The Starling is a heartfelt story with a terrific message of hope and overcoming grief. McCarthy delivers a solid performance, proving she is more than a comedic actor. Check out the details in my parents guide movie review.
The Starling is coming to theaters this Friday, September 17th and drops on Netflix September 24th. The film stars Melissa McCarthy, Chris O’Dowd and Kevin Kline and is a heartfelt story that delves into grief and loss. While the film may focus on a depressing topic, the message of hope and pushing through resonates deeply with audiences. Check out the details in my parents guide movie review.
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The Starling Quotes
The Starling Parents Guide
After Lilly (Melissa McCarthy) suffers a loss, a combative starling takes nest beside her quiet home. The feisty bird taunts and attacks the grief-stricken Lilly. On her journey to expel the starling, she rediscovers her will to live and capacity for love.
The Starling Age Appropriate Parents Guide
Lets take a look at what parents need to know before letting their kids view The Starling.
Language: The Starling does contain some harsh language with profanity used throughout. Lookout words include: f*ck, son of a b*tch, sh*t, a**h*le, d*mn and hell.
Mature Content: The film does contain some very adult themes which include the loss of a child, attempted suicide and a struggling marriage.
Overall Thoughts
What The Starling does best is perfectly tune into the pain and trauma from the loss of a loved one while mixing in a sparse bit of comedy, giving this poignant tale some light at the end of the tunnel. Director Theodore Melfi, who is best known for his films St. Vincent and Hidden Figures, is a master at mixing these sad and comedic elements in films. His past work does include many true life stories, and at times The Starling may seem like it is based off true life events but this is testament to its storytelling. Writer Matt Harris takes a simple approach in the plot, which serves it well, especially during the hardest moments in the film.
Melissa McCarthy is the standout performance in The Starling. Best known for her comedic roles, McCarthy does a terrific job balancing the funny one-liners with the very serious theme and does so without making light of the trauma inflicted on her character. Chris O’Dowd delivers a truly raw and emotional performance and Kevin Kline was a delight.
It seems these sort of depressing films have come in droves this past year when many can use a little pick me up. But ignoring grief and trauma does not make it go away, as McCarthy’s character learns. Instead it is imperative to confront the grief head on in order to overcome it and it is this message which has this painful story stand out above the rest. We have all experienced some loss and bad times in recent months, and some might not be able to see a way out from under the crushing weight of reality, but The Starling might just be that glimmer of hope to some providing that much needed light at the end of tunnel.
