Tony Shalhoub, Jay Mohr, Gena Rowlands, Cheech Marin
Paulie is a parrot born with the gift of gab. Unlike other parrots who can only repeat what they're told, the feathered hero of this charming kids' film can carry on intelligent, sometimes even insulting, conversations. Or, as Paulie puts it, "I have a lifelong trait of speaking when I should have kept my mouth shut."
Taking a page from the classic children's novel Black Beauty, the movie follows Paulie through good times and bad with his many owners. This disparate crew of cage cleaners includes an adorable little girl (Hallie Kate Eisenberg), a pawn shop owner (Buddy Hackett, a live wire in his brief appearance), an R.V.-driving geezerette (Rowlands, who has a jolly time singing "What's New Pussycat?"), a thief (Mohr, who also provides Paulie's voice), a burrito-stand owner (Marin, see page 125) and a soulful Russian janitor (Shalhoub). Paulie isn't very deep, but it's full of peep and vinegar. (PG)
Bottom Line: A tweety pie of a movie
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