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{{Short description|1996 film by Mike Nichols}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = The Birdcage
| image          = Birdcage_imp.jpg
| alt            = 
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Mike Nichols]]
| producer       = Mike Nichols
| screenplay     = [[Elaine May]]
| based_on       = {{Plainlist|
* {{based on|''[[La Cage aux Folles (play)|La Cage aux Folles]]''|[[Jean Poiret]]}}
* {{based on|''[[La Cage aux Folles (film)|La Cage aux Folles]]''|[[Francis Veber]]|[[Édouard Molinaro]]|Marcello Danon|Jean Poiret}}
}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Robin Williams]]
* [[Gene Hackman]]
* [[Nathan Lane]]
* [[Dianne Wiest]]
}}
| music          = [[Jonathan Tunick]]
| cinematography = [[Emmanuel Lubezki]]
| editing        = [[Arthur Schmidt (film editor)|Arthur Schmidt]]
| studio         = {{Plainlist|
* [[United Artists]]
* Nichols Film Company
}}
| distributor    = {{Plainlist|
* [[MGM/UA Distribution Co.]] (United States)
* [[United International Pictures]] (International)
}}
| released       = {{Film date|1996|3|8}}
| runtime        = 117 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $31 million<ref>{{cite web| title=The Birdcage| url=http://powergrid.thewrap.com/project/birdcage| website=[[TheWrap]]| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920121958/http://powergrid.thewrap.com/project/birdcage| archive-date=2015-09-20}}</ref>
| gross          = $17.3million<ref name=BOM/>
}}
'''''The Birdcage''''' is a 1996 American [[comedy film]] produced and directed by [[Mike Nichols]]. [[Elaine May]]'s screenplay adapted the 1976 French film ''[[La Cage aux Folles (film)|La Cage aux Folles]]'', itself an adaptation of a [[La Cage aux Folles (play)|1973 play]]. It stars [[Robin Williams]] and [[Nathan Lane]] as a gay couple whose son ([[Dan Futterman]]) is set to marry the daughter ([[Calista Flockhart]]) of a conservative senator ([[Gene Hackman]]) and his wife ([[Dianne Wiest]]). [[Hank Azaria]] and [[Christine Baranski]] appear in supporting roles. The film marked the first screen collaboration of [[Nichols and May]], who had been a comedy duo in the 1950s and 1960s.

''The Birdcage'' was released on March 8, 1996, to positive reviews and significant commercial success. It debuted at the top of the North American box office and stayed there for the following three weeks, grossing $17.35 million worldwide on a $31 million budget. It is seen as groundbreaking because it was one of few films from a [[Major film studios|major studio]] to feature [[LGBT]] characters at its center. The cast received notable praise and was awarded the [[Screen Actors Guild Awards|Screen Actors Guild Award]] for [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture|Outstanding Performance by a Cast]]. ''The Birdcage'' also received a nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction]] at the [[69th Academy Awards]].

==Plot==
Armand Goldman is the openly gay owner of a [[Drag queen|drag]] club in [[South Beach]] called "The Birdcage"; his effete and flamboyant partner Albert is the star attraction of the club under the name Starina. They live together in an apartment above The Birdcage with Agador, an openly gay and equally flamboyant Guatemalan housekeeper who aspires to be in Armand's drag show.

Armand's 20-year-old son Val, who is the product of Armand's drunken one-night stand with a woman named Katharine, returns home to announce that he is engaged to be married to a young woman named Barbara. Although Armand and Albert are both less than happy about the news, they agree to support Val.

Barbara's parents are the ultra-[[Conservatism|conservative]] [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Senator Kevin Keeley, co-founder of a conservative group called the Coalition for Moral Order, and his wife Louise. Kevin initially opposes Barbara's engagement. However, he soon becomes embroiled in a political scandal when the Coalition's other co-founder and Kevin's fellow senator is found dead in the bed of an underage Black prostitute. Louise convinces him that Barbara's wedding will shore up his image as an upright family man, but the Senator is concerned that Val's family will refuse to let it go ahead because of the scandal, and so insists that they cannot announce the engagement to the press until he's spoken to Val's parents and can be sure the wedding will go ahead. To this end, the Keeleys plan a visit to South Beach.

