Pretty Bird is a 2008 American film. It competed in the Dramatic Competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival

2008 Sundance Film Festival

The 2008 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 17, 2008 to January 27 in Park City, Utah. It was the 24th iteration of the Sundance Film Festival. The opening night film was In Bruges and the closing night film was CSNY Déjà Vu.-Films:...

.

Plot

A sweet-natured guy enlists his pals to help him create and market his idea for a rocket-powered belt. But can their friendship withstand unexpected success? The movie is a fictionalized version of true events leading to the development and disappearance of the RB2000 Rocket Belt in 1995.

Critical response

As of September 3, 2009, it had a 6.5/10 rating from 150 votes on IMDB and a 0% Fresh rating from Top Critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Robert Koehler of Variety

Variety (magazine)

Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...

 criticized the film as being "overly calculated" and predictable, noting that the only bright spot in the film was its soundtrack. Scott Weinberg of Cinematical, however, writes that the movie's ending is anything but "pat, obvious, or predictable," and goes on to say that it is worth seeing on the strength of the actors' performances alone.

It was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance

Sundance Film Festival

The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...

, but did not win.

Cast

• Paul Giamatti
  Paul Giamatti
  Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti is an American actor. Giamatti began his career as a supporting actor in several films produced during the 1990s including Private Parts, The Truman Show, Saving Private Ryan, The Negotiator, and Man on the Moon, before earning lead roles in several projects in the...
  
   - Rick
• Billy Crudup
  Billy Crudup
  William Gaither "Billy" Crudup is an American actor of film and stage. He is well known for his roles as guitarist Russell Hammond in Almost Famous, Will Bloom in Big Fish, and Ashitaka in Princess Mononoke. He also starred in the 2007 romantic comedy film Dedication, alongside Mandy Moore...
  
   - Curt
• Kristen Wiig
  Kristen Wiig
  Kristen Carroll Wiig is an American film and television actress who currently appears as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Wiig was a member of improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings, and has appeared in several films and television series, including Bridesmaids, MacGruber, Flight of...
  
   - Mandy
• Garret Dillahunt - Carson Thrash
• Denis O'Hare
  Denis O'Hare
  Denis O'Hare is an American actor noted for his award winning performances in Take Me Out and Sweet Charity as well as the HBO television show True Blood. He is also known for his supporting roles in the films Charlie Wilson's War and Milk...
  
   - Chuck
• James Wetzel - Dennis
• David Hornsby
  David Hornsby
  David Hornsby is an American television and film actor and writer.-Early life and education:Hornsby was born in 1973 in Houston, Texas...
  
   - Kenny
• Elizabeth Marvel
  Elizabeth Marvel
  -Biography:Marvel was born in Mohnton, Pennsylvania. She studied at Juilliard. She has several credits on Broadway and in film and television. Marvel was a series regular on The District, and has appeared in two films by the Coen Brothers: True Grit as the adult Mattie Ross, and Burn After Reading...
  
  - Tonya