A Nest of Singing Birds

This low-key movie about the search for love and a permanent job in the halls of academe does a good job of taking the life of a university professor seriously, but not too seriously as it pokes fun at various professor-types (puffed up poser; smart-but-in-the-wrong-job; blocked writer etc.). There are few movies based on the life of university professors, and most of them portray profs as buffoons, good friends with Einstein, or cynical and jaded intellectuals such as those in "The Decline of the American Empire."

Based on the book of the same name, this story has provoked a certain amount of "I know who that character is based on!" comments among university professors in Canada. Grad students who are currently looking for a job may be dismayed at the low standards for tenure that existed in the past.

Although its market might be limited, it is unfortunate that the film has not been released to video as of 2007.