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The Natural History of the Chicken

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60% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
People with special connections to chickens are interviewed in this documentary about the ubiquitous fowl. Among the many unusual anecdotes are the story of a chicken resuscitated thanks to her owner's CPR skills, a cockfight breeder whose loud roosters annoy his neighbors and a headless chicken that was a sideshow attraction for many years. Facts about the poultry industry are interspersed with the stories, providing a quirky and well-rounded portrait of the bird.

Critics Reviews

View All (5) Critics Reviews
Film Threat Rated: 2.5/5 Dec 6, 2005 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 3/5 Aug 9, 2005 Full Review Film Threat Rated: 2.5/5 Dec 8, 2002 Full Review Eric D. Snider EricDSnider.com Rated: B Feb 9, 2002 Full Review Amber Wilkinson Eye for Film Lewis handles the documentary with a lightness of touch. Rated: 5/5 Jan 31, 2002 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member As a backyard chicken farmer, this documentary blew me away one night. Found by happenstance on Netflix. It's hilarious and educational. My wife and I have laughed and cried watching this film. If you have chickens in your life, I highly recommend this documentary. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member LMAO! this film was so hilariously ridiculous! i couldn't believe what i was seeing. i have no idea why this film was made or how much of it was intentionally a joke, but it definitely seemed like the people being interviewed believed in what they were saying. all i know is that i was in stitches all the way through and in complete awe at the sheer incredulity of it. definitely a great film to watch with friends, and possibly some drugs. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member A cute little documentary on the role of the chicken in American society which delves into the issue of free range produce vs. industrial chicken plants. We also learn about what makes chickens tick. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member This is NOT history of chickens. There are lots of people obsessed with chickens. I am worried I could easily become one of the weirdos. Please gently remind me of the sing songy lady driving her chicken around town and blow drying her chicken's feathers . Strongly remind me of the crazy pastor who read the deep inner thoughts of Liza the chicken. But if I am in my 70s and am a little old lady and nuts don't bug me about it. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member The title of this documentary is misleading. From it's title, I thought it would be a tale of the evolution and domestication of the barnyard chook. It was not. While it had some informative parts, it was dragged down by people rhapsodizing alternately about chickens and god -- and as this purported to be a science documentary, that made it not good enough. I'm glad people love their chickens, I really am. I am not glad I watched this documentary. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member This is worth it, just for all the laughs. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Natural History of the Chicken

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The Natural History of the Chicken

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Movie Info

Synopsis People with special connections to chickens are interviewed in this documentary about the ubiquitous fowl. Among the many unusual anecdotes are the story of a chicken resuscitated thanks to her owner's CPR skills, a cockfight breeder whose loud roosters annoy his neighbors and a headless chicken that was a sideshow attraction for many years. Facts about the poultry industry are interspersed with the stories, providing a quirky and well-rounded portrait of the bird.
Director
Mark Lewis
Producer
Mark Lewis
Screenwriter
Mark Lewis
Production Co
Mark Lewis Radio Pictures, Devillier Donegan Enterprises, Channel 4 (England)
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 9, 2017
Runtime
56m