The Starling

Director: John Lee Hancock (The Alamo, The Rookie, L.A. Doctors, Falcone, Hard Time Romance, A Perfect World)

Screenwriter: Matt Harris

Producers: Kevin Frakes, Sriram Das, Zach Schiff Abrams

Executive Producers: Michael De Luca

Genre: Comedy/Drama

Estimated Budget: $8 million

Summary:

The Starling explores the fragile fabric of family, relationships, and ultimately life. Jack and Lily’s newborn baby has just died, and their life has fallen apart. Lily has been admitted to a mental health clinic after an attempted suicide, but Jack remains in the “real” world, dealing with his own guilt and a crippling internal struggle to live with a dark secret. Lily, a sardonic depressive, struggles to accept her condition and refuses to see her husband, and with her progress at a standstill her doctors fear she may have little hope for recovery.

As if Jack’s troubles were bad enough, a starling bird that has nested in his backyard begins to harass and attack him. This starling comes to represent all of Jack’s problems and he becomes comically obsessed with killing it. Jack eventually finds guidance from Larry, a quirky psychologist-turned veterinarian with a troubled past of his own. The two form a unique and unlikely friendship as both help the other to explore, acknowledge and confront their problems.

The Starling presents us with a rare, intimate glimpse at the hurt we can inflict on the ones we love most with an uplifting and hopeful conclusion.