A Birder's Guide to Everything

A Birder's Guide to Everything is a 2013 independent film starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alex Wolff, Michael Chen, Katie Chang, James Le Gros, Daniela Lavender and Sir Ben Kingsley.^[1] It was written by Rob Meyer and Luke Matheny and directed by Rob Meyer. The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 21, 2013,^[2] and was released in a limited release and through video on demand on March 21, 2014, by Screen Media Films and Focus Features.^[3]

A Birder's Guide to Everything
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Rob Meyer
Written by	Rob Meyer Luke Matheny
Produced by	Kristen Duncan Fuller Lisa K. Jenkins Dan Lindau R. Paul Miller
Starring	Kodi Smit-McPhee Katie Chang Alex Wolff James Le Gros Daniela Lavender
Cinematography	Tom Richmond
Edited by	Vito DeSario
Music by	Jeremy Turner
Production companies	Dreamily Pictures Escape Pictures Lavender Pictures
Distributed by	Screen Media Films Focus World
Release dates	April 21, 2013 (2013-04-21) (Tribeca Film Festival) March 21, 2014 (2014-03-21) (United States)
Running time	86 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Premise

The film follows the story of teenage birders who go on a road trip to find the (possibly) extinct Labrador duck. It was based on Rob Meyer's short film "Aquarium" which won an Honorable Mention at Sundance in 2008. Kenn Kaufman was an ornithological consultant and appears in the film at approximately 74 minutes.

Cast

• Kodi Smit-McPhee as David Portnoy
• James LeGros as Donald Portnoy
• Daniela Lavender as Juliana Santos
• Katie Chang as Ellen Reeves
• Alex Wolff as Timmy Barsky
• Zandi Holup as Evelyn Reed
• Michael Chen as Peter Nessbaum
• Tobias Campbell as Rob Lindau
• Joel Van Liew as Mr. Edbrooke
• Daniel G.S. Berger as Scarsdale High School Capt
• Ben Kingsley as Lawrence Konrad

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 21, 2013.^[2] Shortly after it was announced Screen Media Films and Focus Features had acquired distribution rights to the film.^[4] The film went on to screen at the Austin Film Festival on October 26, 2013.^[5] and was released in a limited release and through video on demand on March 21, 2014.^[3]

Reception

The film opened to very positive reviews from critics.^[6] It holds a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 21 reviews. The New York Times described it as a "smart, likeable, coming of age film [...] an eye opener for anyone who takes the everyday natural world for granted."^[7] USA Today wrote that "not since Rob Reiner's Stand by Me has such a compelling rite-of-passage film emerged."^[8]

The Guardian wrote that "you don't have to be a birder to enjoy it. The movie shows that seeking the rare and elusive is often more than just a physical quest; it also is a spiritual journey that changes the seeker."^[9]