Name: Paulie
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Comedy, Family
Released: 1998-04-17
Duration: 91 min
Rating: 7
Cast: Gena Rowlands, Tony Shalhoub, Cheech Marin, Bruce Davison, Trini Alvarado

Paulie

Dreams of Wealth and Opportunity

Ruby Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt your little testosterone festival here, but the bird right here hasn't made us that much money.

[to Benny]

Benny Hello? What are you talking about, "that much money"? We're doing great.

Ruby I should be, like, lounging by a pool in a mansion, wearing a mink coat, and, like, 18 karat diamond earrings.

Adolescent Paulie She's right. We're wasting our time, chump change, when there are rocks to be grifted.

[to Benny about what Ruby has said]

Benny Wait. Uh... What do you know about diamonds?

Adolescent Paulie We met in a pawnshop, Einstein.

Ruby You can tell a real diamond from a fake?

[to Paulie, as she shows him her diamond ring she is wearing]

Adolescent Paulie Yeah. I've seen shot glasses cut better than that.

Ruby I cannot believe you, Benito. You're gonna get me a real diamond! And you're gonna help him!

[to Benny; inhaling sharply]

Benny Diamonds?! Well, Ruby, it's a little bit out of my league here!

Ruby Your league, but not his.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Paulie

A Bird's Plea for Classy Solutions

Tween Paulie Ivy, please. I'm a bird. I have a small brain, and it's about to explode! Let's try something a little more classy!

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Paulie

Uniforms and Payment Responsibilities in Employment

Virgil The agency told you that you had to pay for your own uniforms, right?

[to Misha]

Misha Yes. I provide with money from the job.

Virgil No, no, no, no, no. You can't start the job without a uniform.

Misha Then I provide, if I don't get paid.

Virgil You don't have any money?

Misha No. This is why I take the job. To make money. This is why I have come to America. To be a big shoot.

Virgil Shot. Big shot.

Misha I'll try not to live in the past. Only in present tense, since I came to America.

Virgil Yeah, but "big shoot" absolutely makes no sense. This is the main building with administration, lecture rooms, and laboratories.

[as he and Misha both enter the institute]

Virgil These are floors from here. Don't worry about the cages, or what's in them. The research assistants feed them. You know, they study animal behavior?

[to Misha; shows Misha cages filled with various dogs, cats, rats, mice, ferrets, pigeons, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, chimpanzees, and other animals]

Misha In a cage, only one could behave like a prisoner.

Virgil A word of advice, my man. Try not to think so much. And whatever you do, don't bother the professors. They're the real big shoots around here.

Virgil Watch your step, Misha. This is Purgatory. I'll go get the trash.

[to Misha]

Misha What kind of bird is this?

Virgil The biting kind. Be careful.

Misha Are you a bird, or a dog? What is... What is he doing down here?

[to Paulie; to Virgil]

Virgil Paulie was an old project for Dr. Reingold. It didn't work out. A loss of funding, or something I can't remember.

Misha But, he does not eat, I think, and he loses feather.

Virgil You don't have to worry about him. Come on. I'll show you where the incinerator is.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Paulie

Perspective on New Jersey and Mobile Homes

Ivy But, you know, what's the matter with New Jersey? It's nice, if you will just give it a chance.

Paulie Why does your house have wheels?

Ivy Houses are a lot cheaper with wheels.

Paulie I was thinking more along the lines that houses with wheels can go to places.

Ivy Well, not anymore, I'm afraid. Earl and I used to travel all of the time, you know. But things change. He had even crazier ideas than you have got. We always used to talk about going to The Grand Canyon, but we just never got that far. Yow know, Earl said that if you stand right at the edge just when the sun comes up, it's like seeing the first sunrise in the whole world.

Paulie He was kind of poetic, wasn't he?

Ivy For an ex-Marine.

Paulie Hmm, you miss Earl.

Ivy Oh, let's not talk about that.

Paulie You miss Earl.

Ivy Eat your dinner.

Paulie Like I miss Marie.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Paulie

Negotiating the Price of Paulie

Benny How much do you want for him, Artie?

[to Artie]

Artie A lot more than ten bucks, baby. You'd have to grift for more than a year to make his numbers.

