Birdy

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Birdy

R

Released Dec 14, 1984

2h 0m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

45 Reviews

83%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Birdy returns from the Vietnam War scarred from the horrific experiences of battle. He is so damaged by what he saw that he has shut himself off from reality completely, imagining that he is actually a bird. Birdy is confined to a mental hospital, where the doctors are at a loss as to how to treat him. In an attempt to help, Al, his best friend from high school -- and who was also in Vietnam -- visits him every day to try and get through to him.

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Critics Consensus

Aided by strong work from Matthew Modine and Nicolas Cage, Birdy finds director Alan Parker turning a supposedly unfilmable novel into a soaring -- and emotionally searing -- success.

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William Thomas

Empire Magazine

Despite the film's heavily symbolic tone, little is revealed about either of the characters or indeed the Vietnam War.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 16, 2023

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Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

Far better as an antiwar film than as a poetic tribute to flight.

Rated: 2.5/4

Dec 16, 2023

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Sheila Benson

Los Angeles Times

It may not satisfy hard-line lovers of the book, who may argue that William Wharton's eccentric characters should have remained between its covers, but for those who do not know the novel, or for less rigid William Wharton-ites, it is a risk well taken.

Dec 16, 2023

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Christopher Lloyd

The Film Yap

Nicolas Cage and Matthew Modine give stellar performances as Philly youths torn apart physically and spiritually by war in Alan Parker's unsparing portrait of brotherly affection.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 19, 2024

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Jeff Simon

Buffalo News

It has more cinematic integrity than 90 per cent of the rest of local movie fare combined. It ought to be seen.

Dec 16, 2023

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JoAnn Rhetts

Charlotte Observer

What's particularly gratifying about Cage's performance as the preening and pitiful Al is that it proves at long last that his delightful work in "Valley Girl" was no fluke.

Dec 16, 2023

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john h

One of the very first appearances of Matthew Modine and Nicholas Cage that was received well by critics and established both as promising actors. Alan Parker's direction is atmospheric and surreal, just as much as the events in the story that are questionable given their abrupt instances of comedy at the resolution.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/02/25

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Leaburn O

Not entirely sure what I just watched but certain that I didn’t enjoy it. A guy with a bird fetish goes mad?? I mean errr I don’t want to state the obvious here but. Watched on SKY Cinema.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

06/18/24

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Daniel N

2 hours I’ll never get back. Strange lust for birds that makes audience very uncomfortable. Bird costume was a nice touch. Mr Cage was ripped.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/16/24

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Jelisije J

If you ever want to watch a movie about a young man obsession with being a bird....... you are in for a treat in this unforgettable film.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/08/24

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Susan H

So weird, creepy, depressing.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/20/24

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Chris H

A film with high ideals, perhaps, to show us how war affects people, but it is let down by the fact that Birdy has always been a very strange individual and, to be frank, he seems just the same (albeit even more withdrawn) after his Vietnam experiences. Al is the more interesting character and his insecurities eventually reveal themselves. A lot of the film is made up of mawkish flashbacks to Birdy and Al's childhood, which can be tedious. Eventually the film approaches some kind of conclusion, then falls apart at the very end. It's well acted and is better than I'm making it sound but, honestly, don't expect anything profound here.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/21/23

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Synopsis

Birdy returns from the Vietnam War scarred from the horrific experiences of battle. He is so damaged by what he saw that he has shut himself off from reality completely, imagining that he is actually a bird. Birdy is confined to a mental hospital, where the doctors are at a loss as to how to treat him. In an attempt to help, Al, his best friend from high school -- and who was also in Vietnam -- visits him every day to try and get through to him.

Director: Alan Parker
Producer: Alan Marshall
Screenwriter: Jack Behr, Sandy Kroopf, William Wharton
Distributor: TriStar Pictures
Production Co: TriStar Pictures, Delphi III Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 14, 1984, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2012
Runtime: 2h 0m
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround

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