Synopsis
David Portnoy, a 15-year-old birding fanatic, thinks that he's made the discovery of a lifetime. So, on the eve of his father's remarriage, he escapes on an epic road trip with his best friends to solidify their place in birding history.
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Cast
- Kodi Smit-McPheeDavid Portnoy
- James Le GrosDonald Portnoy
- Daniela LavenderJuliana Santos
- Katie ChangEllen Reeves
- Alex WolffTimmy Barsky
- Michael ChenPeter Nessbaum
- Tobias CampbellRob Lindau
- Joel Van LiewMr. Edbrook
- Ben KingsleyLawrence Konrad
- Briana MarinMara
Recommendations
- 75
Chicago Sun-Times
The young actors shine revealing lights on their characters. - 75
RogerEbert.com
A tender and gentle coming-of-age story, as well as a meditation on grief and letting go. It is also that very rare thing, a movie about teenagers where the characters actually seem like real teenagers, as opposed to mini posing adults. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
Meyer and Luke Matheny's script is full of the kind of nit-picky detail one hears when birders converse, and milks some life lessons out of philosophical differences between "listers" and "watchers." - 70
Variety
The constant, genial comic undercurrent of teenspeak exchanges, penned by the writing team of helmer Meyer and Luke Matheny, contrasts satisfyingly with Kingsley’s wry musings and the more serious treatment given to David’s evolving maturity. - 70
Los Angeles Times
The brusque teen humor, underpinning turmoil and sentiment all seem to be pulled and massaged from the same organic whole, and that's refreshing in a genre so often built on gimmicks and stereotypes. - 70
The New York Times
This gentle comedy, the first feature directed by Rob Meyer, is an eye opener for anyone who takes the everyday natural world for granted. It is also a quiet brief for the cultivation of intellectual curiosity and scientific exploration at an age when hormones rule so much behavior. - 63
Slant Magazine
The film exhibits strong character interplay and resides in an unconventional milieu, in effect turning rote material into something that feels decidedly eccentric. - 60
The Dissolve
The film captures its lush, leafy settings with an understated evocativeness that fully immerses the audience in its sense of place. The problem is that the movie ultimately leans too heavily on that sense of understatement, failing to let genuine, unexpected emotion fully break through to the surface.
