Plot
A regular guy struggles with a repressive home and professional life, as well as making amends for the trouble his free-spirited brother and sister cause about town.
Release Year: 2008
Rating: 6.1/10 (3,376 voted)
Director:
Craig Lucas
Stars: Matthew Perry, Ben Foster, Ginnifer Goodwin
Storyline A regular guy struggles with a repressive home and professional life, as well as making amends for the trouble his free-spirited brother and sister cause about town.
Cast: Matthew Perry
-
Morrie
Ben Foster
-
Jay
Ginnifer Goodwin
-
Ida
Lauren Graham
-
Betty Tanager
Zoë Kravitz
-
Gillian
Hilary Swank
-
Laura
Gary Wilmes
-
Paul
Daniel Eric Gold
-
Gary
Stacie Theon
-
Ellen Thomas
Lindsay Allen
-
Roller-Blading Girl
Tom Pelphrey
-
Hitchhiker
Will Toale
-
Young Male Cop
Vivien Kells
-
Sleeping Girl
(as Vivien Kells O'Brien)
Keith McDermott
-
Man in Street
Marisa Zalabak
-
Woman in Street
Taglines:
Some families defy classification
Release Date: 26 February 2010
Filming Locations: Darien, Connecticut, USA
Technical Specs
Runtime:|
USA:
(Sundance Film Festival)
Quotes: Ida:
Sometimes kindness is wiser than truth.
User Review
Odd Birds. Good Eggs.
Rating: 8/10
You might be getting a little tired of movies about dysfunctional
families. I know I am. I think I've seen at least three at Sundance
this year. But Birds of America manages to break the mold and feel
fresh and alive from the outset, delivering a warm, funny, zany, tender
and compassionate film that left the audience smiling and satisfied.
Morrie (Matthew Perry) is an uptight university professor anxiously
seeking tenure, which requires the approval of his department head, who
lives next door. Morrie and his wife Betty (Lauren Graham—Gilmore
Girls) live in a house he inherited at 18 years old after his mother
died and his father committed suicide. As a result, Morrie raised his
brother Jay (Ben Foster) and sister Ida (Ginnifer Goodwin), both of
which grew into their problems. Ida is substance-abusing and
promiscuous, and Jay a deeply gentle and sensitive soul whose actions
are almost completely unfettered by advanced thought. They reunite in
the family home when Jay gets run over by a car (he was laying in the
road) and Morrie, who still feels more parent than brother, asks him to
move in for a while. Without asking permission, Jay invites Ida to join
them, stressing Morrie and Betty's relationship and jeopardizing his
career with their outrageous behavior.
Matthew Perry is surprisingly good in his deadpan portrayal of an
overwrought brother who cares deeply for his siblings, often at his own
expense. Goodwin is a pleasure as well, as the addictive personality
with the carefree spirit. But Ben Foster (3:10 to Yuma) is great, and
despite having such a naturally funny role, manages to never play Jay
for laughs, creating an endearing and memorable character. Growing up
without parents, these three have formed an unbreakable bond, with
unconditional love and acceptance, and a tenderness and compassion
unlike any I can remember in movies. Elyse Friedman has crafted a
remarkable script, and Sundance veteran director Craig Lucas (Secret
Lives of Dentists, The Dying Gaul) brings it to life with a funny but
light-hearted and gentle touch.
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