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Comedy

The Birdcage (1996): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

The Birdcage (1996) movie poster

The Birdcage is a 1996 comedy directed by Mike Nichols, starring Robin Williams, Nathan Lane and Gene Hackman. It runs 1 hour 57 minutes and earned $185.3 million worldwide. It won 1 award from 5 nominations, one of them 1 Oscar nomination. Critics gave it 71 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.2/10.

IMDb rating
7.2/10
worldwide gross
$185.3M
award won
1
Metascore
71
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The Birdcage (1996) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 57m (117 min)
Director
Mike Nichols
Genre
Comedy
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Birdcage About?

The premise of The Birdcage without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A vibrant Miami drag club owner and his partner must hide their relationship from the conservative father of the woman their son is engaged to. When a Republican senator comes to accept the couple's family, hilarious chaos ensues as they try to maintain a facade of normalcy. The mismatched families struggle to harmonize, leading to a series of comical misunderstandings and outrageous situations.

The Birdcage Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • gay father
  • pretending to be someone else
  • man pretends to be a woman
  • charade
  • pretense
  • sham
  • united states of america
  • florida
  • effeminate man
  • senator
  • south beach
  • nightclub
+38 more
  • drag queen
  • same sex parents
  • pretending to be straight
  • fiance fiancee relationship
  • sex scandal
  • conservative morals
  • gay couple
  • pantyhose
  • jewish
  • father son relationship
  • female impersonator
  • cross dressing
  • gay parent
  • dance
  • reference to bob fosse
  • f rated
  • remake
  • remake of european film
  • transvestite
  • american remake of european film
  • american remake of french film
  • male to female cross dressing
  • literature on screen
  • french literature on screen
  • european literature on screen
  • identity crisis
  • identity
  • sexual identity
  • family relationships
  • cross dresser
  • morality
  • comedy of manners
  • barefoot male
  • gay protagonist
  • gay character
  • gender issues
  • disguise
  • hiding place
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Cast & crew

The Birdcage Cast

Robin Williams leads the cast, with Nathan Lane and Gene Hackman. Directed by Mike Nichols.

From the director

More from Mike Nichols

More films directed by Mike Nichols, best-rated first: The Graduate, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Carnal Knowledge and Primary Colors.

Full filmography
Ratings

The Birdcage Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave The Birdcage 71 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.2/10.

Plot

The Birdcage Plot Summary

What happens in The Birdcage from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

The story begins at the vibrant Birdcage nightclub in South Beach, Miami, which is owned by the charming Armand Goldman. Armand, portrayed by Robin Williams, is a nurturing gay Jewish man in a committed relationship with Albert, the club’s flamboyant drag queen star played by Nathan Lane. Their lives take an unexpected turn when Armand’s son, Val, returns from college with exciting news: he plans to marry his school friend, Barbara Keeley. However, this union has a twist; Barbara has fed her conservative parents, including her father Kevin Keeley, a prominent politician, a fabricated story about Val’s family, claiming that they are a traditional and upscale household, with Val’s father being a cultural attaché for Greece.

Full summary

The whole story of The Birdcage, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

The Birdcage Box Office

The Birdcage grossed $185.3 million worldwide. $124.1 million came from the US and Canada and $61.2 million (33%) from the rest of the world.

1996 box office

Worldwide gross

$185.3M

US & Canada
$124.1M
International
$61.2M
US & Canada 67% Rest of the world 33%
Awards

The Birdcage Awards & Nominations

The Birdcage won 1 award from 5 nominations, one of them 1 Oscar nomination. Its biggest night was the Actor Awards (SAG) 1997, with 1 win from 2 nominations.

1 win5 nominations3 ceremonies

Videos

The Birdcage Trailers & Videos

9 videos: 2 trailers, 5 clips and 2 featurettes.

All 9 videos
Original Trailer
  • Trailer Trailer
  • Clip 'Family Dinner' Full Scene
  • Clip Dance Rehearsal Scene
  • Clip Albert's Backstage Breakdown Scene
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Birdcage?

9 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 9

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered

What is the main setting of 'The Birdcage'?

Cars

Cars in The Birdcage

27 cars on screen, including the 1994 BMW 325i Cabrio E36 and the 1957 Ford Thunderbird.

All 27 cars
  • 1994 BMW 325i Cabrio E36 in The Birdcage 1994 BMW 325i Cabrio E36 Important role
  • 1957 Ford Thunderbird in The Birdcage 1957 Ford Thunderbird Important role
  • 1995 Lincoln Town Car in The Birdcage 1995 Lincoln Town Car Important role
  • 1992 Ford Econoline in The Birdcage 1992 Ford Econoline Minor role
Details

The Birdcage Also Known As

29 alternative titles, including “Gaiola das Loucas” and “Vtáčia klietka”.

Also known as
  • Gaiola das Loucas
  • Vtáčia klietka
  • La jaula de las locas
  • Una jaula de grillos
  • The Birdcage - Ein Paradies für schrille Vögel
  • Piume di struzzo
  • 鸟笼
  • Клетка для пташек
  • Ptačí klec
  • Casa de Doidas
  • Klatka dla ptaków
  • Madárfészek
+17 more
  • כלוב הציפורים
  • Kuş Kafesi
  • A Gaiola das Loucas
  • Кавез за птице
  • Клетка за птици
  • バードケージ
  • 버드케이지
  • Ptičja kletka
  • The Birdcage - lånta fjädrar
  • Cabaret în familie
  • Φτερά και Πούπουλα, გალია ჩიტებისთვის
  • L’olla de grills
  • The Birdcage - lainahöyhenissä
  • Narvelis
  • Клітка для пташок
  • คุณนายหัวใจเต๊าะแต๊ะ
  • 假鳳虛凰

Seen The Birdcage?

FAQ

The Birdcage FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of The Birdcage, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Birdcage?

The Birdcage runs 1 hour 57 minutes (117 minutes).

When was The Birdcage released?

The Birdcage was released on March 8, 1996.

Who directed The Birdcage?

The Birdcage was directed by Mike Nichols.

More films by Mike Nichols

Who is in the cast of The Birdcage?

The Birdcage stars Robin Williams, Nathan Lane and Gene Hackman.

How much did The Birdcage make at the box office?

The Birdcage grossed $185.3 million worldwide ($124.1 million domestic, $61.2 million international).

How is The Birdcage rated?

The Birdcage has 7.2/10 on IMDb and 71 on Metacritic.

What awards did The Birdcage win?

The Birdcage won 1 award from 5 nominations, including Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the Actor Awards (SAG) 1997.

Does The Birdcage have a post-credit scene?

No. The Birdcage has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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