Birdy (1984)

After two friends return home from the Vietnam War one becomes mentally unstable and obsesses with becoming a bird.

Director:

Alan Parker

Writers:

William Wharton (based on the novel by), Sandy Kroopf (screenplay)

Stars:

Matthew Modine, Nicolas Cage, John Harkins

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matthew Modine	...	Birdy
Nicolas Cage	...	Al Columbato
John Harkins	...	Doctor Weiss
Sandy Baron	...	Mr. Columbato
Karen Young	...	Hannah Rourke
Bruno Kirby	...	Renaldi
Nancy Fish	...	Mrs. Prevost
George Buck	...	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

Storyline

Philly boys Al and Birdy became friends in high school despite the extreme difference in their personalities, Al being the popular and athletic extrovert, Birdy the antisocial "weird" introvert. Al gave Birdy his nickname because of his fascination - obsession really - with birds, especially with flight. Al and Birdy have just completed their service of duty in the Vietnam War and have returned to the States. Al sustained some serious physical injuries, which required major reconstructive surgery to his face. Birdy, however, returned from Vietnam seemingly emotionally scarred. He was missing in action for one month. He has not spoken since he was found. Despite his own medical issues, Al travels to the institution where Birdy is being kept to see if he can assist in getting Birdy out of his near comatose state. Having always had issues with authority, Al is less than forthright with the doctors about Birdy's mental state prior to the war. As Al tries whatever he can to help Birdy ...

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Plot Keywords:

vietnam war | obsession | mental illness | best friend | vietnam | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Then-unknown Danny Glover was scheduled to make a speech as a bit player, but because he kept botching his lines his scenes had to be cut from the movie.

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Goofs

Al calls Birdy "Al" (11:08)

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Quotes

Sergeant Al Columbato: You always were hard to hurt, Birdy. Real losers never hurt.

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Crazy Credits

Animals: Perta ... Bird No. 9 Perta's Stunts ... Queepers Alfonso ... AS HIMSELF Cat ... Hobbie Dogs ... Sneaky, Willey, Ace, Prince, Tiger, Bo, Rudah, Chiggar, Tyko, Kelly, Red, Fantasy, Scooter. Seagull ... Jonathan Snake ... Monty Jungle Bird ... Horatio Pigeons ... No's. 1 to 84

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Connections

Featured in The Death of "Superman Lives": What Happened? (2015)

User Reviews

learning to fly (in the sky and in real life)

Alan Parker is a British film-maker that was capable of the worst (the boring "the commitments", the insipid "evita" as well as the best (the sordid "angel heart", the vibrating "Pink floyd: The Wall". This one, "Birdy" will surely rank among his best movies. He revives a myth, a desire that always shone in men: flying but not with a plane or an helicopter, just like Icare with real wings. This is what haunts a teenager's mind whose name is Birdy. This one devotes all his free time by inventing stratagems or ways so as to be able to fly in the sky. he also has an interest in birds' social life with their habits (it's not a fate that his name is Birdy because there's the word "bird" in it). Even if he didn't win his best friend's adherence concerning these odd likings, they succeeded in striking up a strong relationship. Above all, "birdy" is this: a story of a friendship between two teenagers brought up in a Philadelphia' popular area. They're sharing jobs, free time, girls before they were parted by the Vietnam war. Parker films this relationship with its joys, its sorrows in a hearty way and make the two actors friendly. "Birdy" is also a well-regulated movie where Parker knows how to sustain the interest in the past sequences as well as present sequences (Birdy's room hospital). Furthermore, there's not a sequence where one of the two main actors is stealing to the other, the spotlight. But the movie seems easy when it denounces the atrocities of war and its disastrous consequences on young people (Cage's long monologue with Modine in his arms towards the end of the movie). These sorrowful consequences are concrete (Cage's face full of bandages) and abstract (Modine has become dumb and stays immures in his silence). Nevertheless, emotion prevails in the end and you sympathize to the two teenagers' helpless after the war. A beautiful movie and the revelation of two great actors

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 December 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Birdy

Filming Locations:

Hercules, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,720, 25 December 1984

Gross USA:

$1,455,045

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,455,045

Company Credits

Production Co:

A&M Films, TriStar Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1