Looking for a movie from my childhood. Likely would’ve been produced between 1990 – 2005 but possibly as old as 1980. Live action and contemporary, set in a city. Though I believe the film was produced for children it had a rather serious tone. It aired on television more than once.
I remember a specific scene. A boy, maybe an orphan or homeless, watches a Doc Brown esqe old man play bottles through the window of a wearhouse? A pawnshop? I remember the music was portrayed to be hauntingly beautiful. The old man turns into a white dove and flys out another window. The boy then learns to play the bottles to turn himself into other animals – an owl and an orange tabby cat, I think – and uses his new power to help people. I don’t believe the boy ever sees the old man again, but that he learns the ‘instrument’ alone through trial and error.
I’d appreciate any help with this as googling has not been lucrative. I’d really love to see the film again. Thanks!