Given the genre being centered on a child protagonist, many coming-of-age stories sideline parents in the narrative, sometimes to the point they’re not mentioned at all. So when Andrea Arnold returned to fiction filmmaking with coming-of-age story Bird, it was surprising to see how true it delves into parenthood, albeit from the eyes of the teenager being parented. Maybe it shouldn’t have been a surprise, considering Barry Keoghan, fresh off of Saltburn, was casted as the protagonist’s single dad, but Arnold structures the entire story to fit in different stages of parenthood in a rundown town, through the strong way she characterizes the people Bailey gets to know in her journey and through the brilliant incorporation of magic in a not-so-magical place. The parents here may not be perfect, but Bird takes flight precisely because of the film’s empathy and understanding.
"Perhaps unexpectedly, Bird calls to mind Spielberg’s seminal sci-fi E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, in which another child forms a friendship with a mysterious visitor looking for a home (Bird and Bailey, E.T. and Elliott)."
— Hannah Strong
"There’s value to holding onto that child’s-eye view, and Bird, more than anything, is an ode to that fact."
— Alison Willmore
12-year-old Bailey lives with her single dad Bug and brother Hunter in a squat in North Kent. Bug doesn’t have much time for his kids, and Bailey, who is approaching puberty, seeks attention and adventure elsewhere.
Living an impoverished life in North Kent with her single dad Bug and brother Hunter, 12-year-old Bailey seeks attention and adventure elsewhere, eventually befriending an unusual man named Bird.
The cast. It's not a surprise that Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski deliver excellent performances, but it's the younger newcomers Nykiya Adams and Jason Buda that are the people to watch here.
How is it possible that a film can break my heart while still making me feel hopeful about life?
Cannes
1 nomination
BAFTA
1 nomination
Nat. Board of Review
1 win
European Film Awards
2 nominations
