Review of A Birder's Guide to Everything (2013) by Mark D — 28 Jun 2014

At its occasional best, A Birder's Guide to Everything hints at the profound pleasure of standing very still and witnessing wonders the rest of the world passes by. There is enough of a simple charm to A Birder's Guide To Everything that there are worse things you could do with your hour and a half. The lead teens in particular give the material a realness that may not have been there on the page, and the filmmakers know enough not push the quaint story beyond the safe parameters it operates in.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. While the movie doesn't achieve what it sets out to do, there's something of value in what Meyer attempts. And that kind of value counts for something, much like the benefits derived from breathing in the fresh air while hoping to see a bird that, regardless of patient watchfulness, may never fly into full view.

VERDICT: "In The Zone" - [Mixed Reaction] These kinds of movies are usually movies that had some good things, but some bad things kept it from being amazing. This rating says buy an ex-rental or a cheap price of the DVD to own. If you consider cinema, ask for people's opinion on the film. (Films that are rated 2.5 or 3 stars).