The Birdcage

Mike Nichols, 1996, USA, Colour, 117 mins, Certificate: 15

Yes, this is our uplifting pick to celebrate this June’s AKA Pride Month’s 56th Stonewall Riots (a cornerstone of LGBTQ history) anniversary and theme “Activism & Social Change”, that will feed your thoughts and fill your heart to the brim.

It is also our unconventional tribute to the late, great Gene Hackman, shining here in one of his rare comedic roles, opposite the legend of comedic genius that Robin Williams was, is and always will be.

And yes, sure, this is the Oscar nominated, American remake (one of the best ever, according to The Guardian) of the hit French farce, La Cage Aux Folles, about a gay couple trying to pass as straight, when the extremely conservative parents of their son’s fiance come to visit, with a stellar, Screen Actors Guild winning, cast that also include the incomparable Nathan Lane, Dianne Wiest, Hank Azaria and Christine Baranski.

But the one thing you really need to know about this film? It is hilarious.

And we mean crying out, breathless, thick tears, stomach aching, funny.

Reviews:

“What’s impressive is how relatively progressive The Birdcage still feels, within the context of mainstream cinema … Indeed, even if it was made by a straight director and a big studio, [it] remains a pillar in the landscape of queer cinema. As the film draws to a close… all the film’s gay characters are still breathing. Not only that: they’re laughing. [29] years later, the characters’ laughter, and the laughter they inspire, is a sound of joy and relief that remains a force of healing for LGBTQ+ viewers.” Emily Maskell, BBC Culture

“… The Birdcage is extremely ahead of its time as a queer film… [It] is not a film driven by plot. Instead, its central focus is on the characters and that’s why the performances of Lane, Williams and Hank Azaria specifically have shined through into pop culture immortality… The use of comedy, star performances and representations of nontraditional families (at the time queer representations in film were still largely stigmatized and sexualized) make this film fun while also doing very important work… [introducing us to] the joy of gay culture” Grace LaNasa, The Film Dispatch