Misha Vilyenkov is a Russian immigrant who works as a janitor at an American research institute, and his life takes an unlikely turn when he meets Paulie, a clever blue-crowned conure who can speak with surprising clarity. When the scientists, led by Dr. Reingold, come to observe the bird, Paulie suddenly goes mute, and the moment exposes a mystery behind his gift. At first, Misha is frustrated by the bird’s stubbornness, but as they spend time together, he opens up about his homesickness, and Paulie begins to warm to him, sharing the story of his first owner, Marie Alweather, a little girl who stammers as she learns to speak.
The tale unfolds in a series of memories: as Marie undergoes speech therapy, Paulie finds his voice. Her father, Warren Alweather, a soldier returning from Vietnam, believes that the bird’s presence is confusing his daughter’s reality rather than helping it, and he decisively decides to part with Paulie. After a near-fatal fall while trying to teach him to fly, Warren ultimately sends Paulie away, a heartbreak that drives the bird through years of new owners and rough treatment. He ends up in a pawn shop, where his sharp tongue ruffles customers until a widowed artist named Ivy, Ivy, purchases him with the aim of reforming his behavior. Ivy befriends Paulie and makes it her mission to help him find Marie, who has moved to Los Angeles. As they travel together in her mobile home, a new bond forms, but tragedy strikes when Ivy goes blind along the way. Paulie stays by her side and cares for her, and after Ivy passes away, he discovers a surprising new ability: he can fly again.
In East Los Angeles, Paulie joins Ignacio’s group of conures, a colorful troupe that performs for migrant musicians. For a time, he unsettles himself by forgetting about Marie as he grows fond of a female conure named Lupe. During a performance, Benny—an opportunistic hustler who has followed Paulie to Los Angeles—recognizes him and tries to buy him from Ignacio. When Ignacio refuses, Benny orchestrates a prank call to the police, and chaos erupts, resulting in Paulie’s kidnapping while Ignacio is arrested and deported. Under Benny’s sway, the parrot begins to dream of earning enough money to hire a detective who can locate Marie, and a botched jewel theft sees him crash through a home’s chimney, only to be caught by the grandson of its owner as Benny flees, leaving Paulie behind.
Paulie ends up back at the institute, where [Dr. Reingold] and his team test his ability to talk to humans and consider how to exploit his talents. Paulie overhears a private exchange in which Reingold reveals that they have found Marie’s whereabouts but keep it secret to keep him under their control. Realizing he has been used, Paulie mimics an ordinary parrot to humiliate the scientist and resists further testing, effectively sabotaging the plan. He then calls out the deception, and his wings are clipped as punishment, locking him in a basement as the researchers brush aside his resistance.
Moved by Paulie’s story, Misha decides to release him and help him find Marie. They locate the contact information in Reingold’s office and, after a tense confrontation, escape the institute with the help of the other caged animals. The journey ends when they reach Marie’s address and discover her—the woman in front of them—has grown into a stunning, adult [Marie] who shares a musical memory with Paulie; a song her mother sang to her as a child helps him recognize her. In a powerful moment, Paulie realizes he is able to fly again as his feathers regrow, and he and Marie reunite with Misha by their side. The two offer him a place in their new life, and, with a sense of belonging finally found, the three walk into Marie’s home together, ready to begin anew.
