TownRootGuy This is not a show for everybody but if nothing in the description offends you, it is a must see show.Birdcage has great eye candy, a fabulous cast, some fun tunes AND they smear the funny on thick.It's a comedy, there's not much else to it. If you're looking for something other than a gorgeous Flockhart and side-splitting laughter, uhm ... I don't know, shut-up and watch it anyway.I can watch this yearly.

John Brooks A remake of a French classic comedy, this is cleverly revamped and adapted to American culture with its political and cultural divides.For about two thirds of it, one finds himself buying into the comedy on display, the humorous spirit of the film, the sort of lightness it develops, and of course all three of Robin Williams, Nathan Lane and Hank Azaria are 'fabulous' with their on screen performances and give this comedy lots of body.The problem is the last third. The laughs quit and the viewer goes quiet and we're given more of a totally biased, partisan-programmed social commentary on who the good guys are and who the bad guys are rather than a proper conclusion to a story and film that seem proper to begin with, a notion totally disproved by the final act. By that time it's totally obvious, as if a caricature, what's going on and where the film means to take its audience and it's just sluggish progression to the conclusion and completely self-indulgent.Too bad. 3.5/10.

sunderwoodmiller I absolutely love this movie! I've watched it I don't know how many times. It makes me laugh and cry. It's a wonderful story of love and family. The cast is brilliant, the writing is inspired ("2 words -- green card", "I'm the only one not from a broken home.", "It's porno, not pronto." among others), the bits are extraordinary (Nathan Lane as John Wayne!!!). The characters have depth and interest. The costuming and sets, the historical setting, along with the supporting cast all contribute to the overall excellence of the movie. It doesn't really matter whether it's set in a drag bar, though, obviously, that adds a certain quirky element to the story. Who didn't love Hank Azaria's Guatamalaness?

Chris Mizerak In the tradition of comedies about cross-dressing guys such as "Some Like it Hot" (1959), "Tootsie" (1982), and "Mrs. Doubtfire" (1993) comes another such comedy with Mike Nichols' 1996 picture "The Birdcage". To my knowledge, this is the second cross-dressing picture that the late Robin Williams had starred in, after "Mrs. Doubtfire". And this time, though he doesn't dress as a nanny, he is married to a drag queen (Nathan Lane) that he runs a drag nightclub, named "The Birdcage", with. They have a son (Dan Futterman) who has just gotten engaged to the daughter (Calista Flockhart) of an ultraconservative senator (Gene Hackman in a juicy supporting role). Due to pressing circumstances at home, the senator, his daughter and his wife (Dianne Wiest) head down to Miami to meet the groom's parents. However, because his parents' sexual orientation will lead to controversy for the senator's re-election, the son tries to get his reluctant parents to act like a "normal" family for the sake of the engagement. Will the gay couple and their son be able to pull off this difficult act? Right out of the gate, the most surprising element of "The Birdcage" is just how restrained the performance by Robin Williams is. Every time I watch this picture, I always seem to forget that Robin Williams is in this because he doesn't act like the skilled impersonator that he usually acts like in films such as "Aladdin" (1992). Yes, he does a couple of physical impersonations in a few scenes early on. But for the most part, he maintains a steady balance both comedic wise and dramatically between acting like a normal homosexual dad and a stressed out director. When I say that I forget Robin Williams is in this, I do not intend that as an insult. If anything, I intend that comment as a compliment to what Robin Williams accomplished as an actor. A good actor disappears into character, and a good comedic actor incorporates the right amount of humor into serious and/or stressful situations. Robin Williams accomplished both with his work in this picture which in turn makes it the perfect summary of his distinguished career in a nutshell. Amongst the other standout performances that "The Birdcage" offers, the most notable one of all is the work by Gene Hackman. Who doesn't love the idea of a fictional senator who insists that he needs candy and/or chocolate to help him cope with stressful situations? Every joke made about this character's addiction to candy hits their target, but the writers don't make it the only joke to this character. This senator is very paranoid because every little thing he could do that would be considered wrong will most likely end up in sleazy magazines like National Enquirer. His paranoia is a result of everything that is wrong with a celebrity lifestyle in a way. He's cranky, but always in an enjoyable and often hilarious way. You'd easily be convinced that people like him exist in real-life. He's written in such a way that you would believe that anyone similar to him would react the same way that he does to all the things his character experiences. Nathan Lane's performance is also worth noting. Let's recap the requirements for his particular role. He has to convince the audience that his character has been acting like a woman his whole life. Furthermore, he has to show us his character's physical struggles toward doing manlier things such as walking like John Wayne or smearing mustard on toast. The scene where Robin Williams helps physically man his character up demonstrates in a nutshell why Lane's performance pays off well. With any scene having Nathan Lane in it, one can clearly tell that he's studied how women physically and mentally behave. As far as the chemistry between Williams and Lane goes, their relationship consists of more arguing than sharing a connection which takes away from the experience a bit. But to be fair, there is at least a scene or two that shows them doing something that's meaningful for their relationship whether it's helping each other out or anything of that sort. The character of the son that these two raised sadly is kind of a prick. I'm having trouble deciphering what it is about this guy that rubs me the wrong way, but it basically boils down to his grating neediness. He wants his parents to get rid of all the homosexually suggestive decorations in their apartment to appease the other family. I get the reasons behind taking that course of action, but he gets his parents to do it in such a way that they practically have no choice. Either help him out with making this wedding successful or never see him again. Well, anyway you slice it, they're still not going to see him again either way. And yes, you get a scene or two where he appreciates what his parents are doing for him. Even with that said though, his character is executed in such a way that he becomes more of a burden to the plot rather than enhancing the conflict for our main leads. And I'm sorry, but the relationship between him and the senator's daughter didn't feel that legitimate to me. Their so-called romance is just a plot device and nothing more. My mom seems to consider "The Birdcage" her favorite film and to a certain degree, I can see why that might be. It's a light and fluffy piece of escapism that's ideal for a good evening's entertainment. The jokes and laughs this picture provides are plentiful, but most importantly, they're accompanied by a worthy narrative and characters that complement the laughter that "The Birdcage" offers. Check it out, it's worth two hours of your time.