Paulie MPAA Rating: PG Entertainment: +3 Content: +1/2

In this fast moving, touching comedy, a wise cracking parrot named Paulie (voice of Jay Mohr) with a New Jersey accent is hilarious. Paulie is given to five year old Marie Alweather (Hallie Eisenberg) as a companion because she stutters and doesn't have many friends. To her amazement, Marie finds that Paulie can talk just like a human and they become close, loving friends. But Marie's parents eventually sell Paulie to a pawn shop owner (Buddy Hackett) who in turn sells Paulie to a kindly old lady named Ivy (Gena Rowlands). Ivy sympathizes with Paulie, so they start out on a long trek to California where they think Marie lives. This leads to lots of fun adventures and Paulie ends up in Los Angeles where he is befriended by a caring Russian immigrant janitor (Tony Shalhoub). Together they continue Paulie's search for Marie. Children under 12 will particularly enjoy this funny, clever adventure, but so will their parents. And it has its moving romantic moments as well.

The story of Paulie has some good messages for every one, particularly children, about persistence, being loyal to friends, and expressing one's feelings to those you love. Also, Paulie and a con artist, Benny(Jay Mohr), get involved in a scam to steal money from people, but later admit that what they did was wrong. And Paulie's friend, Misha, risks his reputation and job to help Paulie find Marie. The shy Misha also manages to express and respond to his feelings as he and Paulie search for Marie. Undoubtedly to avoid a G rating, the producers of PAULIE have added several moderately crude words and expressions, along with one mild obscenity and two profanities, to the dialogue. But there is no sexual content and only some brief moderate violence. With its admirable messages and only limited rough language, we are inclined to give PAULIE a positive, but qualified, family friendly rating.

Preview Reviewer: John Evans
Distributor: Dream Works Distribution-LLC,100 Universal Plaza, Bldg. 477,Universal City, CA 91608