Barbara shares with Val news of her father's plan. To conceal the truth about the Goldmans, she has told her parents that Armand is straight, named Coleman (to hide that they are [[Jews|Jewish]]) and is a [[cultural attaché]] to Greece. Armand dislikes the idea of being forced into [[Closeted|the closet]], but agrees to play along, enlisting the help of friends and club employees to redecorate the apartment to more closely resemble a traditional household. Val and Armand attempt to keep Albert out of the house, but when they fail, Albert suggests that he will pose as Val's straight uncle. Armand contacts Katharine and explains the situation; she promises to come to the party and pretend to be his wife. Armand tries to coach Albert on how to act straight, but Albert's flamboyant nature makes the task difficult. Armand realizes that his plan will not fool anyone. Albert takes offense and locks himself in his room.

The Keeleys arrive at the Goldmans' redecorated apartment; they are greeted by Agador, who is attempting to pass as a Greek butler named Spartacus for the night. Katharine gets caught in traffic, and the Keeleys begin wondering where "Mrs. Coleman" is. Suddenly, Albert enters, dressed and styled as a conservative middle-aged woman. Armand, Val and Barbara are nervous, but Kevin and Louise are fooled by the disguise.

Despite the success of the evening, trouble begins when the senator's chauffeur betrays him to two [[tabloid journalism|tabloid journalists]], Harry Radman and his photographer, who have been hoping for a [[Scoop (news)|scoop]] on the Coalition story and have followed the Keeleys to South Beach. While they research The Birdcage, they also remove a note that Armand has left on the door informing Katharine not to come upstairs. When she arrives, she unknowingly reveals the deceptions, leading Val to confess to the scheme and finally identify Albert as his true parent.

Kevin is initially confused by the situation, but Louise informs him of the truth and scolds him for being more concerned with his career than his family's happiness. When attempting to leave, he is ambushed by the paparazzi camped outside to take his picture. Albert realizes that there is a way for the family to escape without being recognized. He dresses them in drag, and they use the apartment's back entrance to sneak into The Birdcage, where, by dancing to Sister Sledge's "[[We Are Family (song)|We Are Family]]", they make their way out of the nightclub without incident. Barbara and Val are married in an [[Interfaith officiants|interfaith service]] that both families attend.

==Cast==
{{cast listing|
* [[Robin Williams]] as Armand Goldman
* [[Gene Hackman]] as Senator Kevin Keeley
* [[Nathan Lane]] as Albert Goldman, Armand's longtime partner 
* [[Dianne Wiest]] as Louise Keeley, Kevin's wife
* [[Hank Azaria]] as Agador Spartacus
* [[Christine Baranski]] as Katharine Archer
* [[Dan Futterman]] as Val Goldman, Armand's son
* [[Calista Flockhart]] as Barbara Keeley, Kevin & Louise's daughter
* [[Tom McGowan]] as Harry Radman
* [[Grant Heslov]] as ''[[National Enquirer]]'' photographer
* [[Trina McGee|Trina McGee-Davis]] as Girl on TV/"Chocolate"
}}

==Production==
[[File:13) Carlyle (1941).jpg|thumb|The Carlyle Hotel on [[Ocean Drive (South Beach)|Ocean Drive]] in South Beach served as the exterior stand-in for the film's namesake club during shooting.  ]]

