The Birdcage (1996)

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:

Hank Azaria realized after filming that he had actually based his voice on his grandmother's.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Armand broke down when he discovered that Agador hadn't prepared an entrée for dinner. Armand inexplicably forgot that he owned the restaurant downstairs and could easily have had dinner sent up.

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:

Referenced in "Inside the Actors Studio: The Simpsons (#9.9)" (2003)

Soundtrack:

THE MAN THAT GOT AWAY

We Are Family!

This film has the distinction of being quite possibly the funniest film that I've ever seen. I remember seeing this film the night it opened and laughing so hard that my friend told me she'd get up and leave me there if I didn't shut up!

Almost everyone I've talked to over the years swears by how hysterical this film is. There is a reason for that: Nathan Lane. This guy is a comic genius. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance but should have been nominated for an Academy Award as well if you ask me. Originally when I first saw it, I didn't care for Robin Williams' character at all but the more I've seen it over the years (over fifty times) it grows on me. Dianne Wiest is her normal, ditzy self but is a scream here and Gene Hackman in that last scene...well, I don't want to give away anything.

Half of the fun of this film is the verbal repartee between the characters, especially anything between Hank Azaria, Nathan Lane or Dianne Wiest.

If you haven't seen this film, you owe it to yourself to just have fun and laugh the night away. Enjoy it!!!

My rating: 4 stars