Pelican Dreams
Shadow Distribution | Release Date: November 7, 2014 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
66
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews
Positive:
6
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
The New York TimesNeil GenzlingerNov 6, 2014
Judy Irving injects just enough of herself into her Pelican Dreams to distinguish this sweet film from an episode of the PBS series “Nature.” Read full review
75
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanNov 20, 2014
The fate of these birds, which, the film tells us, could live into their 40s, becomes as engrossing as many a human drama. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineRob HumanickNov 6, 2014
The film is spare, empathic, and deeply introspective, and its imagery, such as a pelican fascinated by its own reflection, is so sublime in its kookiness as to be worthy of Werner Herzog. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleDavid LewisOct 23, 2014
Morro is a great character, and for the most part, the film is animal friendly and environmentally serious. In the end, Irving turns out to be a reliable narrator. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckNov 6, 2014
Pelican Dreams will give you a new appreciation for these creatures sometimes referred to as "flying dinosaurs." Read full review
70
Village VoiceKatherine VuOct 21, 2014
The most effective part of Irving's film is how deftly she captures the pelicans' clear anxieties, curiosities, and joys. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesBetsy SharkeyNov 6, 2014
It's when the film detours into Irving's personal attachment to the birds, including photos of her as a child on the beach, that Pelican Dreams gets seriously off track. Fortunately, pelicans are interesting creatures and the time spent with the lens focused on them is payoff enough. Read full review
60
The DissolveAndrew LapinNov 6, 2014
There are small attempts at narrative, but the primary lure of Pelican Dreams (for people who like this kind of stuff) is the copious footage of the birds doing goofy pelican things. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenDec 3, 2014
Irving again delivers personal observations about curious creatures in a manner that’s part nature doc and part meditative exploration. The result is as mixed as the process. Read full review
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