A sweetheart of a film, whimsical and touching. It positions itself somewhere between a slice of life and a screwball comedy.
70
Film ThreatDavid Grove
Film ThreatDavid Grove
Has more than enough charm to make it memorable. Hurt shows a gentleness and subtlety that's interesting to watch in this phase of his career.
70
VarietyKen Eisner
VarietyKen Eisner
Hurt is quietly affecting as Dave Purcell, a fine chef but a lousy businessman whose sticksville cafe, the Auk, is named after a rare, possibly extinct kind of duck.
50
Boston GlobeTy Burr
Boston GlobeTy Burr
For the record, Rare Birds doesn't even fly as a birder's special, since Tasseter's Sulfurious Duck is a fictional species. Now, if they'd seen a Eurasian Wigeon, then we'd be talking.
38
Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
Rendered bland and frustrating by its endless attempts to make the odd odder.