The Birdcage

R

Now Playing

1 hr. 59 min.

Comedy

LGBTQ+

List

84%

62 Reviews

Tomatometer

81%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In this remake of the classic French farce "La Cage aux Folles," engaged couple Val Goldman (Dan Futterman) and Barbara Keeley (Calista Flockhart) shakily introduce their future in-laws. Val's father, Armand (Robin Williams), a gay Miami drag club owner, pretends to be straight and attempts to hide his relationship with Albert (Nathan Lane), his life partner and the club's flamboyant star attraction, so as to please Barbara's father, controversial Republican Sen. Kevin Keeley (Gene Hackman).

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Critics Consensus

Mike Nichols wrangles agreeably amusing performances from Robin Williams and Nathan Lane in this fun, if not quite essential, remake of the French comedy La Cage aux Folles.

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Louis M

One of Robin Williams best movies. Fantastic and funny.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/24/24

Full Review

Ikiv N

v: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ a: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hilarious hehe

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/17/24

Full Review

Ricca S

One of the most entertaining movie of all time! Anyone who feels down should watch this.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/12/24

Full Review

A R

Le Cage aux Folles - the French version - is excellent. The Birdcage is a very good remake / American version. The acting is brilliant, the characters are good and the story is a very good one. It's worth a watch, even solely to see the amazing Robin Williams. It's about two young lovers whose parents are from vastly different worlds, causing chaos when those worlds collide.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/14/23

Full Review

Alec B

There may be dated and stereotypical elements but the good more than outweighs the bad. Nichols' direction is superb while Lane and Williams play off each other brilliantly.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/10/23

Full Review

Maggie L

Wonderfully camp, this movie is a joy to watch. This movie tells, sometimes in a ridiculous way, a truly touching story about modern family. Nathan Lane is at the height of his comedic power here and Robbin Williams delivers a surprisingly gentle and empathetic performance as a gay man. Together, their performances together on screen are electric. Both this movie and the original French film certainly deserve their place in queer canon.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/11/23

Full Review

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Mike Nichols

Director

Robin Williams

Armand Goldman

Gene Hackman

Sen. Kevin Keeley

Nathan Lane

Albert Goldman

Dianne Wiest

Louise Keeley

Hank Azaria

Agador 'Spartacus'

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The Birdcage: Official Clip - Wigging Out

2:10

The Birdcage: Official Clip - Naked Greek Bowls

2:03

The Birdcage: Official Clip - This is My Mother

2:08

The Birdcage: Official Clip - Act Like a Man

2:04

The Birdcage: Official Clip - Gays in the Military

2:12

The Birdcage: Official Clip - Albert Will Not Dance

2:11

The Birdcage: Official Clip - Walking Like John Wayne

1:32

The Birdcage: Official Clip - Family Values

1:58

The Birdcage: Official Clip - Val's "Mother" Comes to Dinner

1:55

The Birdcage: Official Clip - Val's Getting Married

2:09

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Andrea Thompson

Chicago Reader

Remakes don’t get much better than Mike Nichols’s The Birdcage, which embraced drag shows long before they became the height of cool, and more unsettlingly, another casualty of the rising tide of fascism.

Jun 20, 2023

Full Review

Geordie Gray

The Australian

The Birdcage is silly in all the right ways.

Dec 3, 2022

Full Review

Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

The Birdcage is a little film with knee-slapping scenes coupled with thoughtfully acute moments as well.

Sep 8, 2017

Full Review

Justin Brown

Medium Popcorn

I was wildly entertained by this. It had a lot of heart and is more than just a bag of laughs. The theme about accepting yourself was really powerful.

Rated: 5/5

Nov 19, 2023

Full Review

Brandon Collins

Medium Popcorn

This is one of my favorite comedies. The performances of Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, and Hank Azaria still make me laugh every time I watch this.

Rated: 5/5

Nov 19, 2023

Full Review

James Croot

Stuff.co.nz

The Birdcage is a triumph because it succeeds as both a straightforward comedy and a social and political satire.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 7, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

In this remake of the classic French farce "La Cage aux Folles," engaged couple Val Goldman (Dan Futterman) and Barbara Keeley (Calista Flockhart) shakily introduce their future in-laws. Val's father, Armand (Robin Williams), a gay Miami drag club owner, pretends to be straight and attempts to hide his relationship with Albert (Nathan Lane), his life partner and the club's flamboyant star attraction, so as to please Barbara's father, controversial Republican Sen. Kevin Keeley (Gene Hackman).

Director: Mike Nichols
Executive Producer: Marcello Danon, Neil A. Machlis
Screenwriter: Jean Poiret, Francis Veber, Edouard Molinaro, Marcello Danon, Elaine May
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: United Artists, Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 8, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 20, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $124.0M
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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