Birds of a feather: 20 fabulous facts about 1996’s box office hit ‘The Birdcage’
The Birdcage, directed by Mike Nichols and released in 1996, tells the story of Armand (Robin Williams) and his partner, Albert (Nathan Lane), who run a gay nightclub in South Beach, Florida.
When their son, Val (Dan Futterman) announces he is engaged to Barbara (Calista Flockhart), the daughter of a prominent far-right politician, Armand and Albert attempt to “de-gay” their home in anticipation of meeting Barbara’s parents.
Not only is it an endlessly quotable blast—The Birdcage is also one of the earliest mainstream queer movies to become a box office and critical success. With a message that emphasizes being proud of who you are, here are 20 facts you may not know about The Birdcage.The 1978 French film directed by Édouard Molinaro was such a huge hit in its home country and abroad that it inspired a 1983 Broadway musical, which had a book written by Harvey Fierstein.But before it was a film or a musical, La Cage Aux Folles (direct translation, “The Cage Of Madwomen”) was a farcical play by French artist Jean Poiret.
The stars and director of the original film reunited for La Cage Aux Folles II in ’78, a wacky sequel that involves a spy subplot and a trip to Italy.