===Development and writing===
Mike Nichols was originally involved as the director of the [[La Cage aux Folles (musical)|1983 Broadway adaptation]] of ''[[La Cage aux Folles (play)|La Cage aux Folles]]'', but was fired from the production by producer [[Allan Carr]].<ref name="Weinraub">{{Cite news |last=Weinraub |first=Bernard |author-link=Bernard Weinraub |date=March 12, 1996 |title=Birdcage' Shows Growth In Older Audience's Power |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/12/movies/birdcage-shows-growth-in-older-audience-s-power.html |access-date=2023-11-07}}</ref> In 1994, Nichols convinced [[John Calley]], then the head of [[United Artists]], who owned the rights to the [[La Cage aux Folles (film)|original 1978 film version]], to renew the option with him as a director and producer.<ref name="Svetkey">{{cite news |last1=Svetkey |first1=Benjamin |title=''The Birdcage''{{'}}s success |url=https://ew.com/article/1996/03/29/birdcages-success/ |access-date=8 November 2023 |work=EW.com |date=March 29, 1996}}</ref>{{Sfn|Harris|2021|pp=479-479}} Calley, a longtime friend of Nichols, said, "I asked Mike if there was anything we owned that interested him. And he said, 'You own a project that has one of the greatest comedy structures.' We got the rest of the rights, and he said he wanted to call Elaine and ask her to do it. The next day she said yes."<ref name="Weinraub" />

Among the changes that Elaine May added to the film's plot was renaming the character of Georges to Armand and Albin to Albert.{{Sfn|Harris|2021|p=479}} She also adapted the plot line about the potential in-law characters as a conservative Moral Majority politician and his wife, to address [[Right-wing politics|right-wing]] [[Anti-LGBT rhetoric|anti-LGBT sentiment]] that was in the news at that time.{{Sfn|Harris|2021|p=479}}<ref name="BBC" />

Nichols did research for the film by traveling with May and production designer Bo Welch to [[drag show]]s in Chicago and Savannah. After going to a drag show in South Beach at Welch's suggestion, Nichols decided to change the film's setting from New Orleans to South Beach.{{Sfn|Harris|2021|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=VeUlEAAAQBAJ&pg=481 481-482]}}

===Casting===
Nichols envisioned Robin Williams and [[Steve Martin]] in the roles of Albert and Armand, respectively, but Martin turned it down because he did not think that he would be able to bring the [[Camp (style)|camp]] quality required for the part, and Williams did not want to play Albert because he had already played a flamboyant character in ''[[Mrs. Doubtfire]]''.{{Sfn|Harris|2021|pp=479-480}}<ref name="Weinraub" /> When Williams decided that he wanted to play Armand, Nichols settled on Nathan Lane as Albert. Lane had already committed to starring in a [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] production of ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'', but Nichols convinced producer [[Scott Rudin]] to postpone the musical so that Lane could star in the film.<ref name="mcall">{{cite news |last1=Peterson |first1=Margie |title=Nathan Lane on enduring impact of 'The Birdcage': 'People still talk to me about it' |url=https://www.mcall.com/2017/10/13/nathan-lane-on-enduring-impact-of-the-birdcage-people-still-talk-to-me-about-it/ |access-date=15 November 2023 |work=[[The Morning Call]] |date=2017-10-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204082103/https://www.mcall.com/2017/10/13/nathan-lane-on-enduring-impact-of-the-birdcage-people-still-talk-to-me-about-it/ |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> Gene Hackman said that taking a role in the cast was an opportunity for him to return to his [[improvisational comedy]] roots.{{sfn|Advocate|1996|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=VmMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA66 p. 66]}}

Nichols originally conceived of British actor [[Adrian Lester]] in the role of Agador, but reworked the role after he and Lester came to a mutual agreement that showing a Black person in the role of a housekeeper would connote racist undertones.{{Sfn|Harris|2021|pp=480-481}} Hank Azaria, who was eventually cast, said, "I worked up different versions [of Agador]. One was more understated, barely obviously gay, almost a street tough. And one was the character that ended up in the movie. Both felt real to me—I had grown up with Puerto Rican street queens who were very effeminate and flamboyant and others who weren't. I tried both versions out for a friend who was a drag queen, asked which one he liked better, and got his seal of approval."{{Sfn|Harris|2021|p=481}}

