Birds of America (2008)

Other than not 'getting' the reference to the book the movie' gets its title from, this one's a pretty decent watch, of a family not quite together, and who does't quite keep it together, trying to deal with life as its dished out to them.Perry plays the patriarch, and seems a misfit in the role (in this movie), since those under his care, his brother (Ben Foster), and his sister (Ginnifer Goodwin), turn out, not so normal, or, depending on one's viewpoint, as messed up as the rest of us, but weird in their acknowledgment of that without hypocrisy, in their adult lives.Perry and his suburban challenges have already reached a head, when these 3 lives criss-cross once again, definitely heading toward a (portentously) dark denouement. Lauren Graham has nothing much to do, except towards the end, and though her character doesn't have much of an arc, she acquits herself well. Swank has a bit of a thankless job in this one, and like other reviewers have mentioned, anyone could have performed in this role. She might have taken it up since this did not require her to do any heavy lifting, and that would have meant a welcome change from all the other heavy stuff she's been know to do. Seeing her in this supporting role sometime took me out of the movie, since its quite a distraction.Perry the leading man can quite carry things off, and its strange that he hasn't done more roles, either in Indies or in the mainstream. Hopefully, that will change, since this is an example of him taking chances with the material he does, and could be known for. Foster's good as always, but needs to play characters who can lighten up a little bit - all the intensity might just be putting him in a typical mould, and that's not good for any actor who's capable of range.Having said all that, this is a pretty decent watch for once, and is quite similar to various other movies having been made about dysfunctional families in the recent past, in a good way.

Not a great movie, and certainly not as funny as the people who made it seem to think it is, but it still creeps up on you, and you find yourself rooting for these characters, even while you're getting slightly annoyed by them. Pulling together a really terrific cast is a triumph in itself, and if the end result isn't a home run, it's still a decent double, maybe even a triple. I grabbed this off the Hollywood Video shelf based totally on the cast, especially Ben Foster (LOVED him in Barry Levinson's Liberty Heights, and of course Six Feet Under). While I thought it could have been more, especially with Craig Lucas at the helm (and I was surprised that there was no gay characters at all), it wasn't a terrible way to spend a dreary Monday night when there was nothing to watch on TV.

I watched this movie and i enjoyed it, I really did. But I've read some comments after watching it and I found that within that movie you shouldn't do that (reading comments), they are too much disturbing. So I got a small warning/advice for people who are intending to watch this fine movie: don't read the comments, just watch it. I can guarantee that you will see a great performance of M. Perry and rest of the "team". But hey, how can you see this comment when you shouldn't supposed to read it ? I hope you gonna read it anyway, and maybe you enjoy this movie as much as I did. Thats all what i want to say about this thing, but i cant post mine text cause its too short. I didn't want to write a science work considering "Birds of America", just a note that will encourage somebody to see this movie.

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.