A Message of Love Through Animals

Westfield's first independent film series debuted Tuesday night at the , where the power of love and hope was expressed through animals in, “A Bird of the Air.”

Film director, Margaret Whitton, starred in “Major League I and II” and in “The Secret of My Success.” The first-time director said she was thrilled with how the film turned out and chose to do an unconventional movie using animals and lesser known actors because it was not “formulaic."

“I never thought I would direct the film,” Whitton said in a Q&A session after the premier.

The movie featured Jackson Hurst as "Lyman," a highway patrol man, who kept to himself and had no family. He found a talking parrot and at the same time met a talkative, attractive girl, "Fiona" played by Rachel Nichols. Fiona attended college with him and was a librarian. They built a relationship where they each grew on each other and through their search for the parrot's original owner, they found true love.  

“It felt like the real romance of life,” she said. “I wanted it to be about real heroes.”

Cranford resident David Munroe who is an avid viewer of independent films, said the movie was "terrific." He and his partner said they were glad they came and enjoyed hearing Whitton speak about the movie.

“We live in independent theater,” he said.

Catherine Marchant of Westfield, who just recently returned from the Sundance Film festival, said the movie was amazing and the Q&A with the director was the “cherry on top.”

“It’s kind of exciting to see a movie first,” she said.

Stephen Whitty, a past chairman of the New York Film Critics Circle and an award-winning Sunday columnist and film critic for the Newark Star-Ledger hosted the event. Whitty said in his 20 years of reporting, there is no better way to see a movie. Being able to meet the audience, the director and the cast is a great experience, he said.

Independent movies have advantages that “Hollywood” movies do not, he said. They are not structured like many typical movies and actors play reverse roles, Whitty said.

 “I think movies are the great modern art form,” he said.