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MOVIES / ON DVD / RARE BIRDS
Rare Birds

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Rare Birds (2001)

62%
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100%
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62 %
Reviews Counted: 13 Fresh: 8  Rotten:5 Average Rating: 6.1/10
Rated: Not Rated
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Theatrical Release: Mar 1, 2002 Wide
Synopsis:
RARE BIRDS pits a seemingly overmatched and defeated Newfoundland man against his quirky best buddy, a warmly sexy acquaintance and his own mid-life crisis. Dave Purcell (William Hurt) is ready to call it quits on his marriage and his restaurant. His wife has left him for a job in... [More]
RARE BIRDS pits a seemingly overmatched and defeated Newfoundland man against his quirky best buddy, a warmly sexy acquaintance and his own mid-life crisis. Dave Purcell (William Hurt) is ready to call it quits on his marriage and his restaurant. His wife has left him for a job in Washington and the restaurant, The Auk, like the ill-fated bird for which it was named, has never really taken off. Disheartened and desperate, Dave endeavors to consume the rare delights of his well-stocked wine cellar and larder before they are repossessed by the bank. All seems lost until Dave's neighbour, Phonse Murphy (Andy Jones), proposes a mad yet ingenious scheme to save The Auk. They will announce the presence, in the vicinity of the restaurant, of an extremely rare duck, attracting bird watchers the world over. Soon, the restaurant is crawling with well-heeled gastronomes, vain celebrities and bellicose politicos. The place is such a success, that Dave must ask Phonse's alluring sister-in-law Alice (Molly Parker) to help run the show. Unfortunately, Phonse has also been up to some other tricks, including the salvage of some illicit pharmaceuticals and the secret manufacture of a "recreational submarine vehicle", the revelation of which threatens to expose the duck hoax. Sinister forces soon close in on Dave and Phonse: Have drug barons returned for their smuggled bounty? Is the narcotics squad interested? Does RV giant Winnebago want its submarine back? Rare Birds boasts a trio of enchanting performers: an entertainingly nuanced comedic performance from Academy Award Winner William Hurt; a lovely turn by the enchanting Molly Parker; and a sure to be classic showing by the hilarious Andy Jones. The setting itself, a small outport in Newfoundland, becomes a strong and charming character, itself. The collection of idiosyncratic secondary characters and the rural atmosphere bring to mind the much-praised film by Bill Forsyth, "Local Heroes". RARE BIRDS is Canadian director Sturla Gunnarsson's first feature following his award-winning film "Such a Long Journey." The film is based upon the novel, of the same name, by Edward Riche. -- © 2002 Lions Gate Films [Less]

Genre: Comedies

Starring: William Hurt, Molly Parker, Andy Jones, Sheila McCarthy

Director: Sturla Gunnarsson
Screenwriter: Edward Riche

DVD Info

Release:

May 28, 2002

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Region 1
  • Keep Case
  • Widescreen

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital Stereo - English

Additional Release Material:

  • Trailer

Interactive Features:

  • Interactive Menus
  • Scene Selection

Buy It On DVD

Reviews

 
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1 - 13 (sorted by date)
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Ratings Image

No review available.

| Comment
07/22/05 12:52 PM
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
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No review available.

| Comment
07/18/05 11:36 PM
John Larsen
Light Views
Ratings Image

Whimsical and touching.

Full Review | Comment
10/03/03 08:03 AM
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image

Rendered bland and frustrating by its endless attempts to make the odd odder.

Full Review | Comment
10/02/03 01:22 PM
Allison Benedikt
Chicago Tribune
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Even if you don't know a wren from a grackle, there are pleasures here.

Full Review | Comment
05/23/03 05:11 PM
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press
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Has all the right elements but completely fails to gel together.

Full Review | Comment
10/20/02 08:05 AM
Charles Martin
Boxoffice Magazine
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The movie keeps coming back to the achingly unfunny Phonce and his several silly subplots.

Full Review | Comment
10/04/02 05:48 PM
Ty Burr
Boston Globe
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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Rare Birds has more than enough charm to make it memorable.

Full Review | Comment
06/11/02 08:04 AM
David Grove
Film Threat
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Really quite funny.

Full Review | Comment
05/30/02 09:31 PM
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com
Ratings Image

Its almost too-spectacular coastal setting distracts slightly from an eccentric and good-naturedly aimless story.

Full Review | Comment
03/11/02 08:04 AM
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide
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Rare Birds ain't perfect ... but the wild performance by Jones constantly turns the movie upon its head.

Full Review | Comment
03/03/02 08:04 AM
Jason Anderson
eye WEEKLY
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With Rare Birds, as with The Shipping News before it, an attempt is made to transplant a Hollywood star into Newfoundland's wild soil -- and The Rock once again resists the intrusion.

Full Review | Comment
03/01/02 02:58 PM
Peter Howell
Toronto Star
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Ratings Image

A quirky comedy set in Newfoundland that cleverly captures the dry wit that's so prevalent on The Rock.

Full Review | Comment
03/01/02 02:56 PM
Bruce Kirkland
Jam! Movies
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