Paulie (1998)

Paulie, a talking parrot, recounts his travels looking for his original owner to a Russian janitor who helps him to the end of his journey.

Director:

John Roberts

Writer:

Laurie Craig

Stars:

Gena Rowlands, Tony Shalhoub, Cheech Marin

2 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gena Rowlands	...	Ivy
Tony Shalhoub	...	Misha Vilyenkov
Cheech Marin	...	Ignacio
Bruce Davison	...	Dr. Reingold
Trini Alvarado	...	Adult Marie Alweather
Jay Mohr	...	Benny / Paulie (voice)
Buddy Hackett	...	Artie
Hallie Eisenberg	...	Marie Alweather (as Hallie Kate Eisenberg)
Matt Craven	...	Warren Alweather
Bill Cobbs	...	Virgil the Janitor
Tia Texada	...	Ruby / Lupe (voice)
Laura Harrington	...	Lila Alweather
Peter Basch	...	Graduate Student #1
Emily Mura-Smith	...	Graduate Student #2
Hal Robinson	...	Grandpa

Storyline

Paulie, an intelligent parrot who actually talks, relates the story of his struggle to a Russian immigrant who works as a janitor at the research institute where he is housed and neglected. Paulies story begins many years earlier when he is given as a gift to a little girl who stutters. Eventually, he teaches the girl to speak correctly but is taken away by her father because he believes the girl cannot distinguish fantasy from reality because she believes the bird can talk. Paulie goes through a series of adventures with a pawn shop owner, an ageing widow, a Mexican-American troubadour and a would be thief before being taken to the institute where he now lives.

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Plot Keywords:

parrot | girl | janitor | human animal relationship | road trip | 

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Taglines:

The Bird is the Word

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for brief mild language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

17 April 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Polly, a Parrot's Tail

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$23,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,369,800, 19 April 1998, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$27,008,669, 16 August 1998

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks, Mutual Film Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bruce Davison (Dr. Reingold) & Matt Craven (Warren Alweather) both had roles in the X-Men movies. Bruce Davison played Senator Kelly in "X-Men" (2000) & "X2: X-Men United" (2003). Matt Craven played CIA Director McCone in "X-Men: First Class" (2011).

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Goofs

When Marie and her mother are hugging each other after Marie says, "Cup" while struggling, you can see that Paulie pooped on the table.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[Misha reports for work, it is dark and raining]
Virgil the Janitor: The agency told you you had to pay for your own uniforms, right ?
Misha: Yes, I to buy with money from job.
Virgil the Janitor: No, no, no. You can't start the job without a uniform.
Misha: But how to buy when not been paid ?
Virgil the Janitor: You don't have any money ?
Misha: No. This is why I take job. To make money. This is why I come to America. To be a big shoot.
Virgil the Janitor: Shot. Big shot.
Misha: I try not to live in past, only present tense since I come to America.
[...]

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Connections

Features The Birds (1963)

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Soundtracks

Estoy Loco
Written by Josh Cruze

User Reviews

A short summary of the film, as well as detailed comments.

Somehow, this movie manages to be invigorating, bittersweet, and heartwarming at the same time. Stars like Tony Shalhoub (from Providence) bring the tale to life. The story itself is inspiring. We see a desperate, up-and-down life through the most innocent eyes imaginable: a bird's.

Paulie begins his life as a baby parrot given to a little girl (played by Hallie Eisenberg, also known as the Pepsi girl) with a speech impediment. While she learns to speak correctly, so does Paulie. However, unlike most birds, he can speak and understand everything being said. The military father doesn't like the bird, so he is sent to a pawn shop and bought by an aging artist, Ivy. She teaches him manners, etc., while traveling across the country to find Paulie's owner. The movie continues with several twists of fate, until Paulie ends up at a laboratory where he is eventually hidden away in a basement, and found by a Russian custodian, who is touched by the bird's story. the plot is in keeping with the simple, metaphorical theme that language is a gift, and a curse. I would like to say that the soundtrack is astounding. A beautiful mixture of flute, digital base, and horns enhance the movie to the point of pure ecstasy. The sweeping camera angles and breathtaking scenery beautify the story even more. And, as a final remark, the puppetry is entirely believable. (Unlike in star wars, where Yoda resembles a Muppet) This film is one of my favorite movies, with the added remark that my wonderful parakeet of four years died recently. Overall, I give this movie **** out of four stars, two thumbs up, and a big hug.