"The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill" is one of those rare gems that comes along and makes you think that this is why they build movie theaters. It’s not from the Hollywood hype machine but it’s the real thing. This movie is a low budget independent documentary about a man in San Francisco teetering somewhere on the brink of being a beatnik or hippie. A former aspiring musician, he never held a full-time job and successfully avoided paying rent for some 25 years. Mark Bittner finds his calling in joining a flock of some 45-50 wild parrots living in the Telegraph Hill neighborhood of San Francisco and in turn he becomes a legend adored by nearly everyone who meets him.

The parrots Mark interacts with, although native to South America, are actually wild parrots that have somehow escaped or been released by pet owners in the city. From an original colony of four birds the flock was able to establish itself and breed. Although the San Francisco area is much colder than their native lands there is an abundant supply of food due to the many ornamental trees and plants that have been brought in. Although Mark fed them on a regular basis the birds had the ability to feed themselves. Yet they really accepted Mark as a special friend of the flock, allowing him to hand feed them, perching on his head, and even following him into his house and sometimes his bed to coddle with him and keep warm.

The behavior of the birds is what captivates you initially. To see Mark playing guitar and singing as his closest parrot friend dances and bobs his head in sheer happiness is enough to make even the coldest of hearts melt. Yet this film surprises you right up until the end with elements of comedy, conflict and romance coming from both Mark and his feathered friends.

I can’t imagine this not being high on my top ten list for 2005, and I recommend it emphatically for viewers of all ages. If nothing else you will come away taking a long hard look at how you spend your time and whether you are spending it wisely. This is a beautiful work of cinema and the ending will catch you by surprise.