“I just never realized John Wayne walked like that.”
Two Cents is a Cinapse original column akin to a book club for films. The Cinapse team curates the series and contribute their “two cents” using a maximum of 200-400 words. Guest contributors and comments are encouraged, as are suggestions for future picks. Join us as we share our two cents on films we love, films we are curious about, and films we believe merit some discussion. Would you like to be a guest contributor or programmer for an upcoming Two Cents entry? Simply watch along with us and/or send your pitches or 200-400 word reviews to cinapse.twocents@gmail.com.
With the times being as tough as they are and many different groups trying to hold on to their place in this scary society, it’s obvious that Pride month was going to look a little different this year. However, we here at Cinapse have decided that not only are we going to celebrate the month, but we will celebrate it with a collection of titles that have an undeniable edge to them. As varied as the month’s films may be, each one succeeds in pushing boundaries as their collection of themes, not to mention their very existence, represents the kind of defiance that only stellar art can conjure up.
When it was decided that May’s Two Cents theme should honor the work of the late Gene Hackman, my instinct was to raise my hand for The Poseidon Adventure since that movie contains my favorite of his performances. After a friend of mine asked me why I didn’t throw in The Birdcage, I had no valid answer for him. The first selection of this June’s Two Cents corrects that as we kick off the month with one of the most groundbreaking comedies of the ’90s, which was not only a solid moneymaker but a classic with laughs that remains as potent as ever.
The Pick: The Birdcage
Based on the hit stage musical La Cage aux Follies, The Birdcage tells the story of drag club owner Armand (Robin Williams) and his star performer/romantic partner Albert (Nathan Lane) who must deal with the news that the former’s son (Dan Futterman) is getting married to the daughter (Calista Flockhart) of a conservative Senator and his wife (Hackman and Dianne Wiest).
Our Guests:
Few movies are as necessary Pride Month watches as The Birdcage, which is not just a perfect gay film, but a perfect film. Period. It’s a screamingly funny comedy that also has an undeniable amount of heart baked in, ultimately showing what it is to be a family – no coincidence that the Goldman Girls’ “We Are Family” is the cornerstone of the soundtrack. Admittedly, every facet of the production – both in front of and behind the camera – is executed flawlessly, but the joys of this film lie in the acting performances, so that’s where I’m choosing to focus. Of course, those performances are built on the sharp screenplay of Elaine May (which must average out to a zinger every thirty seconds) and the laudable direction of Mike Nichols, who proves, once again, that he is a master at guiding actors on film. Special mention must also be made of Emmanuel Lubeski’s cinematography. The opening tracking shot of South Beach is one for the books and kicks the movie off with a bang.
As stated above, the performances in The Birdcage are what cement it as a comedic masterpiece. Every performance is perfectly calibrated, down to the smaller featured roles like Christine Baranski’s wryly flirtatious birth mother. Point me to a more deserving winner of the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast and I’ll happily explain to you why you’re wrong. In fact, for my money, all five of the actors below should have Oscar nominations for their work here.
Hank Azaria’s outlandish housekeeper, Agador, gives a virtuosic physical comedy performance. When he says he can’t wear shoes because they make him fall down, it in no way prepares you for how riotously funny it is to watch him try (and fail) to survive a night walking around in shoes. Gene Hackman and Dianne Wiest’s ultra-conservative parents are both absolutely hilarious. Hackman’s deadpan delivery, particularly in his stilted monologue about foliage, is a hoot, and Wiest’s unfailingly chipper demeanor just gets all the funnier as it starts to chip away during the dinner party sequence. Her delivery of, “Somebody has to like me best!” before breaking down in tears is one of my favorite moments in the entire movie. On top of all this, their eventual escape from the drag club is nothing short of perfection.
This entire article could be focused on Robin Williams and Nathan Lane, who are both giving career-best performances here. They bring such lived-in qualities to the relationship of Armand and Albert – the way they bicker, the way they walk together – it’s easy to see that these two have been doing this for 20 years. What’s most gratifying about their performances is how comfortable they are as themselves, which is the whole crux of the deception they’re asked to put on. These are two gay men fully at ease with themselves who are being tasked with dismantling that for one night.
