Bird (1988)

The troubled life and career of jazz musician Charlie "Bird" Parker (Forest Whitaker).

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writer:

Joel Oliansky

Stars:

Forest Whitaker, Diane Venora, Michael Zelniker

Won 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins & 10 nominations.

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

Storyline

Saxophone player Charlie "Bird" Parker (Forest Whitaker) comes to New York City in 1940. He is quickly noticed for his remarkable way of playing. He becomes a drug addict, but his loving wife Chan (Diane Venora) tries to help him.

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Plot Keywords:

drug addict | jazz music | saxophonist | african american | interracial relationship | 

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Taglines:

"There are no second acts in American lives." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 September 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Yardbird Suite

Filming Locations:

Greystone Park & Mansion - 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$27,116, 2 October 1988

Gross USA:

$2,181,286

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,181,286

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Malpaso Company, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

161 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of numerous jazz films, mostly documentaries, and many for television, produced, or executively produced by Clint Eastwood. The titles include this movie, Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser (1988), Dave Brubeck: In His Own Sweet Way (2010), Monterey Jazz Festival: 40 Legendary Years (1998) and The Blues: Piano Blues (2003).

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Goofs

At the Jewish wedding, the first shot of the orchestra shows both horns playing, but only the trumpet is heard. The saxophone joins later on.

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Quotes

Dizzy Gillespie: They always remember the martyrs longer. They'll talk about you when you're dead, Bird... more than they do now.They'll shovel you under... what they love to do, they'll talk about you. My secret is... if they kill me, it won't be because I helped them.

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Crazy Credits

Pre-titles card: "There are no second acts in American lives." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Connections

Featured in Biography: Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso (1994)

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Soundtracks

One For Red
Performed by Red Rodney, Mike Lang, Chuck Domanico, John Guerin

User Reviews

I just love this movie...

There are certain movies that leave you dazed when you walk out of the theater. For me, "Bird" was such a movie.

On a nice evening in 1988 I decided to take in a movie on the spur of the moment. I walked to the nearest theater (Fine Arts, Downtown Chicago) and looked to see what was playing. I had never heard of Charlie Parker nor his music, but I was developing a love of jazz and the movie being directed by Clint Eastwood didn't hurt.

I went in, found a seat and had no way of knowing that, in a couple of hours, my life would be different.

The music penetrated my soul in ways I could never express. I was in awe and filled with emotion as the music carried me away while the visions of Charlie Parker's life flashed in front of my face. When the final credits scrolled up the screen, I could not move. I was frozen to my seat, dazed, overwhelmed, completely awed. I couldn't get the music out of my head, songs were playing back as if I'd listened to them a thousand times. My mind felt as if it were orbiting the sun.. spinning round and round, bathed in this warmth of beauty.

I didn't walk out of the the theater so much as stagger. I walked around for miles just playing over and over in my mind what I'd seen and heard and finally, hours after the movie ended I found myself in front of an all night music store where I bought the soundtrack and raced home to listen to it.

No matter that I had to get up in the morning for work... no matter that the movie had ended before 10pm but I didn't find my way home until after 2am. No matter that I was dead tired from walking dazed miles in a haze of thought.

I played that CD until I fell asleep then took it to work and played it all day... I played it constantly for weeks and then I started to buy other Charlie Parker CDs and reading everything I could about him. Charlie Parker is my favorite musician of all time, to this day, nearly 20 years later... and it began with this movie.