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Comedy

The Birdcage

- Come as you are.

Middle-aged gay life partners, Armand Goldman, a Jewish drag club owner, and Albert, the club's flamboyant star attraction, live in the eclectic community of South Beach and have raised a straight son. Now, their newly engaged son, 20-year-old Val, wants to bring his fiancée, Barbara, and her ultraconservative parents home to meet his family for the first time. By Val's request, Armand pretends to be straight, not Jewish and attempts to hide his relationship with Albert, in order to please Barbara's father, controversial right-wing Republican Sen. Kevin Keeley.

Release Date : 1996-03-08

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : United ArtistsMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Robin Williams

Character Name : Armand Goldman

Original Name : Robin Williams

Gender : Male

Gene Hackman

Character Name : Senator Kevin Keeley

Original Name : Gene Hackman

Gender : Male

Nathan Lane

Character Name : Albert

Original Name : Nathan Lane

Gender : Male

Dan Futterman

Character Name : Val Goldman

Original Name : Dan Futterman

Gender : Male

Dianne Wiest

Character Name : Louise Keeley

Original Name : Dianne Wiest

Gender : Female

Calista Flockhart

Character Name : Barbara Keeley

Original Name : Calista Flockhart

Gender : Female

Hank Azaria

Character Name : Agador

Original Name : Hank Azaria

Gender : Male

Christine Baranski

Character Name : Katharine Archer

Original Name : Christine Baranski

Gender : Female

Tom McGowan

Character Name : Harry Radman

Original Name : Tom McGowan

Gender : Male

Grant Heslov

Character Name : Photographer - National Enquirer

Original Name : Grant Heslov

Gender : Male

Kirby Mitchell

Character Name : Chauffeur

Original Name : Kirby Mitchell

Gender : Male

James Lally

Character Name : Stage Manager

Original Name : James Lally

Gender : Male

Luca Tommassini

Character Name : Celsius

Original Name : Luca Tommassini

Gender : Male

Luis Camacho

Character Name : Goldman Girl

Original Name : Luis Camacho

Gender : Male

Andre Fuentes

Character Name : Goldman Girl

Original Name : Andre Fuentes

Gender : Male

Tony Gonzalez

Character Name : Goldman Girl

Original Name : Tony Gonzalez

Gender : Male

Dante Henderson

Character Name : Goldman Girl

Original Name : Dante Henderson

Gender : Male

Scott Kaske

Character Name : Goldman Girl

Original Name : Scott Kaske

Gender : Male

Kevin Stea

Character Name : Goldman Girl

Original Name : Kevin Stea

Gender : Male

Tim Kelleher

Character Name : Waiter in Club

Original Name : Tim Kelleher

Gender : Male

Ann Cusack

Character Name : TV Woman in Van

Original Name : Ann Cusack

Gender : Female

Stanley DeSantis

Character Name : TV Man in Van

Original Name : Stanley DeSantis

Gender : Male

J. Roy Helland

Character Name : Club Hostess

Original Name : J. Roy Helland

Gender : Male

Anthony Giaimo

Character Name : Fishmonger (Mr. Lopez)

Original Name : Anthony Giaimo

Gender : Male

Lee Delano

Character Name : Bakery Man (Mr. Boynton)

Original Name : Lee Delano

Gender : Male

David Sage

Character Name : Senator Eli Jackson

Original Name : David Sage

Gender : Male

Michael Kinsley

Character Name : TV Host

Original Name : Michael Kinsley

Gender : Male

Tony Snow

Character Name : TV Host

Original Name : Tony Snow

Gender : Male

Dorothy Constantine

Character Name : Keeley's Maid (Bridget)

Original Name : Dorothy Constantine

Gender : Female

Trina McGee

Character Name : Black Girl on TV (Chocolate)

Original Name : Trina McGee

Gender : Female

Barry Nolan

Character Name : TV Reporter

Original Name : Barry Nolan

Gender : Male

Amy Powell

Character Name : TV Reporter

Original Name : Amy Powell

Gender : Female

Ron Pitts

Character Name : TV Reporter

Original Name : Ron Pitts

Gender : Male

James Hill

Character Name : TV Reporter

Original Name : James Hill

Gender : Male

Mary Major

Character Name : TV Reporter

Original Name : Mary Major

Gender : Female

Steven Porfido

Character Name : State Trooper

Original Name : Steven Porfido

Gender : Male

John Pontrelli

Character Name : Waiter in Cafe (Rodrigo)

Original Name : John Pontrelli

Gender : Male

Herschel Sparber

Character Name : Big Guy in Park

Original Name : Herschel Sparber

Gender : Male

Francesca Cruz

Character Name : Katharine's Secretary (Imelda)

Original Name : Francesca Cruz

Gender : Male

Brian Reddy

Character Name : TV Editor

Original Name : Brian Reddy

Gender : Male

Jim Jansen

Character Name : TV Editor

Original Name : Jim Jansen

Gender : Male

Al Rodrigo

Character Name : Latino Man in Club

Original Name : Al Rodrigo

Gender : Male

Marjorie Lovett

Character Name : Matron

Original Name : Marjorie Lovett

Gender : Female

Sylvia Short

Character Name : Matron

Original Name : Sylvia Short

Gender : Female

James H. Morrison

Character Name : Pastor

Original Name : James H. Morrison

Gender : Male

Rabbi Robert K. Baruch

Character Name : Rabbi

Original Name : Rabbi Robert K. Baruch

Gender : Male

Jay Leno

Character Name : Jay Leno (uncredited)