Williams wisely decided against playing Albert, opting for the less flamboyant Armand. While his role is no less comic than the rest, he is a decided grounding force to most of the proceedings, and he does it so skillfully. Just thinking of his best moments shows the range he brings to the character – the entire choreographer directive (“Madonna! Madonna! Madonna! But you keep it all inside.”) compared to his exceptional dressing down of his son (“Yes, I’m a middle-aged fag. But I know who I am.”) It’s exquisite work.
Speaking of exquisite, there are not enough words to convey how stunning Nathan Lane is in this movie. Yes, Albert could easily be seen as strictly stereotypical, but not for one moment do you doubt that this is who Albert is and how secure he is in himself, even in his most overdramatic moments. Like Williams, Lane’s adept comic sensibilities are what make his performance sing – from his piercing of the toast to any number of his lines as he masquerades as Mother Coleman in front of the Keeleys (my personal favorite being the explanation of why they keep confusing their last name “Cole of the Isle of Man in France”). That these are balanced by moments of true heartbreak are what level it up to masterful. Lane does so little, just the lowering of his voice’s volume or a slight saddening of the eyes, but just that slight departure from his more vivacious persona makes dialogue like, “I’m not young, I’m not new and everyone laughs at me. I’m quite aware of how ridiculous I am,” land like a gut-punch. In a just world, Lane would have been winning every Best Actor award in existence that year.
If you’ve never seen The Birdcage, there’s never been a better time than Pride month to fix that (though, admittedly, this is a movie that I classify as an “anytime” watch). If you haven’t revisited it in a while, do so as soon as you can. It remains fresh and hysterical on every single rewatch. Between the constant laughs and the perfectly deployed slapstick – seriously, the entire dinner sequence is genius – there’s joy of a different kind to see too. A happily settled gay couple going above and beyond for their child’s happiness. If that’s not family, I don’t know what is. Happy Pride!
The Birdcage, like only the best Mike Nichols-directed films, is pretty flawless to a degree that its brilliance goes overlooked in favor of more visually risk-taking features from auteurs of Nichols’ generation. Featuring one of the greatest ensembles ever formed, each actor regardless of the size of their part, brings a necessary charisma to make this narrative so impactful. Whether it’s the genuine chemistry between Williams and Lane as lovers, the chaotic support of Hank Azaria, or the pleasant humor of Wiest and Hackman as the disapproving parents, each cast member brings their all to the comedic drama.
Nichols reuniting with Elaine May, who adapts the screenplay from the play La Cage aux Folles, imbues this production with such comforting moments of comedy. I could watch this film multiple times throughout my life and have done so since first discovering it decades ago.
The film earning its sole Academy Award nomination for Art Direction is absolutely deserved as the production values of this film are indeed stunning with so much character detail featured that lifts up the uniqueness of this narrative. The Birdcage for its brilliance is sadly a film of its kind no longer made by major film studios. Yet nearly three decades from its original release we must do our best to appreciate its greatness and yearn for the day when movies of its kind can be made again.
The Team:
This was my first time seeing The Birdcage and I’m grateful for the programming opportunity to both check out the film as the beginning of our Pride/Riot theme and as a final homage to Gene Hackman as well. While I enjoyed The Birdcage, I don’t think it hit profoundly for me either as a comedy or a drama. That said, the film totally works and clicks together and I understand the beloved status it has garnered. I’m just not necessarily much of a farce guy, all told. By that I mean, this is a farce that works, is filled with earnest performances, ratcheting tension and ridiculousness, all paced quite well. That kind of thing just isn’t necessarily what’s going to make me laugh out loud. In terms of pure comedy, I feel that Hank Azaria’s Agador steals this show if one is simply gauging how many times I actually did laugh out loud. The bit where he can’t wear shoes is just pure comedy gold.
