The Birdcage 🍽
🍿 Happy Thursday! I hope you’ve been having a great week.
Today’s recommendation is for The Birdcage (1996), streaming on Prime Video. The comedy was directed by Mike Nichols (The Graduate) and written by Elaine May (Heaven Can Wait), reuniting the legendary duo. The movie is based on the Franco-Italian film La Cage aux Folles, which inspired the musical of the same name and was based on the play of the same name. At least they changed the name for this version.
Directed by Mike Nichols // ⏱ 117 mins // 🎭 Comedy
Here’s what it’s about:
Armand Goldman (Robin Williams) owns the drag cabaret The Birdcage with his life partner Albert (Nathan Lane), who’s also the star performer. When their son Val (Dan Futterman) announces he’s getting married, they’re forced to put up a false straight front to host his fiance’s ultraconservative parents (Gene Hackman and Dianne Wiest). [Trailer]
Why you should watch it:
Since Nichols and May started their careers as an improv comedy duo, The Birdcage was almost the perfect story for them to adapt. The premise itself is like an improv prompt. However, like their best work, they guide the story and the actors to the edge of ridiculousness, but never let it go over — even Nathan Lane whose performance is as bombastic as ever leans on the side of high camp rather than slapstick.
And while the story is ripe for stereotypes and cliches, they never let it get there. Instead, they take their time and pace themselves allowing for us to explore, get to know and, most importantly, fall in love with every single character. It's perhaps one of the best comedic ensembles of all time with every actor getting their moment to steal a scene whether it’s Hank Azaria’s high-camp Guatemalan housekeeper repeatedly falling over because he’s not used to wearing shoes or Christine Baranski playing Val’s biological mother prancing around her office or Williams directing Albert’s cabaret performance.
📺 Buy or Rent: Prime Video | iTunes | YouTube
Thank you for spending some time here today! Do something new this weekend.
See you Monday!
Karl (@karl_delo)