Taglines: Come as you are.
The Birdcage movie 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 Keeley, daughter of Kevin Keeley, US Senator, and co-founder of the Committee for Moral Order. The Senator and family descend upon South Beach to meet Val, his father and “mother.” What ensues is comic chaos.
The Birdcage is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Mike Nichols, written by Elaine May and starring Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane and Dianne Wiest. Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria, and Christine Baranski appear in supporting roles. It is a remake of the 1978 Franco-Italian film La Cage aux Folles by Édouard Molinaro starring Michel Serrault and Ugo Tognazzi.
A number of songs written by Stephen Sondheim were used in the film. The song that Albert rehearses during the sequence with the gum-chewing dancer is entitled “Little Dream” and was written specifically for use in the film. Albert’s first song as “Starina” is “Can That Boy Foxtrot,” cut from Sondheim’s Follies. The song that Armand and Katherine sing and dance to in her office, “Love Is in the Air,” had been intended as the opening number for the musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum in 1962. The song was cut from the show and replaced with Comedy Tonight.
The Birdcage (1996)
Directed by: Mike Nichols
Starring: Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, Dianne Wiest, Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria, Christine Baranski, Kirby Mitchell, Grant Heslov
Screenplay by: Elaine May
Production Design by: Bo Welch
Cinematography by: mmanuel Lubezki
Film Editing by: Arthur Schmidt
Costume Design by: Ann Roth
Set Decoration by: Cheryl Carasik
Art Direction by: Tom Duffield
Music by: Stephen Sondheim
MPAA Rating: R for language
Distributed by: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Release Date: March 8, 1996
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