A gay cabaret owner and his drag queen companion agree to put up a false straight front so that their son can introduce them to his fiancée's right-wing moralistic parents.
On this IMDbrief, we break down the worst gifts ever given in our favorite holiday movies. For some great gift ideas, check out IMDb's Holiday Gift Guide, curated with the entertainment lover in mind!
In 1965, an unorthodox and irreverent DJ named Adrian Cronauer begins to shake up things when he is assigned to the U.S. Armed Services radio station in Vietnam.
Director:
Barry Levinson
Stars:
Robin Williams,
Forest Whitaker,
Tung Thanh Tran
Because of an unusual aging disorder that has aged him four times faster than a normal human being, a boy enters the fifth grade for the first time with the appearance of a 40 year old man.
The true story of a heroic man, Hunter "Patch" Adams, determined to become a medical doctor because he enjoys helping people. He ventured where no doctor had ventured before, using humour and pathos.
Director:
Tom Shadyac
Stars:
Robin Williams,
Daniel London,
Monica Potter
A mentally unstable photo developer targets a middle-class family after his obsession with them becomes more sick and disturbing than any of them could imagine.
Director:
Mark Romanek
Stars:
Robin Williams,
Connie Nielsen,
Michael Vartan
Two gay men living in St. Tropez have their lives turned upside down when the son of one of the men announces he is getting married. They try to conceal their lifestyle and their ownership ... See full summary »
Director:
Édouard Molinaro
Stars:
Ugo Tognazzi,
Michel Serrault,
Claire Maurier
Chris Nielsen dies in an accident, and enters Heaven. But when he discovers that his beloved wife Annie has killed herself out of grief over the loss, he embarks on an afterlife adventure to reunite with her.
Director:
Vincent Ward
Stars:
Robin Williams,
Cuba Gooding Jr.,
Annabella Sciorra
A former radio DJ, suicidally despondent because of a terrible mistake he made, finds redemption in helping a deranged homeless man who was an unwitting victim of that mistake.
A kids show host, Rainbow Randolph, is fired in disgrace while his replacement, Sheldon Mopes, aka Smoochy the Rhino, finds himself a rising star. Unfortunately for Sheldon, the business of kids television isn't all child's play.
Director:
Danny DeVito
Stars:
Robin Williams,
Edward Norton,
Catherine Keener
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.Written by
Randy Goldberg <goldberg@nymc.edu>
Hank Azaria created two different voices for the character of Agador Spartacus, one being somewhat of a more masculine voice and the other one being higher pitched. He was worried about the second one being too stereotypical until he asked a gay friend of his, who thought it was more realistic. See more »
Goofs
The transmission selector on the Senator's car is in park while they're driving to South Beach. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
[singers are performing "We Are Family" on-stage]
Cyril:
[backstage, into a telephone]
Agador! Where is Starina? She goes on in 5 minutes!
See more »
Alternate Versions
In the November 12, 1998 ABC-TV network airing of The Birdcage (1996), approximately 13 minutes of added footage was restored to the film:
After Albert and Armand have discussed the upcoming marriage with Val, there is a scene where the cake Albert had ordered earlier is delivered. Albert shrieks because the cake says "To My Piglet From His Uncle" instead of "...From His Aunty" like Albert had requested. Then Albert and Armand have an amusing discussion of what it will be like to have Val and his wife live with them and what it will be like to be grandparents.
After Armand initially refuses Val's request to "tone down" the apartment, there is an extra scene later where Armand has a conversation with the bartender that eventually convinces Armand to prepare the apartment for the Keeley's arrival.
During the long roadtrip, the Keeley family is seen leaving a rest-stop at the Florida border. There is a huge fiberglass orange on top of the yellow and white striped rest-stop. Lettering on the orange reads, "Welcome to Florida".
There is an extra scene where TV network executives decide to send their news team to Florida on the basis that The Enquirer is already there.
Armand's dinner speech about the origins of Guatamalan "Peasant Stew" is longer in the TV version and he refills the guests bowls while explaining that the stew is the main course.
Albert's speech about his parents's search for a cemetery plot is longer.
There is a short scene included where Katherine Archer asks a TV news van if they will be leaving their parking spot which happens to be in an intersection.
After the Keeleys have learned that they are stuck in the apartment and everyone is sitting around drinking, Katherine is shown eating the "Peasant Stew" in Albert's and Armand's bedroom. Katherine and Agadore have a brief exchange in which Agadore admits to having made the stew and Katherine compliments him on it.
In the version broadcast on ABC, swimming trunks were electronically painted over the skimpy thongs worn by Agador and other male inhabitants of South Beach, Florida.
This film has the distinction of being quite possibly the funniest film that I've ever seen. I remember seeing this film the night it opened and laughing so hard that my friend told me she'd get up and leave me there if I didn't shut up!
Almost everyone I've talked to over the years swears by how hysterical this film is. There is a reason for that: Nathan Lane. This guy is a comic genius. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance but should have been nominated for an Academy Award as well if you ask me. Originally when I first saw it, I didn't care for Robin Williams' character at all but the more I've seen it over the years (over fifty times) it grows on me. Dianne Wiest is her normal, ditzy self but is a scream here and Gene Hackman in that last scene...well, I don't want to give away anything.
Half of the fun of this film is the verbal repartee between the characters, especially anything between Hank Azaria, Nathan Lane or Dianne Wiest.
If you haven't seen this film, you owe it to yourself to just have fun and laugh the night away. Enjoy it!!!
My rating: 4 stars
66 of 79 people found this review helpful.
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This film has the distinction of being quite possibly the funniest film that I've ever seen. I remember seeing this film the night it opened and laughing so hard that my friend told me she'd get up and leave me there if I didn't shut up!
Almost everyone I've talked to over the years swears by how hysterical this film is. There is a reason for that: Nathan Lane. This guy is a comic genius. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance but should have been nominated for an Academy Award as well if you ask me. Originally when I first saw it, I didn't care for Robin Williams' character at all but the more I've seen it over the years (over fifty times) it grows on me. Dianne Wiest is her normal, ditzy self but is a scream here and Gene Hackman in that last scene...well, I don't want to give away anything.
Half of the fun of this film is the verbal repartee between the characters, especially anything between Hank Azaria, Nathan Lane or Dianne Wiest.
If you haven't seen this film, you owe it to yourself to just have fun and laugh the night away. Enjoy it!!!
My rating: 4 stars