The Birdcage (1996)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Mike Nichols

Writers (WGA):

Jean Poiret (play)
Francis Veber (earlier screenplay) ...

Release Date:

8 March 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Come as you are.

Plot:

A gay cabaret owner and his drag queen companion agree to put up a false straight front so that their son can introduce them to his fiancé's right-wing moralistic parents.

Plot Keywords:

Senator | Drag | Nightclub | Farce | Gay

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Robin Williams	...	Armand Goldman
Gene Hackman	...	Sen. Kevin Keeley
Nathan Lane	...	Albert Goldman
Dianne Wiest	...	Louise Keeley
Dan Futterman	...	Val Goldman
Calista Flockhart	...	Barbara Keeley
Hank Azaria	...	Agador
Christine Baranski	...	Katherine Archer
Tom McGowan	...	Harry Radman
Grant Heslov	...	National Enquirer Photographer
Kirby Mitchell	...	Keeley's Chauffeur
James Lally	...	Cyril
Luca Tommassini	...	Celsius
Luis Camacho	...	Goldman Girl
Andre Fuentes	...	Goldman Girl

Also Known As:

Birds of a Feather

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

Brazil:14 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | South Korea:18 | Philippines:PG-13 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Netherlands:AL | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:R(A) | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Art Deco District, Miami Beach, Florida, USA

Company:

Nichols

Trivia:

Robin Williams was originally cast as Albert, but he wanted a change from flamboyant characters, and asked to be cast as Armand. Mike Nichols agreed, and re-cast him.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the 'How 'bout those Dolphins?' scene, Armand teaches Albert how to be a man. While sitting at a table, the positioning of sugar packets on the table changes.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[singers are performing "We Are Family" on-stage]
Cyril: [backstage, into a telephone] Agador! Where is Starina? She goes on in 5 minutes!

Movie Connections:

Featured in 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2009) (TV)

Soundtrack:

MI GUAJIRA

Seamless And Forever Hilarious Hollywood Remake!

Way over the top, but utterly and completely hilarious just the same American remake of the popular 1978 French film/play "La Cage Aux Folles" about a gay nightclub owner and his flamboyant drag-queen lover (played by Robin Williams and Nathan Lane, two actors who I might say look like they were born to each be the comedic halves that equal one fall-down hilarious whole) who in an attempt to please and hopefully fool the conservative parents (played by Gene Hackman and Diane Wiest) of Williams' biological son's (from what is obviously a previous liaison with a woman) fiancé, pretend for one evening to be a straight married couple, a la Williams is the husband and Lane is dressed up as the wife, with as it is blatantly apparent disastrous results! Absolutely nothing in this film is subtle I'll admit, and almost all of the characters here are written to be little more than hokey caricature's of nearly every gay stereotype going! However though, regardless of all that "The Birdcage" still winds up hitting the nail square on the head in terms of delivering to it's audience some astounding energy, superb camp-value and knee-slappingly hilarious jokes/one-liners that are all topped by a nearly uncanny chemistry between the actors. Overall, if you can manage to get past some of the so-called "Hollywood Clichés" and cheap shots made at the kinds of people/life-styles featured here that are deemed offensive by some, and just watch this great flick for the uproarious and seemingly light-hearted romp that it was initially intended to be. Then ultimately you will be justly rewarded by film's end because this is one of the few, and I do mean few, American remakes (and a comedy no less) that is worth watching time after time! (***** out of *****)