Paul Giamatti film is finally available

McClatchy Newspapers

It’s not easy for makers of small independent films in Hollywood these days, according to actor Paul Giamatti.

“Part of it is economics,” Giamatti said. “Distribution outlets for such films have bottomed out. If you’ve got a $200 million film, then that’s OK.”

Case in point is “Pretty Bird” (Paramount, 2008, $22.98), which was the first film Giamatti helped produce. It was nominated for the Sundance Grand Jury Prize that year but few people have heard of it.

“If you weren’t at Sundance in 2008, then you haven’t seen it,” Giamatti said. Fortunately, Paramount entered the picture and has now made it available on DVD for everyone to see.

“We put it together by the skin of our teeth,” Giamatti said. “It’s kind of a strange film, I guess, but I am proud of it.”

There is a wackiness about it, but it’s the kind of wackiness that will make you smile. Giamatti plays Rick Honeycutt, a rocket scientist whose outlook on life is gloomy at best. With his friends Curtis Prentiss (Billy Crudup), the man with the dough, and Kenny (David Hornsby), they decide to launch a rocket-belt company.

No more waiting at airports or bus stops. Just strap on your rocket belt and zoom your way to work. If it looks like something out of a James Bond movie, there is a reason: The three were inspired by a Bond gadget. As they get deeper into the project, their enthusiasm gradually is replaced by bickering and mistrust of each other.