Andrew's New Documentary

Engaging recap of the documentary (Andrew’s “new documentary” about Rick and a missing parrot)

Andrew Callahan follows a chain of guilt, curiosity, and eventually grief while trying to help a lonely neighbor, Rick Shore, find his escaped rescue parrot Orson in the Venice Beach canals area.

1) The search begins from a “strange” flyer—and a parrot with a catchphrase

Andrew realizes he’s been passing lost-pet flyers every day without stopping. Then he finds one that’s oddly specific: a lost yellow-cheek conure who responds to “Hello, baby.”

That detail leads Andrew to Rick, whose parrot apparently learned—without Rick “playing it”—to repeat affectionate phrases all day. It gets so convincing that it feels like the bird is “channeling” Rick’s late girlfriend. Rick even compares Orson’s “baby” talk to James Brown.

Rick’s real name becomes a running joke: he introduces himself and then jokes it’ll soon be legally changed by a judge to Raphael (“God Heals”).

2) Nextdoor doesn’t help much—until a neighbor confirms the sound in the trees

Rick is already about 48 hours into searching when Andrew gets involved. Their Nextdoor post barely gains traction—until a neighbor, Shawn, says he hears unusual bird noises at night that seem like they’re coming from a tree, though not Orson.

From there, Rick and Andrew commit to a methodical routine:

• Blanket the area with flyers
• Take dawn laps together, hoping Orson stays nearby

3) Rick’s guilt and “training” controversy: black-glove discipline and fear of being seen as abusive

As Andrew and Rick grow closer, Rick admits Orson’s escape may have been triggered by prior conflict—especially when Rick tried to stop biting.

He describes a training method using a black leather glove: the glove appears, the parrot complies, and then the glove is removed. Rick insists he doesn’t “hit” the bird, but he’s also worried about how the footage could look.

The emotional core: Rick is deeply bound up with Orson as his only remaining source of companionship—the creature that tells him he’s loved.

4) The “animal psychic” detour (and the scammy/odd addresses that don’t pan out)

Andrew brings in Martha Malone, an “animal communicator,” who claims she can telepathically contact animals through energy. Her session is funny, surreal, and oddly reassuring: she relays that Orson likes apples and flowers, monitors Rick, and offers lessons about trust and faith.

Then things turn messy. Martha begins sending Rick direct addresses of homes she claims are holding Orson hostage. Andrew takes him to multiple locations—and after several “doozies” (dead ends), they cut contact, concluding Martha is likely misleading them.

5) Scientific reality check: a bird expert says the odds are bleak

Andrew consults a bird scholar/vet expert, Dr. Frank Lvok, who explains that while parrots can bond to humans, escape survival is grim.

Key points:

• Parrots aren’t as capable at fending for themselves as people assume
• Predators (hawks, crows/ravens) and cats are major threats
• Starvation becomes likely quickly if the bird can’t find familiar food
• Best recapture window is within ~8 hours, so odds drop fast

His conclusion: finding Orson is very, very unlikely.

6) The “replacement parrot” plan: a new bird named Douglas (close enough to help)

Despite the sadness, Andrew chooses a compassionate workaround: they visit a pet shop and buy a conure that looks as similar as possible to Orson.

They purchase Douglas (“Doug”)—not a perfect match (including missing the split beak), but visually close and trained to repeat “Hello, baby.”

Rick responds with intense warmth and instantly re-engages with the routines: greeting “pretty baby,” confirming/teaching behaviors, and showing genuine relief. The tone shifts from search-mode to healing-mode. The “happy ending” lands emotionally, even if it’s not the same bird.

7) Rick’s life spirals: pain disorder, drugs, surgery, and deep loneliness

Interspersed with the bird storyline, the film grows darker. Rick shares his condition and history:

• A rare autoimmune vasculitis called EGPA (eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis)
• A decades-long cycle of extreme pain, heavy steroid use, dependency, complications, depression, psychosis-like episodes, and multiple surgeries
• Surviving suicide attempts and feeling trapped by chronic suffering

He also mentions his own documentary background (including Punking Out, about the New York punk scene), blending humor with grim candor.

8) The twist: the new bird isn’t the whole story—Rick needs care for surgery

Weeks later, Rick contacts the production team: he doesn’t want them to take the bird because he has surgery scheduled and needs someone to care for the parrot while he recovers.

He also explains a delay in responding: the documentary bond feels personal because Andrew and Rick are both Jewish, and their connection deepened unusually through that shared context.

As the final stretch continues, it becomes clear surgery and recovery aren’t enough to save him.

9) Final chapter: Rick’s rabbi/spiritual adviser explains his end—and the “Orson” question

A Habad Center member, Gil, discusses Rick’s spiritual life and fear that “God’s punishing him.” Gil frames Rick’s final days as a gradual spiritual reckoning:

• After hospice and failing stability post-surgery, Rick opens up
• Gil says Rick dies peacefully, with “everything taken care of spiritually”

Gil also addresses the replacement-bird situation: the original Orson wouldn’t likely have survived in the wild anyway, so they got Doug. He suggests Rick may have sometimes believed it was still Orson—raising the bittersweet question of whether Rick “found his bird.”

10) Closing message: Rick is remembered, and the parrot search becomes a memorial

Andrew ends by dedicating the documentary to Rick Shore, hoping he “found Orson,” while also promoting Rick’s earlier documentary and Andrew’s streaming platform (C5.now). He mentions a donation option tied to EGPA research via the Vasculitis Foundation.

---

Notable highlights & jokes

• “Hello, baby” as the parrot’s uncanny defining phrase—repeated constantly and treated like a mysterious miracle
• Rick’s humor about identity: the judge renaming him to Raphael (“God Heals”)
• The “channeling” sessions feel both sincere and absurd, including lines like:
  • “Orson discovered a new kind of apple”
  • “throat chakra/black energy”
  • “Orson is not ready to come back yet”
• Rick’s “Deep State” rant (jokingly conspiratorial) about “bird brain” being derogatory versus “dog’s best friend”
• Rick’s dry, profane honesty about being too loaded up on drugs to explain his past documentary properly
• A late comedic line during logistics: “It’s like a one night stand.”

---

Main plot in one line

A guilt-driven filmmaker joins a lonely man’s search for his escaped parrot, only to learn the odds are brutal, replace the bird to help with healing, and ultimately memorialize Rick’s life and death amid a lifelong battle with EGPA.

---

Personalities who appear

• Andrew Callahan (documentary filmmaker)
• Rick Shore / Raphael (name change) (pet owner)
• Orson (parrot; referenced through behavior and “channeling”)
• Douglas / Doug (replacement parrot)
• Shawn O’Brien (Nextdoor neighbor)
• Martha Malone (animal communicator)
• Dr. Frank Lvok (bird expert/vet scholar)
• Gil (Habad Center member; Rick’s spiritual adviser)
• Jamaica (mentioned regarding arranging a lift—likely part of production/care circle)
• “Andrew’s production assistant” / production team (handles scheduling and communications)