Original Name : Jay Leno

Gender : Male

Kenneth Stephens

Character Name : Chuck (uncredited)

Original Name : Kenneth Stephens

Gender : Male

Rayder Woods

Character Name : Drag Queen (uncredited)

Original Name : Rayder Woods

Gender : Male

Kevin Loreque

Character Name : Drag Queen (uncredited)

Original Name : Kevin Loreque

Gender : Male

Jody Millard

Character Name : Drag Queen Dancer (uncredited)

Original Name : Jody Millard

Gender : Male

Scott Burkholder

Character Name : Executive Producer (Uncredited)

Original Name : Scott Burkholder

Gender : Male

Patrizia Barretto

Character Name : Bikini Girl on Roller Blades (Uncredited)

Original Name : Patrizia Barretto

Gender : Male

Elisa Bridges

Character Name : Bikini Girl on Beach (Uncredited)

Original Name : Elisa Bridges

Gender : Female

David Christopher

Character Name : Hot Guy (Uncredited)

Original Name : David Christopher

Gender : Male

Nina Dolci

Character Name : Shopping Person (Uncredited)

Original Name : Nina Dolci

Gender : Female

Justin Goudreau

Character Name : Restaurant Patron (Uncredited)

Original Name : Justin Goudreau

Gender : Male

Jordan Werner

Character Name : Pool Waiter (uncredited)

Original Name : Jordan Werner

Gender : Male

Dave Knight

Character Name : Broad Causeway Commuter (Uncredited)

Original Name : Dave Knight

Gender : Male

Claudio Sad

Character Name : Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Claudio Sad

Gender : Male

Rene Teboe

Character Name : South Beach Tourist (Uncredited)

Original Name : Rene Teboe

Gender : Male

Bodo Goerisch

Character Name : Tourist (Uncredited)

Original Name : Bodo Goerisch

Gender : Male

Thelma Gutiérrez

Character Name : Bartender (uncredited)

Original Name : Thelma Gutiérrez

Gender : Female

Louis Campos

Character Name : Gay Bar Patron (Uncredited)

Original Name : Louis Campos

Gender : Male

Lisa Rhyne

Character Name : Nightclub Dancer (Uncredited)

Original Name : Lisa Rhyne

Gender : Male

Jan Citron

Character Name : Clubgoer (Uncredited)

Original Name : Jan Citron

Gender : Male

Orlando Delbert

Character Name : Man in Club (Uncredited)

Original Name : Orlando Delbert

Gender : Male

Michael Thomas Daniel

Character Name : Guy in Street (Uncredited)

Original Name : Michael Thomas Daniel

Gender : Male

Don LaFontaine

Character Name : Radio Newscaster (voice) (uncredited)

Original Name : Don LaFontaine

Gender : Male

James MacDonald

Character Name : Crewman (Uncredited)

Original Name : James MacDonald

Gender : Male

Sal Pacino

Character Name : Wedding Guest (Uncredited)

Original Name : Sal Pacino

Gender : Male

Paul McMichael

Character Name : Wedding Guest (Uncredited)

Original Name : Paul McMichael

Gender : Male

Jordan Ancel

Character Name : Wedding Guest (Uncredited)

Original Name : Jordan Ancel

Gender : Male

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-01-14

I remember thinking that Dan Futterman was quite attractive in this film as the young "Val", but boy does his turn out to be one of the most selfish and thoughtless of characters! He turns up at the eponymous nightclub run by his father "Armand" (Robin Williams) and his consort of twenty years "Albert" (Nathan Lane) to announce he is to wed. Thing is, he is going to marry the daughter of the rather puritanical senator "Keeley" (Gene Hackman) and so they are going to have to play happy, heterosexual, families when the prospective in-laws come to visit. "Armand" manages his disappointment rather better than his lover who, inclined to the histrionic at the best of times, takes it as all as a personal slight and a mega-strop ensues. Meantime, the worthy senator gets some shocking news of his own involving a colleague and a hooker! Suddenly he needs to get away, and so to the "Birdcage" he, wife "Louise" (Dianne Wiest) and intended bride "Barbara" (Calista Flockhart) duly head. The press get wind of this, and of the fact that it's a fairly ostentatious gay club - and so are just praying to get some snaps of this visit. Can the family stay on a even keel long enough for the estranged mother "Katherine" (Christine Baranski) to arrive, and can they manage to avoid implicating the holier-than-thou politician in the mother of all scandals? Time hasn't been especially kind to this, but Williams and an excellently hammy Nathan Lane do well keeping the momentum going as we to and fro with tantrums a-plenty. Weist and Hackman work well too, but the starring role has to belong to Hank Azaria's camp "Agador" who takes crop-tops to an whole new level. Jean Pouret's original play was written with it's tongue in it's cheek and this updates, but essentially carries on, the tradition of light farce. Stereoptypes galore? Yep, but they're still fun performances that are worth a watch.