But probably the biggest highlight of the film was the sincerity. The inherent tragedy of the entire premise of needing to hide a loving, committed, (if high maintenance), gay marriage to appease powerful outsiders really comes through due to the incredible chemistry and connection between Robin Williams’ Armand and Nathan Lane’s Albert. Sure, the film is flamboyant, over the top, and ludicrous at times. But the beating heart is there from the earliest moments and the genuine love and earnest sadness of having to hide comes through in ways I didn’t expect for a film with such a raucous reputation. I will say I’ll never unsee the horrifying visual of Gene Hackman in drag, but dammit, the man committed to the bit and the image is indelible.
Two words: Hank Azaria. HANK FUCKING AZARIA. I’ll never get over how much I love him in this film.
Ok, now that that’s out of the way. This is not only a great film, but a landmark. While not the first Hollywood film with LGBTQ+ lead characters, it celebrates these characters in a fun, comedic way that few films before it did and was the first queer film to achieve such levels of commercial success. The film is unapologetically queer, while also normalizing gay lifestyles in both big and casual ways. The mixed cast of actors of different sexualities and orientations, including a handful of actors who were at the top of the Hollywood food chain, and many playing roles different than their own, also helps to hit home the clear intent of the film to normalize lifestyles not considered normal at the time.
Thematically built on family, love, and facing the stigmas of its day, it’s proven a timeless tale. Watching children grow up, blending families together, and unconditional love… the themes of family and what we’re able and willing to put aside for family will always resonate. This is especially true when you have such a strong script and cast.
This all said, I cannot understate the cackle I cackled when Hackman’s Senator Kevin Keeley dismisses getting the wedding blessed by Billy Graham because he’s “too liberal”.
Comedy-wise, The Birdcage hasn’t aged a day. The pacing brilliantly serves both the farcical and romantic comedy sides to the movie, while the soundtrack and production design help to make the world that Armand and Albert share truly pop off the screen. Many comedic moments remain classics, including Agador (Hank Azaria’s) hopelessly failing at being a butler, Louise’s (Wiest) ongoing attempts to make the best of everything, Kevin’s (Hackman) description of trees and leaves, and all of Albert’s many surprised wails and cries. The movie’s dialogue only adds to the laughter. Lines such as Armand describing their current predicament by saying: “It’s like riding a psychotic horse toward a burning stable,” remain priceless. Every viewing is another chance to marvel at the very special rhythm throughout the near-impeccable script. Quips like: “’You look tired’ means ‘you look old’ and ‘you look rested’ means ‘you’ve had collagen,’” prove it rarely gets any better than this.
Seeing The Birdcage in theaters back in 1996, I wasn’t sure I was ready for all the jokes that were being thrown at me or the significance behind them. Truth be told, it took me a couple of minutes to realize that was Hackman dressed in drag in the finale. What I did know was that the movie’s brilliant use of physical comedy and zany energy made it a winner in my eyes.
Watching the movie in recent years, it’s hard to overstate just how incredibly revolutionary a feat it was. Even more incredible is the pedigree behind the project, which, besides its A-list cast, includes top-tier director Mike Nichols and legendary screenwriter Elaine May. Clashing political ideologies, a gay romance, ethnic divides, and drag queens are all key themes within The Birdcage, and each one manages to give a stellar look at the ‘90s relationship with those elements. If all that wasn’t enough, The Birdcage also brilliantly challenges the audience to ask themselves: What actually defines a family? In an age where drag shows are repeatedly under attack and the two parties have never been further apart, The Birdcage stands as a hilarious and poignant reminder of not only what’s changed, but what still needs to change.
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Two Cents Celebrates the month of June with Pride/Riot
Join us all month long for a collection of titles that spotlight the LGBTQ+ community with a mix of heart, edge, and defiance.
June 9 – The Death & Life of Martha P. Johnston (Netflix)
June 16 – Velvet Goldmine (Internet Archive)
June 23 – Stranger By The Lake– (Criterion Channel, Kanopy)
June 30 – BPM (Kanopy, Pluto)
