Little Wing is a 2024 film that revolves around a little girl named Kaitlyn, played by Brooklynn Prince, whose parents recently divorced, and her mother, Maddie, portrayed by Kelly Reilly, who is about to sell their house because she can’t afford it anymore. To save the house, Maddie steals a famous pigeon named Granger from an old man called Jaan Vari, played by Brian Cox, with the intention of selling it for a significant sum. Along the way, Maddie makes some mistakes while trying to do something wrong for the right cause, feeling like she is losing control of her life, much like most teenagers do. Dive into this captivating narrative, where an extraordinary plot intertwines with a remarkable ensemble cast, guaranteeing to enrapture you from start to finish and definitely teach you a lot about pigeon habitats! Let’s dive into the cast and characters of Paramount’s Little Wing film.
Mild Spoilers Ahead
Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn is a 13-year-old girl who feels like she is losing everything in her life because her parents are getting divorced. Her father walked out of their lives nine months ago, and now she is about to lose her house as well because she learned from her mother that she cannot afford it anymore. This makes her feel awful because she does not want to move away from here and start a new life with a new school and everything. Brooklynn Prince, as Kaitlyn, is very good, as she properly showcases the complex, inner conflict of a teenage girl. On one hand, she feels like she is losing her parents, and on the other, she tries to manipulate them by asking for an iPhone, just like most teenagers do. However, when she sees that her mother’s boss is giving her two pigeons instead of an iPhone, she shows disgust, saying she does not know how to take care of them and that it would have been better if they had given her chickens so that she could feed on them. But her interest grows when she learns that a man in Portland has a pigeon named Granger, which would go for thousands of dollars.
Through this, she believes she can help her mother pay the mortgage and save the house. She feels she can ask her best friend Adam to help her steal the pigeon and sell it. The girl, who does not even complete her assignments in school, and goes to the school therapist has immersed herself in various books and magazines to know everything there is to know about pigeons. However, while selling Granger, she encounters various challenges that make her understand that even though she likes to take control of her life and would like to not sell the house to live there forever, she can’t control the reality of the situation. So much so that she thinks about dying because she feels like life has no purpose. Her complex character portrayal encapsulates everything one could gather from the life of a teenager.
Jaan Vari
Jaan Vari is an old man who is a renowned pigeon raiser in Portland. His whole life revolves around those pigeons, especially the famous one, Granger, who is like his own child. Because of the pigeons, he has received many awards and gained recognition in the community. However, when Kaitlyn and her best friend Adam steal the pigeon, Granger, from him, he becomes enraged and hurt, feeling like he has lost his child and the purpose of his life. Despite his anger and hurt, Jaan wanted to come across as an understanding old man. He gave Kaitlyn a chance by not telling her cop mother about the theft. But when he heard that she had sold the bird, it devastated him. He considered telling her but realized what she must be going through. Although he seemed tough on the outside, he had a kind heart and understood the situation Kaitlyn must be dealing with. Brian Cox played this character very well, evoking emotions and making you realize that, for some, animals are just like children. To Kaitlyn, he became like a guardian and a guide, which was quite remarkable.
Adam
Adam, played by Che Tafari, is another 13-year-old boy who is Kaitlyn’s true, real friend. He has been her best friend for many years and secretly has a crush on her. When Kaitlyn’s mother’s boss gave her two pigeons to look after and Kaitlyn showed little interest in them, Adam spent all night reading about pigeons from a magazine to help her grow her love for them. He was also the one who learned about Jaan Vari and his special pigeon, Granger, worth thousands of dollars. Initially reluctant when Kaitlyn proposed stealing the pegion, Adam agreed to help her after learning her reasons for saving the house and asking for a kiss in exchange, which was a big deal for him as a teenager. However, when they were caught by Jaan Vari while stealing the pigeon because he left his goggles in the pigeon coop, Adam let her go so she could save herself and Granger, putting himself in danger to distract the old man. Getting hurt and breaking his wrist while trying to flee from Jaan Vari, Adam got a little angry and stopped talking to Kaitlyn, as she did not even stop to save him. However, later on, through the course of events, they became friends again. His portrayal of friendship and commitment is noteworthy—something out of the ordinary, as he always stood by her.
Maddie
Maddie, played by Kelly Reilly, is a cop and the recently divorced single mother of Kaitlyn and Matt, Kaitlyn’s brother. She tries to maintain a strong facade for her children even after the divorce and does everything in her power to save the house. However, as she can’t afford it, she has to sell the house, which she feels helpless about. Maddie is a strict and disciplined mother who doesn’t allow Kaitlyn to have a phone. When Kaitlyn misbehaves, she isn’t afraid to set boundaries to control her behavior as a caring mother. Also, it shows how she feels sad that her son Matt doesn’t talk much, but she understands that it’s his way of coping with the situation and doesn’t force him.
Kiril
Kiril Koslov, played by Erik Levi, is a 13-year-old Russian kid who studies in Kaitlyn’s class. When Kaitlyn goes to sell the pigeon to the Russian mafia gang, she takes him as an interpreter to help in negotiating the deal. Despite only receiving 25 thousand dollars instead of the expected 100, she feels thankful to Kiril for helping her when she needed a friend the most, especially since Adam wasn’t talking to her.
