I have been rewatching a lot of movies from my childhood ♥️ This week was Paulie!
(Source: https://www.amazon.ca/Paulie/dp/B000G1TP6I)
Paulie is a movie about a talking parrot ... but not in the way one may think! 😄 Paulie doesn't simply mimic words and phrases -- he is actually capable of his own thought and saying what he wants to say!
And the premise is lovely... A gift from a family member, Paulie is meant to encourage young, stuttering Marie. At only 5-years-old or so, Marie can barely form words. Meanwhile, Paulie is a bird that cannot fly! 😂 And so the two young friends form a bond over their imperfections, and try to support one another in their endeavors.
I remembered the movie well enough, but there were still some parts that really got to me. For one, the day Paulie has to leave Marie...
"Marie couldn't talk. The dad couldn't listen. The mom couldn't cope. So they sent me away..."
As a child, I used to see a lot of myself in Marie, and I still do! 🙂 Here is a photo of me around the same age:
(Source: https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/paulie-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)
(Young Marie from the movie)
I forgot how much I love Ivy! 😄 Her presence in the film is very bittersweet, and I'm glad that Paulie stayed with her during her final days.
It is even more beautiful once you realize that Paulie found the courage to fly because of Ivy. Paulie's first sunrise at the Grand Canyon makes me so happy...
(Source: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0125454/)
And then, of course, the scene where Paulie is finally liberated from the research facility, and being reunited with Marie. In a way, it is unfortunate that we see Marie as an adult, because it means at least 15 years have passed. It is sad to think of how much time was lost between them, but better late than never! 🙏 It is a blessing that they finally reunited after all of that time.
(Source: https://www.getyarn.io/yarn-clip/aebe0116-0700-4006-a19e-6c7815e8fb76)
Also, one thing that I found really strange, is the fact that the voice actor for Paulie is the "bad guy" of the film 😅 I never knew if it was supposed to hint at something, because it isn't like the actor went to great lengths to disguise his voice -- he sounds exactly the same! 😂 I don't know, I guess it was a low-budget movie, after all; maybe they just didn't want to pay for another actor! 😂
(Source: https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/paulie-parrot.html?sortBy=relevant)