=== Filming ===
Williams and Lane, both known for being comic improvisers, were allowed to improvise during weeks-long rehearsals before filming. Nichols and May took the best parts from the rehearsals because Nichols wanted to shoot the film like a play, without too much editing.<ref name="Gainesville" /><ref name="AVclub">{{cite news |last1=Harris |first1=Will |title=Hank Azaria |url=https://www.avclub.com/hank-azaria-1798227403 |access-date=15 November 2023 |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=September 14, 2011}}</ref>

Although filming primarily took place in Los Angeles,<ref name="Gainesville" /> exterior shots included the Carlyle Hotel in [[Miami Beach, Florida|Miami Beach]], [[Ocean Drive (South Beach)|Ocean Drive]], and the [[Miami Beach Architectural District|Art Deco District]].<ref name="Carlyle">{{cite news |last1=Goyanes |first1=Ily |title=Celluloid City: ''The Birdcage'' Filmed on Miami Beach and at The Carlyle Hotel |url=https://www.miaminewtimes.com/arts/celluloid-city-the-birdcage-filmed-on-miami-beach-and-at-the-carlyle-hotel-6510588 |access-date=8 November 2023 |work=[[Miami New Times]] |date=September 29, 2010}}</ref>

Although the studio had initial reservations about the film's politics, particularly its portrayal of conservative characters, Calley said, "Mike anticipated [the concerns] eight or nine months ago. He said, 'By the time the movie comes out, you won't be able to parody these guys anymore; they'll be parodying themselves.'"<ref name="Weinraub" />

==Soundtrack==
{{Infobox album
| name         = ''The Birdcage'': Original United Artists Motion Picture Soundtrack
| type         = soundtrack
| artist       = various artists
| cover        = 
| alt          = 
| released     = May 21, 1996
| recorded     = 
| venue        = 
| studio       = 
| genre        = [[Dance music|Dance/club]], [[disco]], [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]]
| length       = 
| label        = Edel America 
| producer     = 
}}
{{Music ratings
|rev1=[[AllMusic]]
|rev1Score={{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-birdcage-mw0000081101 |title=The Birdcage |last=Ruhlmann |first=William |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=2023-11-08}}</ref>
}}
 
Three songs written by [[Stephen Sondheim]] were adapted and arranged for the film by composer [[Jonathan Tunick]].<ref name="Gainesville" /> Albert's first song (as Starina) is "Can That Boy Foxtrot", cut from Sondheim's ''[[Follies]]''. "Little Dream" was written specifically for the film, ultimately used during Albert's rehearsal with the gum-chewing dancer.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kimmel |first=Bruce |url=http://www.sondheim.com/shows/the_birdcage/ |title=The Birdcage |website=[[Stephen Sondheim|Sondheim.com]] |access-date=May 10, 2012}}</ref> While Armand and Katharine dance in her office, they sing "Love Is in the Air", cut from ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]].''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sondheim.com/shows/a_funny_thing_happened/#cut_songs |title=A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum |website=Sondheim.com |access-date=May 10, 2012}}</ref>

In addition to Sondheim's contributions, Tunick utilized popular dance and disco hits, such as [[Donna Summer]]'s "[[She Works Hard for the Money]]" and [[Sister Sledge]]'s "[[We Are Family (song)|We Are Family]]", along with [[Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine]]'s "[[Conga (song)|Conga]]".

===Track listing===
# "We Are Family" - Goldman Girls
# "[[William Tell Overture]]" - Stephen Goldstein
# "She Works Hard for the Money" - [[Donna Summer]]
# "Can That Boy Foxtrot" - [[Nathan Lane]]
# "Mi Guajira" - [[Cachao]]
# "Little Dream" - Nathan Lane
# "[[No Pain for Cakes|No Pain For Cakes]]" - [[The Lounge Lizards]]
# "Love Is In The Air" - [[Christine Baranski]], [[Robin Williams]]
# "[[I Could Have Danced All Night]]" - [[Hank Azaria]], [[Gene Hackman]], Nathan Lane, Robin Williams, [[Dianne Wiest]]
# "We Are Family (Reprise)" - Goldman Girls
# "Family Salsa" - Stephen Goldstein
# "Conga" - Gloria Estefan, [[Miami Sound Machine]]

