{{about||the album by Kathy Mattea|Pretty Bird (album)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox film | name = Pretty Bird | image = Pretty Bird FilmPoster.jpeg | caption = | director = Paul Schneider | producer = | writer = Paul Schneider | starring = {{Plainlist| *Billy Crudup *Paul Giamatti *Kristen Wiig *David Hornsby *Garret Dillahunt *Denis O'Hare }} | music = Wim Mertens | cinematography = Igor Martinovic | editing = Annette Davey | studio = Sound Pictures | distributor = | released = {{Film date|2008|1|20|Sundance}} | runtime = 120 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = $3.75 million }} '''''Pretty Bird''''' is a 2008 American comedy film. It competed in the Dramatic Competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sundance.org/festival/press_industry/releases/pdf/2008_SFF_Announces_Films_In_Competition.pdf|title=2008 Sundance Film Festival Announces Films in Competition|date=November 28, 2007|accessdate=January 3, 2008|format=PDF|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080625173658/http://www.sundance.org/festival/press_industry/releases/pdf/2008_SFF_Announces_Films_In_Competition.pdf|archivedate=June 25, 2008}}</ref> and was released on DVD in the United States on June 29, 2010.
==Plot== A sweet-natured guy enlists his best friend, and an engineer who lost his job and has an attitude problem, to help him create and market his idea for a rocket-powered belt. The entrepreneur never loses his confidence the idea will work even though he runs into problems that include finding investors and disagreements with his engineer.
==Cast== *Billy Crudup as Curtis Prentiss *Paul Giamatti as Rick Honeycutt *David Hornsby as Kenny Owenby *Kristen Wiig as Mandy Riddle *Elizabeth Marvel as Tonya Honeycutt *Denis O'Hare as Chuck Stutters *Garret Dillahunt as Carson Thrash *James Wetzel as Dennis *Anna Camp as Becca French *Nate Mooney as Randy Pendler *Aasif Mandvi as Ted the Banker *Adam LeFevre as Phil the Neighbor *Lennon Parham as Woman with Beef
==Reception== Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 20% based on reviews from 5 critics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pretty_bird|title=Pretty Bird (2008)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Flixster|accessdate=August 16, 2021}}</ref>
Robert Koehler of ''Variety'' criticized the film as being "overly calculated" and predictable, noting that the only bright spot in the film was its soundtrack.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/pretty-bird-1200548552/|magazine=Variety|title=Pretty Bird Movie Review|first=Robert|last=Koehler|date=January 29, 2008}}</ref> Duane Byrge of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' wrote "''"Pretty Bird'' flaps one comic wing and one dramatic wing, but this slight-framed bird never soars and ultimately crashes under the weight of its excessive thematic ballast".<ref>{{cite web|date=January 24, 2008|work=The Hollywood Reporter|last=Byrge|first=Duane|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/pretty-bird-125242/|title=Pretty Bird|accessdate=August 16, 2021}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Bibliography== *{{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2436886/paul-giamatti-finally-unveils-sundance-08-dark-comedy-pretty-bird/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816215030/http://www.mtv.com/news/2436886/paul-giamatti-finally-unveils-sundance-08-dark-comedy-pretty-bird/|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 16, 2021|last=Rosenberg|first=Adam|title=Paul Giamatti Finally Unveils Sundance '08 Dark Comedy 'Pretty Bird'|date=June 30, 2010}}
==External links== *{{IMDb title|1058743}}
Category:American aviation films Category:American films based on actual events Category:American independent films Category:Films scored by Wim Mertens Category:Films shot in New Jersey Category:2008 directorial debut films Category:2008 independent films Category:2008 films Category:2008 English-language films Category:2008 American films Category:English-language independent films