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The Hawk Is Dying

Play trailer Poster for The Hawk Is Dying Released Mar 30, 2007 1h 52m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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30% Tomatometer 23 Reviews 43% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
George Gatling (Paul Giamatti) works as an upholsterer, but his true calling is the ancient art of falconry. He shares that passion with his beloved nephew, Fred (Michael Pitt), but their previous attempts to train a wild bird have all met with failure. The two capture a magnificent red-tailed hawk, but then a horrible tragedy devastates George. Utterly grief-stricken, he refuses to eat or sleep until he wins the hawk's trust.

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The Hawk Is Dying

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Critics Consensus

Paul Giamatti lends his character some pathos, but The Hawk is Dying is otherwise too ambiguous and morose to be enjoyable.

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Critics Reviews

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Bill Stamets Chicago Sun-Times Goldberger and Giamatti strain too hard for strangeness. Rated: 2/4 May 4, 2007 Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader These strengths seldom mesh persuasively. May 4, 2007 Full Review Noel Murray AV Club The Hawk Is Dying is a fragile little movie, occasionally ridiculous, but with M. Night Shyamalan's Lady In The Water, Giamatti proved that he can make even the weirdest material believable. Rated: B Apr 5, 2007 Full Review Chad Greene Boxoffice Magazine Never takes flight. Rated: 2/5 Apr 7, 2007 Full Review Doris Toumarkine Film Journal International Ultimately, this inscrutable film is just an exercise in self-indulgence. Mar 31, 2007 Full Review Ken Fox TV Guide Giamatti delivers yet another superb performance, turning what might have been a freak show into an unexpectedly moving experience. Rated: 3/4 Mar 30, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ronald H This film captures the spirit of the Harry Crews novel quite well. It's odd, disturbing, grotesque, and heartbreaking, but it's also compelling and ultimately life affirming. Paul Giamatti gives one of the greatest performances of his career. "The Hawk is Dying" is rightfully filmed in Gainesville, Florida, where the original book was set. Crews lived there for decades and taught at the University of Florida. He died there in 2012. In many ways, his spirit haunts that town. It also haunts this movie. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Fascinating story. Great cast. Too bad the script gives them next to nothing to work with. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member While the story leaves much to be desired Paul Giamatti gives a stunning performance! Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member An incredibly hard movie for me to care about, despite Paul Giamatti's stand out performance. The hawk gets annoying, particularly when he starts carrying it around. The pace is too slow, despite the sombre events I just lost interest. The scene when his nephew's body is discovered is powerful, beautiful and raw performances make this a stand out scene, I just wish this power had continued throughout the whole movie. A bit of a sleeper. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member Weird. Eccentric. But endearing. Enjoyed it. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member A warm and wonderful, lesson learning experience. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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The Hawk Is Dying

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Movie Info

Synopsis George Gatling (Paul Giamatti) works as an upholsterer, but his true calling is the ancient art of falconry. He shares that passion with his beloved nephew, Fred (Michael Pitt), but their previous attempts to train a wild bird have all met with failure. The two capture a magnificent red-tailed hawk, but then a horrible tragedy devastates George. Utterly grief-stricken, he refuses to eat or sleep until he wins the hawk's trust.
Director
Julian Goldberger
Producer
Jeffrey Kusama-Hinte, Mary Jane Skalski
Screenwriter
Julian Goldberger
Distributor
Strand Releasing
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 30, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 13, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$6.1K
Runtime
1h 52m
Sound Mix
Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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