Australian filmmaker Sally Aitken (Playing with Sharks: The Valerie Taylor Story) profiles a one-woman animal rescue operation in her visually stunning documentary, Every Little Thing. Terry Masear, her singular subject, does everything she can for the hummingbirds of Hollywood and has saved countless precious lives in the process.
For two decades, Masear's non-profit Los Angeles Hummingbird Rescue has received 5,000 calls each year from concerned citizens in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and surrounding areas about injured and abandoned birds. She gives advice and cares for the creatures at her home until they’re ready to leave the nest. Many are babies without mothers due to illness and accident. Terry sets them up in cages and colorful crocheted nests (made by a supporter), feeds them insects and sugar water (by way of needle-thin droppers), and talks to them as if they were her children (she doesn’t have any of her own).
Aitken also speaks with finders, like Alejandro, who noticed a bird stuck in a skylight, so Masear walks him through the steps he needs to take, the last of which is to place the bird in the sun, allowing her to regain her bearings and fly away.
Masear finds much to admire about hummingbirds, like the way they build nests that expand and decorate the outsides with paint chips, but she acknowledges less appealing traits, too--if one doesn’t like another, for instance, they may kill it.
Slowly, but surely Aitken reveals details about Masear, who grew up in a poor, abusive household in Wisconsin. It was so abusive, she sometimes ended up in the hospital. She went on to become a perma-student, earning four graduate degrees (unmentioned in the film, she taught courses in education, research writing, and English as a Second Language at UCLA). She also wrote 2016's Fastest Things on Wings: Rescuing Hummingbirds in Hollywood, which Aitken used as source material.
Now on her own, Masear spent most of her life in a partnership, and she describes Frank, the love of her life, as a rebel, a diving school instructor, and a Pulitzer Prize-nominated author. They were together for 33 years before he died from a degenerative disease. If anything, more information about their personal and professional lives would have been welcome.
Throughout, Aitken, who worked with three cinematographers, inserts closeups of hummingbirds of all patterns and colors--including iridescent blues and greens--and stop-motion photography of buds blooming into brilliant flowers set to a shimmering score. She also identifies Terry's favorite birds, including Jimmy, Charlie, Sugar Baby, Mikhail and Alexa, Raisin, Larry Bird, the Wild Boys, Wasabi, and Cactus--who literally fell on a cactus. Most will make it, but a few won't.
Every Little Thing, which aired on PBS's Nature in a 54-minute version as Hummingbirds of Hollywood, fits the dictionary definition of a feel-good film, since Terry Masear, who didn't always receive the love and care she needed as a child, works around the clock for the betterment of birds who can use her dedication and support, and it's impossible not to delight in the small, but mighty creatures nearly as much as she does. As Masear puts it, "There's nothing else like them." Recommended.
Why should public and academic libraries add this nature documentary to their collections?
Every Little Thing is a heartfelt and visually engaging portrait of one woman’s dedication to wildlife rescue, offering both emotional resonance and educational value. Terry Masear’s work with injured hummingbirds provides an accessible entry point into broader conversations about urban wildlife, conservation, and the human-animal bond. For public libraries, the film’s uplifting tone and compelling subject make it a strong choice for patrons who enjoy nature documentaries or character-driven stories. Academic libraries can also use it to support courses in environmental studies, animal behavior, and nonprofit work, as well as discussions about caregiving and resilience.
Is this documentary a good fit for community screenings or classroom use?
Yes. With its blend of striking close-up photography, gentle pacing, and deeply human storytelling, Every Little Thing works well for community screenings focused on nature, compassion, and local environmental action. It is especially effective for intergenerational audiences, as its subject matter is engaging for both younger viewers and adults. In classrooms, the film can support lessons on ecology, wildlife rehabilitation, and the ethics of care, while also encouraging discussion about how personal experience shapes one’s commitment to helping others. Its shorter runtime also makes it a practical option for educational settings or themed programming events.
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