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The Birdcage

  • 19961996
  • SS
  • 1h 57m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
90K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,489
1,237
Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, and Dianne Wiest in The Birdcage (1996)
Trailer for The Birdcage
Play trailer2:12
1 Video
72 Photos
Comedy

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.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.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.

IMDb RATING
7.2/10
90K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,489
1,237
  • Director
    • Mike Nichols
  • Writers
    • Jean Poiret(play "La Cage Aux Folles")
    • Francis Veber(earlier screenplay)
    • Édouard Molinaro(earlier screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Robin Williams
    • Nathan Lane
    • Gene Hackman
  • Director
    • Mike Nichols
  • Writers
    • Jean Poiret(play "La Cage Aux Folles")
    • Francis Veber(earlier screenplay)
    • Édouard Molinaro(earlier screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Robin Williams
    • Nathan Lane
    • Gene Hackman
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 236User reviews
    • 60Critic reviews
    • 72Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 7 wins & 25 nominations total

    Videos1

    The Birdcage
    Trailer 2:12
    Watch The Birdcage

    Photos72

    Dianne Wiest in The Birdcage (1996)
    Robin Williams, Hank Azaria, Nathan Lane, Mike Nichols, and Kirby Mitchell in The Birdcage (1996)
    Robin Williams in The Birdcage (1996)
    Robin Williams and Nathan Lane in The Birdcage (1996)
    Gene Hackman, Calista Flockhart, and Dianne Wiest in The Birdcage (1996)
    Hank Azaria, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, and Christine Baranski in The Birdcage (1996)
    Robin Williams and Nathan Lane in The Birdcage (1996)
    Nathan Lane in The Birdcage (1996)
    Mike Nichols in The Birdcage (1996)
    Nathan Lane in The Birdcage (1996)
    Gene Hackman in The Birdcage (1996)
    Robin Williams and Christine Baranski in The Birdcage (1996)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Robin Williams
    Robin Williams
    • Armand Goldman
    Nathan Lane
    Nathan Lane
    • Albert
    Gene Hackman
    Gene Hackman
    • Senator Keeley
    Dianne Wiest
    Dianne Wiest
    • Louise Keeley
    Dan Futterman
    Dan Futterman
    • Val Goldman
    Calista Flockhart
    Calista Flockhart
    • Barbara Keeley
    Hank Azaria
    Hank Azaria
    • Agador
    Christine Baranski
    Christine Baranski
    • Katharine
    Tom McGowan
    Tom McGowan
    • Harry Radman
    Grant Heslov
    Grant Heslov
    • Photographer
    Kirby Mitchell
    Kirby Mitchell
    • Chauffeur
    James Lally
    • Stage manager
    Luca Tommassini
    • Celsius
    Luis Camacho
    Luis Camacho
    • Goldman Girl
    André Fuentes
    • Goldman Girl
    • (as Andre Fuentes)
    Tony Gonzalez
    Tony Gonzalez
    • Goldman Girl
    Dante Henderson
    • Goldman Girl
    • (as Dante Lamar Henderson)
    Scott Kaske
    Scott Kaske
    • Goldman Girl
    • Director
      • Mike Nichols
    • Writers
      • Jean Poiret(play "La Cage Aux Folles") (earlier screenplay)
      • Francis Veber(earlier screenplay)
      • Édouard Molinaro(earlier screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Mike Nichols required that Nathan Lane and Robin Williams filmed at least one good take of each scene sticking to the script before he would allow them to improvise (something both of the actors are known for).
    • Goofs
      In the kitchen scene where Armand and Val realize Agador never prepared an entrée, Armand slips and falls while bringing the sweet & sour peasant soup pot back into the dining room; as he then tells Val "go, go, she'll be here any minute, go", he is clearly laughing.
    • Quotes

      Armand: What are you giving him drugs for? What the hell are Pirin tablets?

      Agador: It's aspirin with the "A" and the "S" scraped off.

      Armand: My God, what a brilliant idea!

      Agador: I know.

    • Alternate versions
      In the November 12, 1998 ABC-TV network airing of The Birdcage (1996), approximately 13 minutes of added footage was restored to the film:
      • After Albert and Armand have discussed the upcoming marriage with Val, there is a scene where the cake Albert had ordered earlier is delivered. Albert shrieks because the cake says "To My Piglet From His Uncle" instead of "...From His Aunty" like Albert had requested. Then Albert and Armand have an amusing discussion of what it will be like to have Val and his wife live with them and what it will be like to be grandparents.
      • After Armand initially refuses Val's request to "tone down" the apartment, there is an extra scene later where Armand has a conversation with the bartender that eventually convinces Armand to prepare the apartment for the Keeley's arrival.
      • During the long roadtrip, the Keeley family is seen leaving a rest-stop at the Florida border. There is a huge fiberglass orange on top of the yellow and white striped rest-stop. Lettering on the orange reads, "Welcome to Florida".
      • There is an extra scene where TV network executives decide to send their news team to Florida on the basis that The Enquirer is already there.
      • Armand's dinner speech about the origins of Guatamalan "Peasant Stew" is longer in the TV version and he refills the guests bowls while explaining that the stew is the main course.
      • Albert's speech about his parents's search for a cemetery plot is longer.
      • There is a short scene included where Katherine Archer asks a TV news van if they will be leaving their parking spot which happens to be in an intersection.
      • After the Keeleys have learned that they are stuck in the apartment and everyone is sitting around drinking, Katherine is shown eating the "Peasant Stew" in Albert's and Armand's bedroom. Katherine and Agadore have a brief exchange in which Agadore admits to having made the stew and Katherine compliments him on it.
      • In the version broadcast on ABC, swimming trunks were electronically painted over the skimpy thongs worn by Agador and other male inhabitants of South Beach, Florida.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: Before and After/Rumble in the Bronx/Mary Reilly/Unforgettable/Mr. Wrong (1996)
    • Soundtracks
      La virgen lloraba
      Written by La Lupe (as Lupe Yoli)
      Performed by La Lupe
      Courtesy of Sonido Records

    User reviews236

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    A Warm and Hilarious Comedy...
    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.
    helpful•65
    7
    • ijonesiii
    • Dec 22, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 9, 1996 (Finland)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Lånta fjädrar
    • Filming locations
      • Carlyle Hotel - 1250 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, Florida, USA
    • Production company
      • United Artists
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $31,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $124,060,553
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $18,275,828
      • Mar 10, 1996
    • Gross worldwide
      • $185,260,553
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 57 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • DTS-Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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