PAULIE

US, 1998, 87 minutes, Colour.
Tony Shalhoub, Gena Rowlands, Cheech Marin, Bruce Davison, Jay Mohr, Trini Alvarado, Buddy Hackett.
Directed by John Roberts.

Paulie is a pleasant film for the family, a talking bird is discovered by a Russian émigré who had been a professor of literature in Russia but now a cleaner in an American animal laboratory. The bird begins to speak. The janitor decides to listen to his story and in flashback a range of adventures is visualised. This includes being the pet of a little girl for whom Paulie longs after the family has moved. Buddy Hackett as a pawnbroker who has possession of the bird for a while, Gena Rowlands as a kindly widow who takes him in her trailer across America. Cheech Marin as a man in a carnival who has dancing birds, Jay Mohr as the would-be kidnapper of the bird who wants to get him to do jewel robberies for him and his girlfriend, Bruce Davison as the professor at the laboratory who turns against Paulie and keeps him imprisoned and, finally, Trini Alvarado as the grown-up little girl who is glad to have the bird back and also the possibility of falling in love with Misha.

While the beak of Paulie is programmed to make the bird look as if he is speaking, otherwise there are no special effects. It is a very straightforward story, strong on characterisation, humorous touches, emotional touches. The voice of Paulie is voiced by Jay Mohr.

1. An entertaining family film? Children's response to the talking bird and his adventures? Adults' response to the bird and to the various characters? A pleasing combination?

2. The range of American settings, the laboratory, homes, the trailer, Los Angeles? A piece of Americana? The musical score?

3. The what if… ? of a talking bird? The brain ability, the conversation, irony? The emotions of the lonely bird? The character of Paulie, the voice style by Jay Mohr? In the laboratory, imprisoned, starting to talk to Misha, refusing to talk to the professor? Tempted by the mango? Telling his story - and audience involvement with him as a character, the various adventures? In the home with Marie, her inability to speak, the growing friendship, the return of her father, the mother and the training? Paulie helping her to speak? The parents taking away the bird, moving house? In the pawnbroker's, the reaction to the pawnbroker and his selling Paulie? Benny and his wanting Paulie - and later getting him from the carnival, training him to fly into homes, take the jewellery from the homes - but Paulie trapped by the closed window? Ivy and her pleasant talking to him, taking him home, his explaining about Marie, the trailer trip, her eyesight and the crash, her having to say goodbye? His confidence in flying to Los Angeles? His meeting Lupe and falling in love with her? Her flirting? Ignacio and the dancing birds, his friendship with Ignacio, performance, being seen by Benny and taken? Flying down the chimney, the man taking him to the laboratory? The professor, his disbelief, the testing of Paulie and reading the cue cards, his intelligent response about the word "pi"? His being promised to go to Marie? The professor refusing, Paulie refusing to speak in public, the humiliation of the professor? The pursuit by the professor when Misha was trying to find Marie's address? Finally finding Marie, Paulie unable to see her as grown up, her singing the song, the happy reconciliation, his marriage advice to Misha?

4. The range of characters and the cast sketching in briefly rounded characters: the evil professor going back on his promises, Ivy as the lonely widow and her kindliness, Buddy Hackett as the pawnbroker, Trini Alvarado as the older Mary, Cheech Marin and his carnival?

5. A pleasant adventure story, comic touches, sentiment - and the fantasy if animals could speak?