Ivy Okay, which one of you three is the proprietor?

[to Paulie, Artie, and Benny]

Artie Very funny, toots. Uh... What have you there?

[to Ivy]

Ivy Oh, this? This is... This is my easel.

Artie Mmm-hmm.

Ivy It's a fine one. My late husband go it for me, and I really hate to part with it, you know.

Artie Yeah, whatever. Uh... Dead husband aside. Uh... Do you wanna pawn, or sell?

Ivy Well...

Tween Paulie The real question is, aren't you prepared to throw in that potholder on your head?!

[to Ivy]

Ivy Well, that was extremely rude! Did you teach him to do that?

[to Artie]

Benny Uh... No. No, that's the thing. The dirty mouth is all his.

[to Ivy; points at Artie]

Tween Paulie What are you looking at?!

[to Ivy]

Ivy You know, I think I'll take him with me.

[to Artie]

Benny Well, I don't think so, lady. You see, I saw the bird first.

[to Ivy]

Ivy Oh, no, no, no. I'm... I'm afraid you are not the right owner for him. Uh... You know, somebody has got to teach this beautiful bird some manners. Then it might as well be me.

[as Artie and Benny look at each other]

Tween Paulie But, what's wrong with my manners?! BUUUUURRRRRPPPPP!

[belches]

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Paulie

Uncertainty About a Delayed Arrival

Benny What's taking him so long?

Ruby I don't know.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Paulie

Identifying Objects and Bridging Gaps

Researcher 1 Okay, we're going to ask you some questions. We'd like for you to identify the picture. What is this?

[shows Paulie a picture card with a duck on it]

Adolescent Paulie Duck.

[annoyed]

Researcher 1 What is this?

[shows more cards]

Adolescent Paulie Kite. Umbrella. Look, I don't see how this is "bridging the gap".

Dr. Reingold Uh... Well, look, Paulie, I know this is frustrating, but we have to follow a protocol, if we're gonna prove you're capable of cognizant speech.

Adolescent Paulie Everyone can see that I can talk!

Researcher 1 What is this?

[shows another card with a pie on it]

Adolescent Paulie Now, what is that word again for, uh, a dish composed of meat, fowl, fish or vegetables, covered in a layer of paste and baked...? Oh, yeah! It's a pie! Then again, a "pie" could be a magpie, a collection of rules, a copper coin, or what you call a fine lookin lady. And if you don't believe me, look it up, blondie. But "pie" can also mean a whole, as in the pie of which we crave a piece, like the whole enchilada, the big salami, the grand prize - the talking bird which you hope will make you rich! That kind of pie! Me! I'm the pie here, and if you don't mind taking your fingers out of me for a moment, I'd like to get some lunch, you lab rat!

[to a woman taking notes]

Researcher 2 How do I score that?

[to Reingold, after an awkward pause]

Misha Did you said that?!

[laughing]

Adult Paulie I told you, talking just gets you into trouble!

Misha No, it's not that. I-It's how you say things. You'll have to be careful. A woman would ask you, "Do you like my new hat?" You would say, "No. New hat make you look like new floor mop." You get punched in the nose.

Adult Paulie I got worse than that.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Paulie

Struggling with Unspoken Feelings and Communication

Warren I just cannot believe you didn't tell me about this.

Lila Warren, I wanted to write you.

Warren Well, then why didn't you?

Lila Because I didn't know what to say. Marie's voice is going away.

Warren Well, is she getting any better? Is it going away, Lila?

Lila No, but it won't go away, if you haven't put too much pressure on her.

Warren Lila, I don't think you put enough pressure on her.

Lila Warren, she's a little girl. I can't stand to see her suffer. I can't stand it!

Warren What happens when she goes to school? Do you think she'll be made fun of? Because I can guarantee you she will be.

Lila Well, what do you think we're supposed to do about it?

Warren You're telling me. All this "We love you, no matter what you can do." stuff isn't going to work anymore.

Lila All right, we'll just order her to stop stuttering. Is that the only way we can do to help her?

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Paulie

Reflections on a Challenging Journey

Misha So, they bring you here?

