Paulie

Paulie is a parrot who can genuinely speak and understand language, a talent that brings him far more trouble than benefit. Raised by a young girl named Marie, whom he helped overcome a stutter, he is separated from her when her parents decide the bird has become too much of a presence in their daughter's life. What follows is a long journey through many hands as Paulie tries to find his way back to Marie, encountering people who exploit his abilities and others who genuinely want to help him. The story is told in flashback by Paulie himself to Misha Vilyenkov, a Russian immigrant working as a janitor in an animal research facility, who becomes moved enough by the bird's account to try to help him reach Marie.

John Roberts directed the film, his second feature after War of the Buttons, from a screenplay by Laurie Craig. The cast includes Gena Rowlands as Ivy, Tony Shalhoub as Misha, Cheech Marin as Ignacio, Bruce Davison as Dr. Reingold, Trini Alvarado as the adult Marie and Jay Mohr as both Benny and the voice of Paulie. Made by DreamWorks Pictures and Mutual Film Company on a budget of 23 million dollars, it earned 27 million worldwide, a modest return on its production cost.

Audience response has been warmer than the critical one. On IMDb it holds 6.5 out of 10 from 17,000 votes, while on TMDB it rates 7 out of 10 from 557 votes. The film critics' rating stands at 6.2 out of 10 from 36 reviews.