==Reception==
===Box office===
''The Birdcage'' opened on March 8, 1996, and earned $18,275,828 in its opening weekend, topping the box office.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oshkosh-northwestern-birdcage-no/124960879/ |title='Birdcage' No. 1 at weekend box office |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519151535/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oshkosh-northwestern-birdcage-no/124960879/ |date=March 11, 1996 |access-date=May 19, 2023 |archive-date=May 19, 2023 |page=27 |newspaper=[[Oshkosh Northwestern|The Oshkosh Northwestern]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/1996W10/ |title=Weekend Box Office: March 8-10, 1996 Weekend |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=May 10, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Weinraub" /> It remained on top for the next three weeks before being derailed by ''[[Primal Fear (film)|Primal Fear]]'' and ''[[A Thin Line Between Love and Hate]].'' By the end of its 14-week run, the film had grossed $124,060,553 domestically and $61,200,000 internationally, eventually reaching a worldwide total of $185,260,553.<ref name = BOM>{{mojo title|birdcage|The Birdcage}}</ref>

===Critical response===
''The Birdcage'' received positive reviews on release.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dresden |first=Hilton |date=December 29, 2023 |title=Hollywood Flashback: The Cast of ‘The Birdcage’ Soared at the 1997 SAG Awards |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/hollywood-flashback-the-birdcage-1997-sag-awards-1235776282/ |access-date=August 26, 2025 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |quote=met with positive reviews}}</ref> On the [[Review aggregator|review aggregation]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an 85% approval score, based on reviews from 65 critics, with an average rating of 7/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Mike Nichols wrangles agreeably amusing performances from Robin Williams and Nathan Lane in this fun, if not quite essential, remake of the French-Italian comedy ''La Cage aux Folles''."<ref name="tomatoes">{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/birdcage/ |title=The Birdcage (1996) |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=July 2, 2025}}</ref> [[Metacritic]] reports a score of 72/100 based on reviews from 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-birdcage| title=''The Birdcage'' |website=[[Metacritic]] }}</ref>

Film critic [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' awarded the film three stars out of four, writing that while the material will be familiar to those who have seen the original 1978 film or its Broadway incarnation, "what makes Mike Nichols'[s] version more than just a retread is good casting in the key roles, and a wicked screenplay by Elaine May, who keeps the original story but adds little zingers here and there ('Live on Fisher Island and get buried in Palm Beach - that way you'll get the best of Florida!')".<ref name="Ebert">{{cite web |last1=Ebert |first1=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=The Birdcage |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-birdcage-1996 |website=RogerEbert.com |access-date=7 November 2023 |date=March 8, 1996}}</ref>

In his review for ''[[The Washington Post]]'', [[Hal Hinson]] noted the film's subversiveness, commenting, "While politicians like Keeley talk a good game of family values, it's Armand and his nontraditional clan who have the stable home life. They are a family."<ref name="Hinson">{{cite news |last1=Hinson |first1=Hal |author-link=Hal Hinson |title='The Birdcage': A Wingding of a Show |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/birdcage.htm#hinson |access-date=15 November 2023 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=March 8, 1996}}</ref>

[[Desson Thomson]] of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' described the film as "a spirited remake of the French drag farce [that] has everything in place, from eyeliner to one-liner".<ref name="WP">{{cite news| title=These 'Cage' Birds Sing| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/birdcage.htm#howe| last=Thomson| first=Desson |author-link=Desson Thomson |date=March 8, 1996| newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>

[[Owen Gleiberman]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' called the film "Enchantingly witty".<ref name="EW">{{cite news| title=The Birdcage| url=https://ew.com/article/1996/03/15/birdcage/| first=Owen| last=Gleiberman |author-link=Owen Gleiberman | date=March 15, 1996 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly| access-date=July 2, 2020}}</ref>

In ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', [[Todd McCarthy]] called the movie "a scream", adding, "Just as in their routines when they were a team in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Nichols and May are at their best with political and cultural humor. A reactionary politician is an easy target, of course, but the digs at Hackman's public image-obsessed senator are relentlessly clever and on the mark, as are the jibes at unscrupulous journalists. Final exchange of dialogue, involving Hackman's character, brings down the house in the manner of the famous 'nobody's perfect' line in ''[[Some Like It Hot]]''."<ref name="McCarthy">{{cite news |last1=McCarthy |first1=Todd |title=The Birdcage |url=https://variety.com/1996/film/reviews/the-birdcage-2-1200445467/ |access-date=8 November 2023 |work=Variety |date=March 3, 1996}}</ref> McCarthy concluded, "Lane has all the showy opportunities as the ultra-feminine Albert, and this outstanding Broadway star, little seen up to now in films, makes the most of them, mincing, pouting, posing and cavorting to hilarious and heartwarming effect. Although the gay lifestyles on display here are decidedly old school, the characters' underlying fierce pride, along with the piece's resilient defense of an alternative family structure, will win over all but the most doctrinaire political standard-bearers."<ref name="McCarthy" />

[[James Berardinelli]] wrote in ''[[ReelViews]]'', "The film is so boisterously entertaining that it's easy for the unsuspecting viewer not to realize that there's a message here."<ref name="Ryll 2014">{{cite web |first=James |last=Berardinelli |author-link=James Berardinelli |year=1996 |title=Birdcage, The (United States, 1996) |website=ReelViews |access-date=July 2, 2020 |url=https://www.reelviews.net/reelviews/birdcage-the}}</ref>

[[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' gave the film a positive review, especially praising Williams's performance: "...this is one of his most cohesive and least antic performances. It's also a mischievously funny one: He does a fine job of integrating gag lines with semi-serious acting..."<ref name="Maslin">{{cite news| title=Film Review: The Birdcage| last=Maslin| first=Janet |author-link=Janet Maslin |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/film/the_birdcage.html |date=March 8, 1996| newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url-access=subscription| access-date=July 2, 2020}}</ref>

In his review for ''[[The Advocate (magazine)|The Advocate]]'', [[Lance Loud]] commented, "Taking on the conservative agenda—more prevalent in our culture today than when the original film came out in 1979—''The Birdcage'' goes beyond mere politics."{{sfn|Advocate|1996|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=VmMEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PA61 pp. 61-63]}} He concluded that the film's "underlying feelings of compassion, tolerance, and understanding are this ''Bird''{{'}}s brightest plumage".{{sfn|Advocate|1996|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=VmMEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PA61 pp. 61-63]}}

Criticisms from the gay community opined that the film contained broad stereotypes of gay people, particularly in its depiction of [[Queen (slang)|effeminate gay men]].<ref name="Svetkey" /><ref name="Vilanch">{{cite magazine |last1=Vilanch |first1=Bruce |author1-link=Bruce Vilanch |title=Battling Over ''The Birdcage'' |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gGMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA51 |access-date=8 November 2023 |magazine=[[The Advocate (magazine)|The Advocate]] |date=April 30, 1996 |page=51}}</ref><ref name="Hinson" /><ref name="mcall" /> In ''The New York Times'', critic [[Bruce Bawer]] wrote that the film reinforces stereotypes that "homosexuals are marginal, superficial creatures with plenty of disposable income and relationships that aren't as solid as heterosexual marriages".<ref name="Bawer">{{cite news |last1=Bawer |first1=Bruce |author1-link=Bruce Bawer |title=FILM VIEW;Why Can't Hollywood Get Gay Life Right? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/10/movies/film-view-why-can-t-hollywood-get-gay-life-right.html |access-date=8 November 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=March 10, 1996}}</ref> In response to the criticisms, Nichols stressed that the film is not meant to reflect the gay community as a whole, commenting, "Our jokes were about divas, about the theater, and about the stars. And some critics responded as if they were about gay people in general. That just isn't so."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Frutkin |first1=Alan |title=Mike Nichols |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T2MEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA104 |access-date=15 November 2023 |work=The Advocate |date=August 20, 1996 |page=104}}</ref>

