angeles Skateboarder
Rune Glifberg	...	Los Angeles Skateboarder
Arto Saari	...	Los Angeles Skateboarder
Ewan Bowman	...	Los Angeles Skateboarder
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ryan O'Quinn	...	Mark Lawrence (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Elgin James

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Elgin James		written by

Produced by
Bobbie Blyle	....	associate producer
Max Burger	....	executive producer
Monique Burger	....	executive producer
Joey Carey	....	associate producer
Keith Fairclough	....	co-producer
Pavlina Hatoupis	....	co-producer
Kevin Iwashina	....	executive producer
Katie McNeill	....	associate producer
David Moore	....	associate producer (as Dave Moore)
Stefan Nowicki	....	executive producer
Jamie Patricof	....	producer
Alan Polsky	....	producer
Gabe Polsky	....	producer
Adam Shott	....	associate producer
Benjamin Weber	....	associate producer
Pavlina Hatoupis	....	line producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Elgin James

Cinematography by
Reed Morano		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Suzanne Spangler

Casting by
Wendy O'Brien

Production Design by
Todd Fjelsted

Art Direction by
J.B. Popplewell

Set Decoration by
Rosie Sanders

Costume Design by
Trayce Gigi Field		(as Trayce Field)

Makeup Department
Roxxi Dott	....	hair department head
Lorraine Martin	....	makeup department head
Lorraine Martin	....	special makeup effects artist
Miko Nishida	....	key hair stylist
Natalie Vermiglio	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Samantha Housman	....	post-production supervisor
Daniela Roth	....	unit production manager
Louise Runge	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Corbin Larson	....	second second assistant director
Roman Salcedo	....	second assistant director
Clenet Verdi-Rose	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Nic Berlin	....	props
Caity Birmingham	....	set dresser
Matthew Derba	....	leadman (as Matt Derba)
Carl Fieler	....	swing
John Roberson	....	swing
Ryan Watson	....	set dresser
Kristen Rajterowski	....	shopper (uncredited)

Sound Department
Michael J. Anastasi	....	supervising sound designer
Omar Barraza	....	boom operator
Dhyana Carlton-Tims	....	supervising adr editor
Nash Cubero Jr.	....	foley editor (as Nash Cubero)
Robert Dehn	....	sound studio manager
Derek Deitz	....	assistant sound editor
Jason Gaya	....	sound mixer (as Jason 'Frenchie' Gaya)
Angela Hemingway	....	dialogue editor
Steven Iba	....	adr mixer
Richard Kitting	....	sound mixer (as Richard 'Tricky' Kitting)
Zach Michaelis	....	foley mixer
Matthew Sanchez	....	sound mixer
Chris Terhune	....	assistant sound editor
Vicki Vandegrift	....	foley artist (as Vicki O'Reilly Vandergrift)
Andres Velasquez	....	sound effects editor

Visual Effects by
Jeffrey Belgum	....	digital artist (uncredited)
Chris Faczek	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Nick Guth	....	visual effects artist (uncredited)
Mark Velazquez	....	digital compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Lou Simon	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Kevin Akers	....	first assistant camera
Team Bashet	....	key grip
Joshua Bushek	....	best boy grip
Chris Carroll	....	best boy electric
Justin Coit	....	still photographer: Salton Sea
Joseph Ghang	....	camera production assistant
Joseph Segura	....	second assistant camera (as Joe Sequra)
Jacqueline Stahl	....	camera loader
Matthew Walker	....	additional photography
Matthew Walker	....	gaffer
Marianne Williams	....	still photographer: Los Angeles
Vanessa Wolf	....	electrician
Sean Dahlen	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Mithun Gangopadhyay	....	electrician (uncredited)
Reed Morano	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Colin Oh	....	additional best boy electric (uncredited)
Jacqueline Stahl	....	film loader (uncredited)
Brandon Taylor	....	additional key grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Chris Gehrt	....	casting associate
Shaunessy James Quinn	....	extras casting director: Rich King Casting (as Shaunessy Quinn)
Patty Majorczak-Connolly	....	adr voice casting (uncredited)
Mark Sussman	....	adr voice casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sarah Evelyn Bram	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Sarah Bram)
Kimberly Bullard	....	wardrobe intern
April Dunlap	....	key set costumer (as April Alene Dunlap)
Analucia McGorty	....	key set costumer (as Ana McGorty)

Editorial Department
Marcelo Aprile	....	digital intermediate producer
Calvin Dunham	....	post-production production assistant
Cassidy Greenwood	....	digital intermediate conformer
Lara Khachooni	....	assistant editor
Michael Lafuente	....	digital intermediate technical director
Michael Mintz	....	digital film colorist

Music Department
Carl Byron	....	musician: piano, organ, The Suicide Gang
Chad Gilbert	....	musician: guitar, The Suicide Gang
Nicole Gordon	....	musician: vocals, The Suicide Gang
Elgin James	....	musician: vocals, guitar, The Suicide Gang
Elizabeth James	....	music supervisor
Paul Koch	....	music editor
JJ Lee	....	executive music producer (as JJ)
JJ Lee	....	musician: guitar, The Suicide Gang
Chris Lord	....	executive music producer (as Chris)
Rich McCulley	....	music engineer: certain tracks
Rich McCulley	....	music producer: certain tracks
Rich McCulley	....	musician: guitar, bass, The Suicide Gang
Steve Mugalian	....	musician: drums, The Suicide Gang
Leah Zeger	....	musician: violin, The Suicide Gang

