Pretty Bird
{{about||the album by Kathy Mattea|Pretty Bird (album)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Pretty Bird
| image = Pretty Bird FilmPoster.jpeg
| caption =
| director = Paul Schneider
| producer =
| writer = Paul Schneider
| starring = {{Plainlist|
}}
| music = Wim Mertens
| cinematography = Igor Martinovic
| editing = Annette Davey
| studio = Sound Pictures
| distributor =
| released = {{Film date|2008|1|20|Sundance}}
| runtime = 120 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $3.75 million
}}
Pretty Bird is a 2008 American comedy film. It competed in the Dramatic Competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival{{cite web|url=http://www.sundance.org/festival/press_industry/releases/pdf/2008_SFF_Announces_Films_In_Competition.pdf|title=2008 Sundance Film Festival Announces Films in Competition|date=November 28, 2007|accessdate=January 3, 2008|format=PDF|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080625173658/http://www.sundance.org/festival/press_industry/releases/pdf/2008_SFF_Announces_Films_In_Competition.pdf|archivedate=June 25, 2008}} and was released on DVD in the United States on June 29, 2010.
Plot
A sweet-natured guy enlists his best friend, and an engineer who lost his job and has an attitude problem, to help him create and market his idea for a rocket-powered belt. The entrepreneur never loses his confidence the idea will work even though he runs into problems that include finding investors and disagreements with his engineer.
Cast
- Billy Crudup as Curtis Prentiss
- Paul Giamatti as Rick Honeycutt
- David Hornsby as Kenny Owenby
- Kristen Wiig as Mandy Riddle
- Elizabeth Marvel as Tonya Honeycutt
- Denis O'Hare as Chuck Stutters
- Garret Dillahunt as Carson Thrash
- James Wetzel as Dennis
- Anna Camp as Becca French
- Nate Mooney as Randy Pendler
- Aasif Mandvi as Ted the Banker
- Adam LeFevre as Phil the Neighbor
- Lennon Parham as Woman with Beef
Reception
Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 20% based on reviews from 5 critics.{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pretty_bird|title=Pretty Bird (2008)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Flixster|accessdate=August 16, 2021}}
Robert Koehler of Variety criticized the film as being "overly calculated" and predictable, noting that the only bright spot in the film was its soundtrack.{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/pretty-bird-1200548552/|magazine=Variety|title=Pretty Bird Movie Review|first=Robert|last=Koehler|date=January 29, 2008}} Duane Byrge of The Hollywood Reporter wrote ""Pretty Bird flaps one comic wing and one dramatic wing, but this slight-framed bird never soars and ultimately crashes under the weight of its excessive thematic ballast".{{cite web|date=January 24, 2008|work=The Hollywood Reporter|last=Byrge|first=Duane|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/pretty-bird-125242/|title=Pretty Bird|accessdate=August 16, 2021}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2436886/paul-giamatti-finally-unveils-sundance-08-dark-comedy-pretty-bird/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816215030/http://www.mtv.com/news/2436886/paul-giamatti-finally-unveils-sundance-08-dark-comedy-pretty-bird/|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 16, 2021|last=Rosenberg|first=Adam|title=Paul Giamatti Finally Unveils Sundance '08 Dark Comedy 'Pretty Bird'|date=June 30, 2010}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|1058743}}
Category:American aviation films
Category:American films based on actual events
Category:American independent films
Category:Films scored by Wim Mertens
Category:Films shot in New Jersey
Category:2008 directorial debut films
Category:2008 independent films