The Starling

Jack and Lilly Maynard happily paint an outdoors mural on their infant Katie's bedroom wall as she contentedly watches them.

Months later, the couple are grieving Katie's SIDS death. Jack is residing in a mental hospital while Lilly remains working as a supermarket assistant manager, grieving alone.

After Lilly's visit at the facility, where the group session goes particularly badly, a counselor follows her out. Feeling she is prioritizing Jack's grief without managing her own, she suggests Lilly see someone for her own mental health.

Trying to stay strong for Jack's return, in addition to work, Lilly works on their family's property. She tackles the unkempt yard and garden under the sprawling tree by the house. As she works, a starling nesting in the tree begins to attack her.

Meanwhile, at the facility, Jack secretly cheeks his medication and is not cooperative in his personal sessions. He complains about Lilly's regular visits, not appreciative of the snack she always brings, nor of the weekly two-hour drive she takes to see him.

After avoiding Katie's room since her death, Lilly finally enters. She methodically empties it of furniture and baby clothes, then does the same in the living room. A young expectant couple comes by, eyeing the crib. Lilly trades everything for their recliner.

After organising the home, Lilly goes to Larry Fine's office, the recommended quirky psychiatrist-turned-veterinarian. Initially he is hesitant to help, however he listens to their story as he is neutering a dog.

Katie's death was a year ago, and Lilly says Jack is institutionalized because he has had difficulty handling it. As she had already mentioning the furniture purging to Larry, he questions if she is managing it well. Then he reiterates Lilly would be better off seeking another therapist, yet is available if she needs a vet.

In a facility art class, the residents are using potting wheels. Jack is triggered upon coming across remnants from a children's classroom while seeking a tool in a corner, so leaves abruptly.

After another starling attack, Lilly has Dr. Larry treat her wounds. They form a unique, unlikely bond as they help each other acknowledge and confront their problems. He helps her with the bird whilst embedding ways to help her grieve into their conversations.

Jack periodically calls without speaking. Lilly monologues to her uncommunicative husband about her doings, until she mentions Katie in passing, so he hangs up upset.

The obsessed Lilly is talked into poisoning a bird feeder to exterminate the starling. Reminded other creatures might accidentally die, she hurries home early, only to find a different bird dead. Lilly remorsefully buries it, taking down the feeder.

Jack continues to be uncooperative in private sessions, admitting he feels lost yet unable to snap out of it. At Lilly's next run-in with the bird, she protects her head with a football helmet. She talks to it, but it eventually flies off. When a shower starts, Lilly puts on some music and sits on the porch.

Lilly walks to Larry's place in the rain. It is filled with an array of creatures. There, Lilly reveals she thwarted Jack's suicide attempt by carbon monoxide in the garage, after which he was committed. Larry says she blames herself and needs to tell Jack.

On a visit to the facility while voicing guilt for Katie's death, Lilly inadvertently reveals she purged Katie's things with the furniture. Upset, Jack storms off, then refuses to see her the following week, although it is a long drive.

Lily climbs a ladder to look into the nest finding one of Katie's socks that she left on the veranda. The starling swoops her and she falls off the ladder landing on her back.

Jack has a meltdown at the facility and Lilly gets sent home from work after messing up prices in the store.

Lilly is sitting in the garden when the starling swoops, she picks up a stone and throws it, badly hurting the starling. She takes the starling to Larry and asks him for help. Nursing it back to health, when the bird recovers, Lilly lets it go. She and the bird start to tolerate instead of abuse each other.

Jack calls again without speaking, so Lilly chews him out, telling him that once he is back home she will insist they always communicate. Then she announces she is hanging up in retaliation. The call makes him laugh.

Soon Jack returns home. They reconcile and work on their relationship, facing the world together. The film ends with both wearing football helmets going to get cucumbers from the garden. The starling and its new mate fly towards them and swoop them as usual.

The Starling was on the 2005 "Black List" of most-liked unproduced screenplays.^[2] In March 2017, it was reported that Dome Karukoski was attached to direct the film, with Keanu Reeves and Isla Fisher in negotiations to star.^[3]

In June 2019, it was announced that Melissa McCarthy and Chris O'Dowd would star in the film, with Theodore Melfi directing. The three previously worked together on St. Vincent (2014).^[4] In August 2019, Kevin Kline, Timothy Olyphant, Daveed Diggs, Skyler Gisondo, Loretta Devine, Laura Harrier, Rosalind Chao, and Kimberly Quinn joined the cast.^[5]

Principal photography began in New York City^[6][7] on August 2, 2019^[8][9] and wrapped on September 19.^[10]