Transportation Department
Shawndra Blyle	....	driver
Matt Fitzgerald	....	picture vehicles
Anastasia Levine	....	driver (as Stasia Levine)
Lauren Levine	....	transportation captain
Ashley Taylor	....	driver: cast

Other crew
Greg Ammon	....	intern
Joshua Banta	....	location assistant
Jim Boettcher	....	filmed with the generous support of (as James Boettcher)
Patricia Boettcher	....	filmed with the generous support of
J.W. Buckley	....	production consultant
Erika Canchola	....	production attorney: Law Offices of Elsa Ramo
Marty Carlin	....	set tutor
Huy Chau	....	intern
Erin Connarn	....	script supervisor
Sara Correa	....	intern
Eleonore Dailly	....	script clearance research
Todd D. Filener	....	set medic
Becca Frucht	....	intern
John Henry Haseltine	....	assistant to director
John Henry Haseltine	....	location assistant
Bryn Scott Hubbard	....	craft service (as Bryn Hubbard)
Tierre Kennedy	....	set security (as Scooby Kennedy)
Matt Meyerson	....	skater wrangler
Tara Jean O'Brien	....	production coordinator
Justin Owades	....	intern
Jeff Palkevich	....	location manager
Elsa Ramo	....	production attorney: Law Offices of Elsa Ramoi
Sonja Roth	....	production accountant
Liam Satre-Meloy	....	assistant: Polsky Films
Ashley Renee Saunders	....	assistant production coordinator (as Ashley Saunders)
Elias Savada	....	copyright research: director, Motion Picture Information Service
Liz Singh	....	intern
Candice Smith	....	animal wrangler: dog
Sandra Smith	....	set medic
Ashley Taylor	....	animal wrangler: horse
Mindy Vela-Henderson	....	assistant to director (as Mindy Vela Henderson)
Tomica Baquet	....	animal trainer (uncredited)
Scott Fleisher	....	key p/a (uncredited)
Jennifer Gray	....	production attorney (uncredited)
Erin Myles	....	additional voice (uncredited)

Thanks
Joan Darling	....	very special thanks
Gyula Gazdag	....	very special thanks
Chad Gilbert	....	thanks
Ryan Gosling	....	thanks
Catherine Hardwicke	....	very special thanks
Ed Harris	....	thanks
Tift Merritt	....	thanks
Robert Redford	....	very special thanks
Michelle Satter	....	very special thanks
Joan Tewkesbury	....	thanks (as Joan Tewksbury)
Hayley Williams	....	thanks
Alfre Woodard	....	thanks
Jonathan Wysocki	....	thanks
Benh Zeitlin	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Polsky Films
• Hunting Lane Films
• Sundial Pictures (in association with)

Distributors

• Millennium Entertainment (2011) (USA) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Master Key Effects (visual effects)

Other Companies

• 1st Call Studio Equipment  grip and electric equipment (as 1st Call)
• ABS Payroll & Production Accounting Services  payroll services
• Avon Rent-A-Car  production vehicles (as Avon Rent A Car)
• Cinelease  grip and electric equipment
• Cinerep / AMPS  grip and electric equipment
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Enterprise  picture vehicles
• J. Dolan Communications  walkie talkies
• Lakeshore Records  soundtrack
• Motion Picture Information Services  copyright research (as Motion Picture Information Service)
• New Hat  digital intermediate services
• OneZero Productions  post-production services
• Panavision  camera equipment
• Ramo Law PC  production legal (as Law Offices of Elsa Ramo)
• Rich King Casting  extras casting
• Sessions Payroll Management  extras payroll services
• Sonic Magic  sound post-production (as Sonic Magic Studios)
• Star Waggons  production vehicles
• Team Bashet  grip and electric equipment

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive language, some violence including a sexual assault, sexuality/nudity, drug and alcohol use - all involving teens

Runtime:

USA:94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

USA:R | Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

Salton Sea, California, USA

Company:

Polsky Films

Quotes:

[first lines]
Alison:[narrating] My best friend Lily thought she was drowning. Drowning in the Salton Sea. Even though the water was too polluted to set foot in, and left anything in their town either dying, or dead.
Margaret Hobart:Lily? Are you okay? Hello...
Alison:Lily was determined to never let it get her.
[drops down into the bath water and starts screaming]

Soundtrack:

Too Far

A story that Avril Lavigne wants to convey?

This is another one of those movies with a girl that has emotional issues because of superficial problems. And has a friend tagging along. And in movies like this they can be the loyal and righteous friend or the one that is a complete negative influence. In this it's the loyal and righteous friend and the main protagonist Lily Hobart(Juno Temple) is the one that is trying to find acceptance and pleasure. And thus joins up with few troublesome skateboarders. The thing is it's difficult to sympathize with a character like Lily Hobart in this when she has a loving mother and a loyal friend and hasn't been emotionally screwed by other people harming her physically. I can sympathize with Juno Temple's role in "Killer Joe" but not really in this one. Plus after watching "Beasts of the Southern Wild" the problem the protagonist faces is way far from being as bad. She just comes off a uptight selfish girl that uses other people and gets used as well. I don't know but I got kinda numb to these types of movies after a while. These types of movies are watchable in my opinion but just far from being all that entertaining. Some have sorta engaging aspects going for it but not really in this one. Besides certain parts about peer pressure, this one is passable.

5.5/10