One night, a lonely janitor, Misha (Tony Shalhoub), discovers a bird that has the ability to talk. When Misha alerts the scientists, who work at the animal facility, the bird refuses to talk to...

One night, a lonely janitor, Misha (Tony Shalhoub), discovers a bird that has the ability to talk. When Misha alerts the scientists, who work at the animal facility, the bird refuses to talk to them. After being made to look like a fool in front of the scientists, Misha coaxes the bird into talking to just him. Paulie then begins to explain his life story to Misha; that he once had an owner, a child named Marie, how he learned to talk and the string of events that eventually led him to be a captive in an animal research facility.