[to Paulie about Marie, Warren, and Lila]

Adult Paulie No, no. It wasn't that easy hitting Rock Bottom. I did a bunch of things. First, I did a stint as a window display in a place called, Bloomingdale's. And I was in a brochure for Costa Rica. I did some work as a magician's assistant doing children's parties.

Narrator But, when Zintar fell on hard times, he had to choose between me and the cape. Guess which one he pawned.

Tween Paulie What's new, Pussycat? Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah. What's new, Pussycat? Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah.

[singing]

Artie Shut up, you goddamn flying rat! Shut up!

[to Paulie]

Tween Paulie Pussycat, pussycat, you are delicious. And if my wishes could only come true...

[singing]

Artie Maybe you are uncomfortable in there. Maybe you need a change. How about this... uh... nice toaster oven for little old Top Brown only, huh?

[to Paulie]

Tween Paulie Oh, come on, Artie. We haven't pawned anything all day. Look, let's go catch the Number Nine at Belmont. I'm bored.

Artie You and me both.

Tween Paulie I wanna go home.

Artie Yeah, well, get on the line.

[a side burned Benny, a New Jersey-accented thief, enters the pawnshop with a stolen radio]

Benny You know, Artie, today is your lucky day.

[to Artie]

Artie Right. Fresh out of the showroom, right? Where's the receipt?

[inspects the stolen radio]

Benny I lost it.

Artie Ten bucks.

Benny Ten bucks?! Come on, gimme a break, Artie! I'm trying to upgrade the level of your merchandise here!

Tween Paulie Hit the brakes, ugly!

[to Benny]

Benny Aw, that's cute. Are you training your bird to insult your customers?

[to Artie]

Tween Paulie No, but I could tell you're ugly all by myself.

[to Benny]

Benny How'd he do that?

[to Artie]

Artie He watches television.

Benny What an angle. I could see how his unique skills could really come in handy to an intelligent guy, huh?!

[to Paulie]

Tween Paulie Well, I'll let you know when I'll see one.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Paulie

Mutual Feelings Between Paulie and Lupe

Adolescent Paulie You know, I really like you a lot.

[to Lupe]

Lupe You know, I really like you a lot.

Adolescent Paulie Wow! I'm so glad you feel that way.

Lupe Wow! I'm so glad you feel that way.

Adolescent Paulie Are you listening?

Lupe Are you listening?

Adolescent Paulie Or are you just repeating?

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Paulie

Strategizing Placement in a Team Setup

Ignacio Hmmm... Tell you what. Why don't we have, like, one guy on each end, and, like, Lupe in the middle, huh?

[to Paulie, Lupe, Chaco, and Paco]

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Paulie

A Conflict Over Taking Someone Back

Dr. Reingold What do you think you're doing?

Misha I'm taking him.

Dr. Reingold You're what?

Misha I'm taking him back to where he belongs.

Dr. Reingold He belongs to the institute.

Misha No, he belongs to little girl, who needs him. And you knew. You knew it all the time. Paulie, come.

[to Paulie]

Dr. Reingold Who do you think you are?

Misha I am Mikeal Andreovich Belenkoff, and you are a liar, and a coward, and a very rude man.

Dr. Reingold And you're fired.

Misha No, I am not fire. I am quit.

Dr. Reingold You!

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Paulie

The Importance of Communication in Relationships

Misha She said, "Misha, I always like you the best, but I was afraid... afraid of your silence.". It's important to speak up. So, are you going to tell me what happened to Lupe, or shall I go sweep some more floors?

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Paulie

A Conversation About Help and Safety

Ivy Oh! Oh.

Paulie You know, maybe your house shouldn't have wheels.

Ivy Oh, dear. All right, all right. I'll go get some help. You stay here. You know, it's... Don't be frightened. Let's see.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Paulie

A Grandfather's Gift to His Granddaughter

Marie's Mother Marie! Marie, come see what your grandpa brought you.

Marie G-G-Grandpa!

[stuttering]

Grandpa My beautiful girl.

Marie W-What d-did you bring me?

Marie's Mother Look in the basket, sweetie.

Paulie I opened my eyes, and there she was.

[voice over]

Marie B-Bird.

Paulie I didn't know what this creature was, but I liked it.

[voice over]

Grandpa I thought I'd give her someone to talk to. I named him Paulie.

