It might feel unfortunately familiar to anyone who's consumed lots of independent dramatic comedies, but A Bird of the Air looks to be a charming little film about a boy and a girl...and a parrot. The parrot adds that "quirky" factor that people are increasingly annoyed as being associated with independent comedies, but at least it's actually the driving point behind the plot in this case, and not just an unnecessary flourish. A Bird of the Air lands in theaters (I'm sorry) on September 23rd and is the directorial debut of actress Margaret Whitton (Major League, Little Monsters) starring Rachel Nichols (P2, Criminal Minds) and Jackson Hurst (The Tree of Life, Drop Dead Diva). The trailer showcases the film's very offbeat personality, and I'm not really sure if I buy the performances of the leads yet - but I'll just have to wait and see how it plays out in context.
First, here's the official sunopsis:
Lyman (Jackson Hurst) is a loner, working the graveyard shift for the Courtesy Patrol. When a green parrot flies in to his trailer he becomes obsessed with finding its owner, which leads him to Fiona(Rachel Nichols). She has been eyeing Lyman from a distance and decides to help with his parrot search, whether he wants her to or not. Along with her basset hound, they set out on a quest to find the bird’s previous owners and Fiona begins to unravel the mysteries of Lyman's past. But when Fiona joins Lyman on his nightly rounds, she witnesses a reality more intense than the romantic version she had envisioned.
