In Birdie, Luke Bellamy (LaRonn Marzett) is a recently released convict who returns to his small Oklahoma hometown to find a new beginning.
In between a fruitless job search, check-ins with his parole officer and AA meetings, he tries desperately to reconnect with his young daughter, Adeline (Kyrie Mcalpin), but Luke’s parents-in-law won’t have it. They’re still grieving the loss of their own daughter, Luke’s late wife, who perished in a car crash when Luke drove under the influence.
It’s a premise that could have easily gone oversentimental, especially with the movie’s faith-based leanings. But the film manages to avoid overt preachiness and cloying characters, mostly through strong performances from its key players.
As Luke, Marzett is asked to do a lot without much dialogue, portraying a man in quiet pain as he’s forced to visit members of his community to ask for work. When he approaches his daughter, he’s hesitant, afraid. His personality blossoms more fully when they reconnect at last.
Luke’s mother-in-law Catherine Cooper (Victoria Rowell) is another standout, vacillating between wanting Adeline to know her father and needing to keep her safe. In one big, blow-out fight between the family members, Rowell’s emotion is raw and real.
The film is the directorial debut of Gregory Alan Williams, a veteran actor who also appears here as Luke’s cantankerous father-in-law, and it’s an impressive first outing. The direction has confidence, complemented well by the cinematography and editing of Jennifer Hook.
The movie stumbles a bit in its pacing. The first act takes a bit to get going, and Luke’s first real conversations with Adeline don’t occur until well into the first half of the film, which is unfortunate considering their scenes are some of the most compelling.
In addition, a subplot with local meth dealer Logan (Nathan Harlan) feels a little hamfisted. It provides a convenient final-act confrontation that proves once and for all that Luke’s heart is in the right place, but it would have been nice if this beat could have been achieved more organically.
Birdie is available virtually for ticket and badge holders on the deadCenter 2020 film festival website until June 21.
Check out more reactions and interviews from deadCenter 2020 only at the Cinematropolis.
