Let Them Chirp Awhile (2007)

44% of critics liked it
(9 reviews)
53% of users liked it
(215 ratings)

The star of Andrew Bujalski's indie sensation Mutual Appreciation, Justin Rice returns to the screen in this tale of a struggling scriptwriter who takes in a plucky Jack Russell terrier in hopes of charming its pretty owner into the bedroom. Lately, Bobby (Rice) hasn't had much luck in… More The star of Andrew Bujalski's indie sensation Mutual Appreciation, Justin Rice returns to the screen in this tale of a struggling scriptwriter who takes in a plucky Jack Russell terrier in hopes of charming its pretty owner into the bedroom. Lately, Bobby (Rice) hasn't had much luck in relationships. An aimless New Yorker whose best friend, Scott, is an unrepentant womanizer and whose nemesis, Hart Carlton, steals his ideas for a corny morality play about 9/11, Bobby just wants to find a pretty girl and move beyond the petty disappointments in life. When the girl Bobby currently has eyes for asks him to take care of her Jack Russell puppy for a few days, the lovelorn Lothario sees the good deed as the perfect opportunity to make an unforgettable first impression. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 31 min.
Directed By: Jonathan Blitstein
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Dec 5, 2008 Wide
On DVD: Dec 15, 2009
Studio: Jonathan Blitstein Enterprises

Critic Reviews

Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times
A movie where the only conception of life seems to come from other movies makes for no kind of movie at all.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
You would think that by now budding filmmakers would have given up on making a Woody Allen movie.
Nathan Lee, New York Times
This sort of thing was indulgent enough the first time around; transplanted to the mumblecore milieu, it's intolerable.
Ronnie Scheib, Variety
Fresh out of NYU film school, Blitstein films what he knows: His tale of a young filmmaker's writer's block gleefully incorporates all manner of antic styles, from Mack Sennett-style double-takes to Felliniesque black-and-white pantomime.
Vadim Rizov, Village Voice
It's pretty hilarious.
Sara Maria Vizcarrondo, Boxoffice Magazine
The film ends up feeling like even creative inspiration and apotheosis is hopeless because all that can ever emerge from these characters is derivative of some earlier work. When you look at it this way, Chirp can't help seeming like a time capsule...
Matt Pais, Metromix.com
The line between being pretentious and calling it out is awfully thin ... continually points a finger at obnoxious New York behavior while simultaneously perpetuating it.
Drew Toal, Time Out New York
Jonathan Blitstein's debut feature works reasonably well by letting the characters' collective emotional retardation speak for itself.