The TV guide said that this is a comedy !! OK, let's see what's so comedic about it.. William Hurt is a middle-aged loser, who sniffs cocaine whenever he's desperate, tired, or just awake ! HAHAAA, SO FUNNY ! William Hurt's friend finds a massive amount of cocaine, and plans for selling it, to kill hundreds of people ! HAHAAA, SO FUNNY INDEED ! William Hurt and his filthy friend plan a scheme to revive the first's dead restaurant, where an old lady dies out of it ! HAHAAA, THIS IS WONDERFUL ! William Hurt's filthy friend has a primitive submarine, which dives into water ! HAHAAA, I LAUGH LIKE A DRAIN ! William Hurt and his filthy friend are uncovered as rare birds' frauds, and drugs' possessors, yet the police want them for something else ! HAHAAA, I LAUGH MY HEAD OFF ! William Hurt rides his car and gets away the village he used to live in ! HAHAAA, I LAUGH LIKE CRAZY, BUT BECAUSE THIS IS THE MOVIE'S END !!!!In Dumb & Dumber (1994), a movie I'm not so fond of, there are 2 dumb persons, who do dumb things, to cause some laughs. This round, we have 2 dumb persons, who do dumb things, ONLY ! So weather this is the worst comedy ever, or not a comedy in the first place; rather a drama, about 2 stupid men, who are chasing their dreams stupidly. However, even this way the movie doesn't work. The events run boringly, just the scheme parts, the lead's silent attraction towards the redhead girl, and sniffing cocaine, then all of that again, and again, without any comedy, intelligence, or artistic subtleness. And out of the blue, there is a big climax, which doesn't develop anything or anyone !Let me furiously ask : how selling the restaurant would make way for selling the cocaine ? What was the filthy friend's never-unveiled plan exactly ?! And why it was never-unveiled ?! Why the cocaine's sub-plot basically ? While the lead character was gradually immersing in addiction, I thought this would be a tragedy about the end of a man. But eventually, that line seemed irrelevant, superfluous, and freely ugly ! Actually this movie merchandises cocaine like no other movie; as something makes you so happy, get over your fatigue, and overstep your problems finely, not the deadly poison which destroys your brain, sexual ability, money, and – yes – life ! If the lead doesn't love his wife, why doesn't he divorce her since the start ?! What could be the reason of the redhead girl to love a stupid cocaine sniffing machine like Hurt ?! How come she's dancing erotically to a serious operatic singing ??!! While the S.W.A.T guy has a gun, why he gets so afraid of Hurt ?! How come nobody got arrested in the end; despite knowing about the drugs, the fake birds, and kidnapping a policeman ?! And finally, what was the need for seeing Hurt's naked butt while his wife's phone call ? And what was the need of the scene where he's disgusted by his own excrements' smell, and does a lot to end it ? Was there dramatic befit or – oh god – comic relief in that ?!!!!!!!! (Talk about irrelevant, superfluous, and freely ugly, huh !).Simply, what's worse than a movie which you ask during it "what's enjoyable about it" ?, what's worse than a movie which you ask in its end "what did change in its lead" ?! And what's worse than a movie which you ask after it "what could it mean ?!". No need to say that Rare Birds has the 3 catastrophes together !So weather this is the worst comedy ever, or such a bland and meaningless drama (and according to the drug line, add "unscrupulous" as well !). Both ways, I'm so sad for William Hurt's talent and awful choices. I'm so sad that the character of his filthy friend didn't die at the end. And I'm so sad that I had to watch this stupidity till its end !

A fine piece of work that deserves to be seen more widely. I agree with the previous comment only so far as the cocaine sub-plot is concerned. Nicely rounded cast (including Mary Walsh who is uncredited as the younger waitress's mother).Molly Parker was sensuality itself, while Andy Jones had the rough conviviality that his role needed. William Hurt sustained his part well, and I didn't really notice the slips in accent (though I recognize they were there).The cocaine sequences were pointless (and presumably gave the film its R rating), and the ending with the ridiculously hapless RCMP was a little disappointing. However, by that time the film had charmed me enough to make it not matter.

What does a recovered package of cocaine, a gourmet restaurant in the middle of nowhere, two of the most delightful and oddest friends I've ever met, the most naturally sexy redhead I've ever seen, Svetkoff Lights, a 1200 pound ultra-light submarine, an extinct species of duck, and undercover agents from the RCP have in common? One of the most entertaining little movies I've ever seen! The author driven screenplay kept me chuckling for the entire movie and I did not want the movie to end. What an absolute delight for both a story and a film. I loved it!!!

I found this movie to be hugely disappointing. The dialogue was boring, the storyline while promising, was handled very badly and the sub-plots absolutely incomprehensible. I looked to forward to seeing this film because of comments I had read here and from comments of other birdwatchers. In the end I felt as though I had wasted my time. The Newfoundland scenery and Andy Jones were the most redeeming quality of the picture, though I felt that given better material, Molly Parker would have proved to be a gem. William Hurt however, has been better. All other characters were nothing more than window dressing, something this film could have used a lot more of, even though if you put lipstick on a pig, it is still a pig. Had I found this film more enjoyable, I feel that I could have easily overlooked the fact that the rare bird mentioned in the film is not a real critter.