The Birdcage

Those eyes!...those sighs!...those thighs!....Who are we talking about here? Marilyn? Raquel? maybe even Jay Lo? Nope. None of the above. We're talkin Nathan Lane, who is simply mahvelous darling as the one, the only.. "Starina!", star attraction at South Beach, Florida's gay cabaret "The Bird Cage".

Directed by Mike Nichols(The Graduate/Primary Colors), with a brillant screenplay by Elaine May,and a cast that will knock your socks off, this update of Jean Poiret's play "La Cage Aux Folles" will have you laughing out loud from the first to the last frame of this wonderful film.

Armand Goldman(Robin Williams),owner of the lavish nightclub, and his long time lover and companion Albert(Nathan Lane) are about to have some company. The ultra conservative parents of Armand's son's fiancee are going to pay a little visit. Senator and Mrs. Keeley (Gene Hackman/Dianne Wiest)are under the impression that "The Colemans"(as they've been told)are an all American family and Dad is the "Cultural Attache to Greece"("whatever that is?"). Having been involved in a bit of a scandel, the Senator feels that this wedding will be the perfect scenario to refresh his reputation.

Meanwhile...Armand is frantically trying to tone down his gaudy place,and add some masculinity to his appearance. And then there's Albert! What to do with the extremely feminine Albert?
The laugh's are non-stop as these two families meet and try to impress each other.This is one dinner party you don't want to miss, as dinner is served up by "Agador Spartacus"(Hank Azaria),the Guatamalan "Houseboy" who will have you in stiches.

The cast, which was awarded The Screen Actors Guild Outstanding Performance by a cast, also includes Chritine Baranski,Calista Flockhart, and Dan Futterman. Nathan Lane and Dianne Wiest also recieved honors from The American Comedy Awards.The music, choreography and costumes are terrific as well.

I haven't seen any better quality on a DVD. The picture and colors are bright and beautiful. The sound is marvelous with all the great music coming through tremendously in the 5.1 Dol Dig Surround. It may also be viewed in French or Spanish(both in Stereo), and has subtitles in all three languages as well.Other than the theatrical trailer, there are no special features on the disc itself, but it does come with a great little booklet that has production notes and a look at the making of the film.

So why does the caged bird sing?...cause it's so darn much fun in "The Birdcage"......have fun...Laurie


Nathan Lane and Robin Williams! Wonderful Casting!   November 9, 2001
 13 out of 14 found this review helpful

One of the funniest movies that I have seen in ages! Robin Williams is not the funny one here, it is Nathan Lane's character, Albert, that gets the most laughs. This movie has made me a life-long Nathan Lane fan. Both Williams (whose character is Armand Goldman) and Lane play gay men, with William's role being the dominant or male character. Since I am not gay, it is hard for me to define gender definitions of gay couples, but in this movie, there can be no missing the fact that Lane is the female side of the couple. When William's son comes to tell Dad of his impending marriage to a young woman (played admirably by Calista Flockhart) and to plead with Dad to pretend to be straight when he meets the girl's parents, as her father is a very straightlaced Senator in D.C.(played by Gene Hackman),trouble starts, in the form of hurt feelings and feelings of rejection to the other member of the relationship, namely, Albert. All kinds of solutions are considered to try and work him in to the charade, but he is so blatantly what he is, a gay man who is a female impersonator, but more female in his real self image than he is male, then it is nigh on to impossible to have him pose as an "uncle" or any male person, though he does try to adapt, with a few lessons on "maleness" from Armand, but he is incapable of being anything other than what he is, so they don't know what to do with him, how to explain him, and he refuses to just go away and be quiet until the wedding is over.
The ensuing struggle between the characters to remain true to who they are and each other, and yet not mess things up for the young couple is hilarious! The supporting actors are as good as the stars in this movie. The wonderful Christine Baranski plays the biological "real" Mother of the son, whom she has given up to Armand, his biological father, to raise, and does not even know her son, but is willing to help in his time of needing a "normal" Mother. This causes some problems also, because Albert (the Lane character) is jealous of the relationship she has with Armand. Hank Azaria is superb in his role of Agador, the Guatemalan housekeeper, as well as the best looking male in the cast! The usually serious Gene Hackman as the "Father of the Bride" proves that he can do comedy as well as serious drama, and so does Diane Weist, the "Mother of the Bride." They have their own problems, unknown to Armand and Albert, trying to allude the press and escape D.C. undetected because of a recent scandal in the Senator's cabinet concerning one of his cronies and an underage hooker. Their way of dealing with their pursuers assures that the movie is hilarious to the very last scene! This is one of a very few movies that I can watch over and over, and never tire of it. In my opinion, it is the best characters that Williams and Lane have ever played. It is the roles that I have liked best in all of the movies that I have seen them in. I love this movie!!


