Paulie, a talking parrot, recounts his travels looking for his original owner to a Russian janitor who helps him to the end of his journey.

Paulie: There are things in life you put off, because you think you're gonna do them later. But the real thing Ivy taught me is you gotta live like there may not be a later.
Ivy: Somebody has to teach this beautiful bird some manners. Might as well be me.
Paulie: What's wrong with my manners?
Marie Alweather: Paulie!
Lila Alweather: Marie!
Marie Alweather: Paulie! Fly back to me! Paulie! Paulie, I love you! Fly back to me!
Adult Marie Alweather: You're the song that the tree sings, when the wind blows. / You're a flower... you're a river... you're a rainbow. / I loved you the first time I saw you... / And I always will love you, Marie.
Dr. Reingold: Speak. Speak.
Misha: No, please listen, Sir. Maybe if I explain better.
[to Paulie]
Misha: You are lonely I think. I am lonely. In Russia, I was teacher of literature. In America, I'm cleaner of bird crap. I miss words, I miss my language. I just would like someone to talk to.
Paulie: Join the club.
Misha: What?
Paulie: I said join the club.
Misha: So I'm not crazy. You CAN talk.
Paulie: Of course I can talk.
Misha: Then why are you not?
Paulie: Because talking just gets you into a lot of trouble.
Misha: Trouble? Why you say that?
Ivy: You know what you are Paulie ? You're my seeing-eye parrot.
[dissolve to sunset]
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?
Paulie: Oh, very pretty. There's more orange now, and it's getting darker. Just a little gold left.
Ivy: The sun must almost be set. Can you see any stars yet?
Paulie: Not yet.
[cut to ambulance pulling away]
Paulie: And then one day, the cat got her.
Paulie: Hit the brakes, ugly.
Benny: Oh, that's cute. You train the bird to insult your customers?
Paulie: No, I could tell you're ugly all by myself.
[Paulie stops at The Grand Canyon]
Paulie: I found a tree, and I spent the night. 'Cos I wanted to be there in the morning... for the very first sunrise.
[as the sun rises]
Paulie: It's a long story.
Misha: I'm Russian. I like long stories!
Ignacio: [to Paulie] Now you gotta walk the walk.
Paulie: It all started with Marie.
Misha: The one in the song?
Paulie: Yeah, the one in the song.
Misha: I come to tell you in great amazement, he can talk.
Dr. Reingold: He mimics.
Misha: Mimics? What is mimics?
Dr. Reingold: He repeats what he hears. It is not talk.
Misha: No, you don't understand. He's intelligent, Doctor.
Misha: She would have books on her table and flowers in her hair.
Paulie: Yeah, and lots of golden feathers.
Voice of Paulie: I thought flying was scary - 'til I drove with Ivy.
Research Assistant #1: What is this?
Paulie: It's a flash card, you idiot.
Research Assistant #2: How do I score that?
Paulie: Score this.
Paulie: I'm a bird. I have a small brain, and it's about to explode.
Marie Alweather: Paulie is helping me learn some new words.
Warren Alweather: Birds don't teach.
Dr. Reingold: [to Misha] Now don't you think if we had an animal with that kind of intelligence somebody here would have noticed.
Paulie: Can you tell me where I am?
Ignacio: You can talk.
Paulie: They talk.
Ignacio: [Referring to his supposedly talking parrots] They can't talk. I say taco, they say taco
Parrots: Taco, taco, taco
Paulie: I have to find my friend.
Research Assistant #2: Blueberries are blue. Are cranberries cran?
Paulie: Are boysenberries boys or girls?
Paulie: I really like you a lot.
Lupe: I really like you a lot.
Paulie: Wow, I'm so glad you feel that way.
Lupe: Wow, I'm so glad you feel that way.
Paulie: Are you listening?
Lupe: Are you listening?
Paulie: Or are you just repeating?
[last lines]
Adult Marie Alweather: Paulie, how did you find me ?
Paulie: Well, It's a long story.
Misha: [chuckling] It's the only kind he knows.
Marie Alweather: [to Paulie] You want some?
Lila Alweather: Just mix a little in there.
[first lines]
[Misha reports for work, it is dark and raining]
Virgil the Janitor: The agency told you you had to pay for your own uniforms, right ?
Misha: Yes, I to buy with money from job.
Virgil the Janitor: No, no, no. You can't start the job without a uniform.
Misha: But how to buy when not been paid ?
Virgil the Janitor: You don't have any money ?
Misha: No. This is why I take job. To make money. This is why I come to America. To be a big shoot.
Virgil the Janitor: Shot. Big shot.
Misha: I try not to live in past, only present tense since I come to America.
Virgil the Janitor: [chuckling] Yeah, but "big shoot" makes no sense.
Ivy: We always used to talk about going to The Grand Canyon, but we just never got that far. You 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.
Warren Alweather: I don't think she can tell the difference between fantasy and reality.
Lila Alweather: Come on.
Warren Alweather: You know what she said? Are you ready for this? She said the bird told her the cat started it.
Lila Alweather: She said that to you?
Warren Alweather: Yeah.
Lila Alweather: She's five years old. It's her imaginary friend.
Warren Alweather: I don't know. She doesn't have any other friends. She hasn't made any other attachments. I just... I really think we should consider getting rid of the bird.