This film is very funny. If you don't know the story then I won't spoiled it. Just think of it as "Meet the Gay Parents". If I tell you more about the set-up it will spoil it. Robin Williams stars. It was also a shame that Hank Azaria or Nathan Lane were snubbed Academy Award Nomination. MGM released the film in 1996 and it was one of the highest grossing films of the year. Sadly they have neglected the film on home video. There has been no elaborate DVD or Blu-Ray! There was a television cut that ran 20 minutes longer and those scenes never been released on dvd even as a bonus feature.Also there is number that Nathan Lane at the beginning of the film that was cut. I think it was a Judy garland number. He would like the scene released as well! Well MGM how about a great release of this film.

The Birdcage is a fantastic movie with a really well written storyline and an outstanding comedic cast. It's a really refreshing and unique comedy, there really isn't any other film quite like it, it's very driven by the characters, more so than the story itself, which I really liked, a lot of their dialogue had absolutely nothing to do with developing the story and to keep it moving, and these parts are certainly my favourite. It's runtime was a bit unnecessary, for a film as goofy and flamboyant as this, I think a ninety minute run is really as long as it needs to be, it's not that I didn't enjoy the two hours, I just felt it didn't need to be that long. The cast is superb and all suit their characters perfectly, Robin Williams and Nathan Lane certainly have the best scenes together, improvising the majority of their lines, I also thought Hank Azaria was outstanding as Agador, and seeing Gene Hackman play such a serious role in a goofy film was very funny. Packed with non stop laughs and superb comedic performances, I would recommend the Birdcage to anyone looking for a good comedy. A man makes his gay parents pretend to be a husband and wife as he plans to marry a woman with political parents. Best Performance: Robin Williams

Don't believe all the pretentious snobs who want you to know that they've seen the french version. This is funny whether it's a copy or not. Nathan Lane and Hank Azaria are fantastic. They show it here on free to air about four times a year and it's hard not to watch it yet again. It's worth me watching just to hear my wife laughing her head off. I think those who criticise the movie as being insensitive are trying to take it too seriously when it's just meant to be a bit of fun. If it wasn't a comedy and gay people were portrayed this way then it might be offensive but it's a comedy and so there are stereotypes and the stereotypes are meant to be funny - not to be taken seriously. Watch it and have a laugh.

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.