Birds of America (2008)

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

The acting in this movie is really good.

Birds of America is a decent enough film without ever being great. It has all the heart and humour that was expected when you consider the cast involved and yet it seemed to be lacking that vital ingredient that perhaps would have improved this film.I think a major problem is that there are just too many subplots going on for the audience to really connect with all of them. It feels like the director Craig Lucas is trying to insert every cliché of independent films into this one picture but when all these elements come together it doesn't make a great film.Matthew Perry and Lauren Graham are there normal great selves but their story is only one of many that are linked in this film. Overall an enjoyable enough film that doesn't really do enough to make you want to watch it again.

I know a nine is going to seem high. But after a slow start, this movie begins to grab at you. There are moments you feel the boundaries of realism have been touched upon, but somehow it all meshes together and becomes the heartfelt story it's meant to be.At times, you might suspect the actors were learning improvisational skills on the job, as they most definitely improved scene after scene. Give this movie the half hour investment of boredom you might endure, and you'll be grateful for the half hour you "suffered" through.Matthew Perry hasn't had the best of luck in reviews of his movies. I think this movie should certainly help to redeem any sagging career thoughts swirling is his head.

I was a little apprehensive going into this movie as Matthew Perry has not had much luck choosing successful films. While his television career has been critically successful with friends and studio 60, he is usually a victim of poor writing. In truth, although he will always be "Chandler Bing" as will the rest of the Friends crew, he does have talent for the dramatic. This is shown in "Birds of America" Being a future independent filmmaker, I chose to enter this movie with loosening my predisposed judgements and this helped me find the depth in the film. When watching independent cinema, you must always expect the unexpected and allow yourself to think outside the box.This film was significant as it dealt with the importance of family connection and being true to oneself. As well, it brings out the question "Is honesty always right". This has been a topic that has been debated for years. Honesty has always been thought of as a necessity, but what happens when it takes precedence to kindness? This is all dealt with during the film.In terms of the performances, I believe that the two strongest links in this film were Ginnifer Goodwin and Ben Foster as the "problem" siblings. Ginnifer Goodwin's mannerisms and subtle facial expressions really captivate the screen and for me, although Matthew Perry's character is considered the father figure in the story, she really is the central link of the sibling connection. Ben Foster was great as well. It's refreshing to see that some people in Hollywood are not encapsulated by money and fame and are just in acting for the material. Matthew Perry was very good as the older brother /father figure, but I found my attention drifting to the other characters performances when he was sharing scenes. Finally, Lauren Graham, who is also very talented and needs to make wiser choices than "Evan Almighty", was great as the desperate wife trying to get her husband to have a baby with her. In one scene, she makes washing clothes seem like such a luxury and with her subtle nuances, makes the audience truly feel for her.I thought the film was very good, but there were some slip ups. First off, Hilary Swank was wasted playing a stepford-wife type, which truth be told, could have been played by anyone. She is far better than that role. As well, although somewhat important to the theme of the film, I found the feces aspect of the film rather distracting and with exception to one humorous scene, took away from the storyline.It sometime amazes me that cinematography can be far superior in films with independent budgets. I really appreciate the "nature aspect that the cinematographer incorporated into the setting and I found that it really highlighted the themes of kindness and connection. The only complaint I have about the cinematography and lighting is that some scenes were very dark and it was difficult to truly connect with those scenes.All in all, it was a very good movie and I recommend it as a "lazy Sunday afternoon" type movie

Saw the premiere of Birds of America at Sundance this year. I picked this movie not cause it sounded great (of course, the Sundance blurb writer could make a Hilary Duff movie sound like Pi), but because Matthew Perry, Hilary Swank, Lauren Graham, and Ben Foster starred in this movie (and I got tickets to the premiere figuring that they would come).So, here's the basics - two ominous signs of doom keyed me off as an alpha and omega.One - when the Academy Award winning stars (not to mentioned that some of them PRODUCED the movie (Hillary Swank)) don't even show at the premiere - the movie might be a piece of crap.Second, and keeping in line - when the "climax" involves the main character dropping trow and taking a dump on his neighbor's lawn - you know you're not exactly watching Citizen Kane.Yeah, no need to say more. Moving on. (Grade: D-)