The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
Shadow Distribution | Release Date: February 11, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
80
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews
Positive:
26
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Film ThreatPhil Hall
This is an excellent movie -- by all means, flock to it! Read full review
100
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
Beguiling, moving and just plain fun documentary. Read full review
91
Seattle Post-IntelligencerStaff (Not credited)
It's a special, strangely soothing movie experience that wonderfully celebrates the intricate diversity of life on Earth and the profound emotional bond that can exist between man and beast. Read full review
90
SalonAndrew O'Hehir
One of the most beautiful and endearing nature films you've ever seen, despite being filmed almost entirely within a major metropolis, and a love story that will repeatedly reduce you to tears. Read full review
90
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
The film is both wise and tender in its treatment of relationships -- between birds, between people, and between birds and people. Read full review
90
Dallas ObserverMelissa Levine
Mostly, Wild Parrots is a great, important, and unforgettable movie. Read full review
89
Austin ChronicleMarrit Ingman
Well-considered, beautifully made, and often gripping in its narrative, the film epitomizes the best the documentary format can offer. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneRobert K. Elder
The kind of well-crafted, character-driven work that wows regional film festival crowds and public television audiences but seldom gets seen outside those circles. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
Judy Irving's terrific documentary 'The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill is ostensibly about birds, but only in the way that a game of Scrabble is about tiles. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
In watching the birds and the man with an affectionate, curious eye, the filmmaker builds a story of surprising emotional resonance. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterSura Wood
Genuinely sweet, beautifully constructed documentary. Read full review
80
The A.V. ClubNoel Murray
The movie winds its way artfully from a straight animal study to something more profound. It's hard to shake the film's astonishing final thoughts and shots, as Bittner nervously contemplates parrot eggs while hawks circle overhead. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
The mellow, serendipitous The Parrots of Telegraph Hill is here to show you just how magical happenstance can be. Read full review
80
Washington PostDesson Thomson
This is a charmfest of a movie, for bird lovers and non-bird lovers alike. Read full review
80
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
Quite simply, a beautiful film, in both form and content. Read full review
80
SlateDavid Edelstein
It thaws the soul. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleWalter Addiego
In traditional stories, it's saints, madmen and children who befriend wild animals. Mark Bittner, who pals around with feral creatures in the amiable documentary The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, is just as much an outsider, though of a different sort. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Lovely to look at, if not very deep in its thinking about relations between humans and their animal friends. Read full review
75
New York PostRussell Scott Smith
In the charming new documentary The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, we learn all about the tragedy and comedy of being a bird on the loose in San Francisco. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
It is not the film you think it is going to be. You walk in expecting some kind of North Beach weirdo and his wild-eyed parrot theories, and you walk out still feeling a little melancholy over the plight of Connor. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
A cornball charmer of a film with some beautiful birds and homespun wisdom. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldMarta Barber
The documentary also has a story to tell, and as such it builds up its drama. Read full review
70
VarietyDennis Harvey
A charming look at the mildly eccentric man who gained modest feature-page celebrity for his familiarity with San Francisco's tropical parrot flock. Read full review
70
Village VoiceEd Park
Several sharp jolts give the doc its dramatic shape, and one episode in particular, caught with a neighbor's lens, will make you gasp with grief. Read full review
70
The New York TimesStephen Holden
In Ms. Irving's affectionate film, Mr. Bittner is more of a sage than a deadbeat. Read full review
63
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
A loving, dopey documentary about the bird man of a place with a view of Alcatraz. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Though Bittner's slacker charm may not be to all tastes, the parrots are natural-born scene-stealers with more than enough charm to seduce the most dubious viewer. Read full review
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