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The Birdcage (1996)

 -  Comedy  -  8 March 1996 (USA)
6.7
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Ratings: 6.7/10 from 42,594 users   Metascore: 72/100
Reviews: 155 user | 59 critic | 18 from Metacritic.com

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 fiancée's right-wing moralistic parents.

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(play), (earlier screenplay), 4 more credits »
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Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 14 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
National Enquirer Photographer
...
Keeley's Chauffeur
James Lally ...
Cyril
Luca Tommassini ...
Celsius
...
Goldman Girl
André Fuentes ...
Goldman Girl (as Andre Fuentes)
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Storyline

Armand Goldman owns a popular drag nightclub in South Miami Beach. His long-time lover Albert stars there as Starina. "Their" son Val (actually Armand's by his one heterosexual fling, twenty years before) comes home to announce his engagement to Barbara Keely, daughter of Kevin Keely, US Senator, and vice president of the Committee for Moral Order. The Senator and family descend upon South Beach to meet Val and his father and "mother..." and what ensues is comic chaos. Written by Randy Goldberg <goldberg@nymc.edu>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

What could possibly come between a match made in heaven? The parents. Dinner. And a nightclub called... (The Birdcage) See more »

Genres:

Comedy

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

8 March 1996 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Birds of a Feather  »

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

JPY 73,721,900 (Japan) (13 December 1996)

Gross:

JPY 249,131,200 (Japan) (3 January 1997)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

|

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Filmmaker and PBS producer Rick McKay was hired by director Mike Nichols, months before filming of "Birdcage" began, to go to Paris, London, San Francisco and Atlanta to make a feature length documentary about drag queens. McKay did thorough research to find drag queens all over the world to interview and to film in performance. This finished documentary was used to train Nathan Lane and Robin Williams. See more »

Goofs

Armand indicates that his cemetery plot is on Key Biscayne. There are no cemeteries, nor would there ever be in this highly up-scale, resort community that is an island "key." Key Biscayne is at best, a few feet above sea level precluding ever having burials on the island secondary to the water table. See more »

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!
See more »

Connections

Referenced in The Simpsons: Flaming Moe (2011) See more »

Soundtracks

"THE MAN THAT GOT AWAY"
Written by Ira Gershwin and Harold Arlen
Courtesy of Capitol Records
By Arrangement with CEMA Special Markets
See more »

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User Reviews

 
A Warm and Hilarious Comedy...
22 December 2005 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

THE BIRDCAGE is the hysterically entertaining Americanized version of the French classic LA CAGE AUX FOLLES. In this version Robin Williams plays the gay owner of a Florida nightclub who learns his straight son (Dan Futterman) is coming home and is engaged to be married. Williams learns from his son that his fiancée's parents (Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest) are straight-laced and ultra-conservative and will not be comfortable meeting his gay father or his even more flamboyant lover (Nathan Lane) and suggests Williams send Lane out of town while Hackman and Wiest are in town. Instead, Lane puts on his best drag and meets the parents as Williams' wife in one of the most hilarious dinner party scenes ever filmed. This film is chock full of sparkling dialogue and sharp performances. I also found it rather refreshing to see Robin Williams playing straight man to Lane, who along with Hank Azaria as their housekeeper, practically steal the film from everyone else in one of the most entertaining comedies of the 90's. And the sight of Gene Hackman in drag is something everyone must experience.


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Please, please, can we do favorite lines??? puplover
Were Armand and Albert together when he slept with Katherine? kittykoritsi
In need of some clarifications. badnixie
STOP hating Val kschoenf
Wedding scene BoxOfficePoison
Why does 'Kevin' ask for candy crystal_delgado2003
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