Review: Chicken People is a real life Best in Show with chooks who’ve got the looks

REVIEW: Chicken People is a fine-feathered feel-good doco surprise about chooks chasing gold at a posh pedigree breeders’ show.

CHICKEN PEOPLE (M)

Rating: three and a half stars (3.5 out of 5)

Director: Nicole Lucas Haimes (documentary debut)

Starring: Brian Knox, Shari McCollough, Brian Caraker.

Real poultry in motion

Here is a sweet-natured, uplifting and unusually charming documentary on a subject few would associate with any of those three descriptors : chickens.

That’s right, the humble chook is finally getting the noble cinematic salute no-one saw coming, and chances are you’ll see these landlocked birds in a whole new light once Chicken People is over.

Don’t you dare drop the word ‘nugget’ around this tough hombre from Chicken People. He’ll have you. Picture: Icon Films

The gala occasion drawing together several pedigree chickens and their delightfully devoted owners is the annual Ohio National Poultry Show, where the prestige title of Grand Champion is once again up for grabs.

En route to the big day, filmmaker Nicole Lucas Haimes slides in a punchy primer on the finer points of chicken breeding that is fascinating, entertaining and gently amusing.

However, what works so soundly in Chicken People’s favour is that it never goes about its business in a condescending way.

Couldn’t they find a better place to judge a prestigious Grand Prize than right outside the dunnie?. Show them birds some respect next time, even organisers. Picture: Icon Films

The admittedly unusual folk whose lives revolve around these plucky cluckers are not being taken advantage of (as they may have been in less sympathetic hands). No, they and their prized birds are being celebrated here.

Did you know chooks exhibit great loyalty to their buddies (most have a designated best friend), hold bitter grudges, and are not very romantically inclined?

These and many other peck-uliar personality traits come through very strongly and memorably here.