A funny, thoughful favourite   February 9, 2004
 7 out of 7 found this review helpful

I'll give any movie with Robin Williams a try. I had no idea how incredibly funny Nathan Lane was until I saw the two of them together in the Birdcage. What I love about Williams is the underlying kindness and affection he brings to his comedy roles. Underneath the laughter, there is a great deal of quiet tenderness, and the Birdcage is no exception. I was talking about it with my 60 year old mother who mentioned that it remains one of her favourite films as well. At the time she first saw it, she had never known anyone she knew was gay. She found the obvious long term devotion between the characters touching and very "real". There is a quiet scene on a bench where the deep affection between Albert and Armand is impossible to ignore, and my mother said that is what she thinks of now when she hears people spouting off about how "depraved" gay relationships are. A movie that delivers that kind of gentle message, along with enough laughter to make an audience roar, is a rare gem.


Politically Incorrect Movie of the Decade! (Fab-u-lous)   February 19, 2001
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

You will laugh until your sides hurt and you will rewind scenes two or three times ! This film is loaded with catchy phrases and scenes that keep popping into your thoughts and make you giggle, despite your attempts to think of something-else. You will never forget the Butler / House Boy....ever--"Agadore Spartacus" steals scene after scene, as (Robin Williams) struggles to maintain his sanity and composure, while fending-off Emotional Outbursts and Episodes of Self/Relationship Doubt from his transvestite Partner, (Nathan Lane). The plot revolves around "their" son getting married and not being able to deal with certain "issues," concerning his "parents." He is marrying (Alley McBeal), whose parents are Right-Wing Politicians.... thus, the "Issues."

I have seen "The Birdcage" many, many times & I know children love the movie (they will watch it repeatedly). Couples will find lines from the film invading their daily conversations. When I watch it, with my girlfriend, we have weeks of fun from one viewing! This is just one of those fun-filled, hilarious films, that even homophobic men can't resist. You will laugh, Nathan Lane will cry....and you will do poor imitations of "Agadore Spartacus" for weeks afterward. Enjoy !


Give Your Funny Bone A Workout   July 5, 2001
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

While Robin Williams is the focal point for this hilarious comedy, it's Nathan Lane and Hank Azaria who steal the show. Armand Goldman (Robin Williams) and his partner Albert (Nathan Lane) have raised Armand's son Val (Dan Futterman) with the able assistance of their Guatemalan star-wannabe houseman Agador (Hank Azaria). Armand is the gay owner of the drag club, The Birdcage, located in South Beach, Florida. Albert is the screaming queen who is the club's headliner. Val returns home from college to announce that he's going to marry Barbara (Calista Flockhart), who just happens to be the daughter of ultra-conservative Senator Kevin Keeley (Gene Hackman) and his lovely wife Louise (Dianne Wiest). The fun begins when Val announces that Barbara's parents are coming over for a visit - tomorrow. How can gay, Jewish drag club owner Armand Goldman turn into straight, Cultural Attache to Greece Armand Coleman overnight? What to do about Albert? Where can you find a real woman when you need one? What is Guatemalan Peasant Soup? What is Agador's problem with shoes? Just what IS that china pattern? And how do you get the Senator and his family out of sight before the press descends on them like vultures? All are answered in this sidesplitting movie that is a "must see".