Marie Pretty P-Paulie.

[cuddles Young Paulie]

Paulie Pretty Marie.

[voice over]

Paulie

Unlikely Friendship and Unexpected Questions

Paulie You're not going to kiss me, are you?

Benny What? Get outta here.

Paulie

Facing Change and Saying Goodbye

Ivy The doctor said that I really shouldn't drive around anymore. So, you'll just have to go ahead without me. Los Angeles is due west from here right into the setting sun.

[to Paulie, as she is on the verge of dying]

Adolescent Paulie Well, I'll be your eyes. I can watch the road for you. Besides, I can't go without you.

Ivy Oh, of course, you can. Listen, I'm not really a fond of "goodbye"s, dear. So, I think you should go. Just right now. And you'll send me a postcard, when you get there. Okay? Now, where did I put my comb? I know it's around here, someplace.

[to herself, as she tries to find her comb]

Ivy Oh! Thank you.

[to Paulie]

Narrator And so, I stayed.

Ivy Are we nearly home yet?

[to Paulie]

Adolescent Paulie Go to your right here. There you go.

Ivy You know what you are, Paulie? You're my seeing-eye parrot.

Ivy You've been a dear friend to me, Paulie. We're birds of a feather, you and I. Betwixt and between, that's us. So, what do we have tonight? Is it pretty?

Adolescent Paulie Oh, very pretty. There's more orange now, and it's getting darker. Just a little gold left.

Ivy The sun must be almost set. Can you see any stars yet?

Adolescent Paulie Not yet.

Narrator And then one day, the cat got her.

Adolescent Paulie Oh.

[sighs; turns around, and notices the finished masterpiece of Paulie Ivy has made]

Narrator There are things in life you put off, because you think you can do them later. But, the real thing Ivy taught me was, that you'll have to learn to live it like there may not be a "later".

Paulie

Departure from Jersey

Ivy Are you ready?

Paulie I'm ready.

Ivy So long, Jersey!

Paulie So long, Jersey!

Narrator I thought flying was scary - until I drove with Ivy. Now, that's scary.

Paulie

Exploring Opportunities and Overcoming Past Experiences

Ivy That's it. Very good. You know, you should learn how to fly, Paulie.

[to Paulie]

Adolescent Paulie Well, the last time someone suggested that, it didn't work out so good.

Ivy You were missing out on doing something that was probably pretty great.

Adolescent Paulie Hey! Why don't you try it, and let me know? Aren't you tired?

Ivy Mmmm... Well, a little bit.

Paulie

A Conversation About Long Stories and Songs

Paulie It's a long story.

Misha I'm Russian. I like long stories!

Paulie All right, Chekov. Sit down. It all started with Marie.

Misha The one from the song?

Paulie Yeah. The one from the song.

Paulie

A Conversation About Connection and Belonging

Adult Paulie Don't be afraid to speak.

Adult Marie I'd love it, if you stayed.

[to Misha]

Misha You know, I would like that. I would like that very much.

Adult Marie Paulie, how did you find me?

[to Paulie]

Adult Paulie Well, it's a long story.

Misha It's the only kind he knows.

[to Marie, chuckling]

Paulie

Paulie's Journey to East L.A.

Ignacio What's your story?

Paulie I'm Paulie, and I'm looking for someone named Marie Alweather. Can you tell me where I am?

Ignacio You're in L. A.. East L. A..

Paulie East L. A.? East L. A.! I made it! I made it!

Ignacio You can talk?

Paulie They can talk.

[looking at Ignacio's parrots]

Ignacio Them? They don't talk! I say "taco", they say "taco".

Parrots Taco, taco, taco, taco!

Paulie Are they okay?

Ignacio Sure, they're okay. But, I don't know about me. I'm talking to a bird. Okay. I'm talking to a bird. Is her daddy's name Moe?

[to himself; to Paulie]

Paulie Uh-uh. Warren.

Ignacio Oh. Well, I'm sorry, amigo. Such an Alweather is not in this phone book. Maybe they have an unlisted number. How can I get him into playing this game? You know, I've been thinking. Can you carry a tune, or a dance, or anything?

Paulie What do you mean?

Paulie Quotes