Birdy (1984)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Alan Parker

Writers:

Sandy Kroopf (screenplay) and
Jack Behr (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

21 December 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A soaring experience unlike anything you've ever seen before.

Plot:

Two friends arrive back from Vietnam, scarred in different ways. One has physical injuries, the other...

Plot Keywords:

Bird | Vietnam | Vietnam War | Prom | Junkyard

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Matthew Modine	...	Birdy
Nicolas Cage	...	Sgt. Alfonso 'Al' Columbato
John Harkins	...	Major Weiss M.D.
Sandy Baron	...	Mr. Columbato
Karen Young	...	Hannah Rourke
Bruno Kirby	...	Renaldi
Nancy Fish	...	Mrs. Prevost
George Buck	...	Walt - Birdy's Father
Dolores Sage	...	Birdy's Mother
Pat Ryan	...	Joe Sagessa (as Robert L. Ryan)
James Santini	...	Mario Columbato
Maud Winchester	...	Doris Robinson (as Maude Winchester)
Marshall Bell	...	Ronsky
Elizabeth Whitcraft	...	Rosanne
Sandra Beall	...	Shirley

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:16 (1985) | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | New Zealand:R | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

46th Street Station, cnr Market & 46th Streets, Santa Clara, California, USA

Company:

A&M Films

Trivia:

In the novel, the veterans served in World War II. This was changed to Vietnam for the film.

Quotes:

[reaction to Al extolling the female breast]
Birdy: They're just like on a cow, but in a more stupid place.

Movie Connections:

References Gone with the Wind (1939)

Great movie, great ending.

This is one of my favorite movies of all time. It's such a great growing-up buddy flick. Despite the serious subject matter (shell-shocked, catatonic Vietnam vet in mental hospital), the movie manages to be very light-hearted for the most part, without discounting the gravity of the situation that the characters are in. It doesn't seek to use the war as a means of creating the identities of the characters, the war and the "present situation" in the film (most of the film is flashbacks) are more background to the story of two crazy Philly kids growing up together.

The movie is full of laughs that don't occur at the expense of the characters, but rather, bring you closer to them. I personally identified with Matthew Modine's character, and found myself laughing in spite of myself at some of his mishaps and wondering "how did I ever survive being a teenager?"

Modine plays Birdy flawlessly. His character, while strange, is certainly believable and definitely likeable. He's like the visionary mystic friend I never had! Nicholas Cage is equally good as Al, Birdy's more down-to-earth lady's man friend. Their friendship seems unlikely on the outside, but powerful and inevitable by the end of the movie.

I think it's strange that some people didn't like the ending to Birdy. I think it's one of the best movie endings for a buddy film ever. It accurately reflects the tone of Birdy and Al's relationship more than any other ending possibly could. It ties their characters in the present in perfectly with the growing-up characters of the flashback sequences. Perfect!