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Bird (1988)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer (WGA):
Joel Oliansky (written by)
Release Date:
30 September 1988 (USA)
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Tagline:
"There are no second acts in American lives." - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Plot:
The troubled life and career of the jazz musician, Charlie "Bird" Parker. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won Oscar.
Another 7 wins
&
6 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(7 articles)
At 50, Kind of Blue Still Totally Awesome
(From newser. 17 August 2009, 12:16 PM, PDT)
Forest Whitaker Will Unveil Oscar Nominations 1/22
(From BroadwayWorld.com. 20 January 2009, 8:13 PM, PST)
(From newser. 17 August 2009, 12:16 PM, PDT)
Forest Whitaker Will Unveil Oscar Nominations 1/22
(From BroadwayWorld.com. 20 January 2009, 8:13 PM, PST)
User Comments:
Brilliant and Moving
more (29 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Forest Whitaker | ... | Charlie 'Bird' Parker |
 | Diane Venora | ... | Chan Parker |
 | Michael Zelniker | ... | Red Rodney |
| Samuel E. Wright | ... | Dizzy Gillespie |
 | Keith David | ... | Buster Franklin |
| Michael McGuire | ... | Brewster |
| James Handy | ... | Esteves |
| Damon Whitaker | ... | Young Bird |
 | Morgan Nagler | ... | Kim |
 | Arlen Dean Snyder | ... | Dr. Heath |
 | Sam Robards | ... | Moscowitz |
 | Penelope Windust | ... | Bellevue Nurse |
| Glenn Wright | ... | Alcoholic Patient (as Glenn T. Wright) |
| George Orrison | ... | Patient with Checkers |
 | Bill Cobbs | ... | Dr. Caulfield |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
161 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Australia:M |
Argentina:18 |
UK:15 |
Spain:13 |
Singapore:NC-16 |
South Korea:12 |
Finland:K-10 |
Norway:10 |
Sweden:11 |
USA:R |
Germany:12 |
Iceland:12
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Goofs:
Anachronisms: When Charlie Parker goes to Dizzy Gillespie's house in the middle of the night and asks Dizzy to write down a tune, the year is 1953. The tune is "Now's the Time", which was published and recorded in 1949.
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Quotes:
Chan Parker:
Dizzy sent you a birthday card. Seems he's back in town. Do you owe him a phone call?
Charlie Parker: I owe Dizzy everything...except a phone call.
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Charlie Parker: I owe Dizzy everything...except a phone call.
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Movie Connections:
Featured in Eastwood... A Star (1992) (TV)
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Soundtrack:
April in Paris
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (29 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Bird (1988)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| A Failure of a biopic | epatten67 |
| Why was it Rated R? | mcbain20 |
| Best Jazz Movie Ever? | hansvandergeest |
Recommendations
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Those viewers who claim the film is flawed are missing the point. Screenwriter Joel Oliansky (who also directed the film "The Competition") attempted (quite successfully I believe) to combine the elements of jazz music with the visual medium of film. Rhythm, tone, the improvisational aspects of be-bop, all of these elements go into creating a movie unlike any produced. It is not to be viewed in the traditional sense of linear story-telling. The mood created by Jack N. Green's cinematography is completed suited to the atmosphere of the 1940's and 1950's. As for acting, let us point out Forest Whitaker's Best Actor Award from the Cannes Film Festival and Diane Venora's Best Supporting Actress Award from the New York Film Critics. This film resounds with fine filmmaking, headed by Clint Eastwood's passion for the music. And what music! Parker's original solos were cleaned up and integrated with modern musicians into a seamless flow. The picture won the Best Sound Academy Award (sadly, its only nomination). Look at this film as a tribute to a man and a music, a recollection of a brilliant yet dissipated life, and a kind of filmmaking rarely seen by today's audiences.