Country: USA
Movie Review: Passable but far from impressive, “A Birder’s Guide to Everything” is an independent coming-of-age drama co-written and directed by debutant Rob Meyer. The central character is David, a sensitive 15-year-old boy who is going through a hard time since his mother died of prolonged illness. David doesn’t cope with the remarriage of his father with his mom’s former nurse, deciding to take an adventurous trip to Connecticut with his two best friends, Matt and Pete, in order to find a duck specie that everyone says to be extinct. Helen, a solitary girl dedicated to photography, will join the trio right after their departure in a stolen car. This passion for birds, also shared by his two best friends, seems to attenuate his concerns and occupy his time, but proves to be insufficient to completely erase the problems that are bothering him. Practically anything new was seen in this drama, where the scenes succeed one another in a soft, unforced cadence, but with some plot elements not being fully availed. The basic formulas adopted by the most films of the genre are present: an adventure trip, the beginning of a sweet teen romance, a funny guy, a quiet guy, confessions related to sex, and familiar problems. I cannot say this is a bad film, is just common and familiar in every sense. Despite humble and delicate, I never felt the great feeling of discovery mentioned in this birder’s guide due to its conventional paths and highly predictable ending. Ben Kingsley makes a short and inexpressive appearance as Dr. Konrad, an enthusiastic bird expert.