The [[GLAAD|Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation]] (GLAAD) praised the film for "going beyond the stereotypes to see the characters' depth and humanity. The film celebrates differences and points out the outrageousness of hiding those differences."<ref>{{cite press release| date=March 5, 1996| url=http://www.qrd.org/qrd/orgs/GLAAD/general.information/1996/applauds.birdcage-03.05.96| title=GLAAD Applauds 'The Birdcage'| website=GLAAD| access-date=July 2, 2020}}</ref> The film was also nominated for a [[GLAAD Media Award]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 1, 2011 |title=What to Watch: Thursday, September 1 |url=https://glaad.org/2011/08/01/what-to-watch-thursday-september-1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120725224204/https://glaad.org/2011/08/01/what-to-watch-thursday-september-1 |archive-date=July 25, 2012 |access-date=July 2, 2020 |website=[[GLAAD]]}}</ref>

==Legacy==
''The Birdcage'' represented a major turning point for [[media portrayal of LGBTQ people]].<ref name=Fallon>{{Cite news |last=Fallon |first=Kevin |date=2014-11-20 |title=Out of the Birdcage: How Mike Nichols Made Gay Culture Mainstream |language=en |work=[[The Daily Beast]] |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/11/20/out-of-the-birdcage-how-mike-nichols-made-gay-culture-mainstream |access-date=2023-11-08}}</ref><ref name=Jacobs>{{Cite web |last=Jacobs |first=Matthew |date=2021-03-07 |title=25 Years Later, 'The Birdcage' Is Hollywood's Most Monumental Gay Movie |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-birdcage-hollywood-gay-movie_n_6042585ac5b613cec15d511b |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=[[HuffPost]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Betancourt">{{cite web |last1=Betancourt |first1=Manuel |title="Men Smear!": Revisiting Seminal LGBTQ Comedy ''The Birdcage'' |url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/men-smear-revisiting-seminal-lgbtq-comedy-the-birdcage/ |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=8 November 2023 |date=March 8, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Chiusano">{{cite news |last1=Chiusano |first1=Scott |title=Hank Azaria on working with Robin Williams and the impact 'The Birdcage' has had on LGBT progress as the film turns 20 |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/hank-azaria-working-robin-williams-birdcage-article-1.2581394 |access-date=15 November 2023 |work=[[NY Daily News]] |date=March 29, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310041838/https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/hank-azaria-working-robin-williams-birdcage-article-1.2581394 |archive-date=March 10, 2021}}</ref> ''[[The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert]]'' and ''[[To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar]]'' also featured drag queens and were released prior to ''The Birdcage'', but did not achieve the same level of box-office success, and studio films centering on gay people to that point, such as ''[[Philadelphia (film)|Philadelphia]]'', tended to focus on tragic stories concerning [[HIV/AIDS in the United States|HIV/AIDS]].<ref name=BBC/><ref name="Gainesville">{{cite news |last1=Bridges |first1=C.A. |title=25 years ago, gay families just weren't talked about. Then 'The Birdcage' hit the screen |url=https://eu.gainesville.com/story/entertainment/movies/2021/03/08/the-birdcage-25-years-anniversary-facts-robin-williams-nathan-lane-lgbtq-hollywood-south-beach/4621209001/ |access-date=15 November 2023 |work=[[The Gainesville Sun]] |date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309000810/https://eu.gainesville.com/story/entertainment/movies/2021/03/08/the-birdcage-25-years-anniversary-facts-robin-williams-nathan-lane-lgbtq-hollywood-south-beach/4621209001/ |archive-date=March 9, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> Academic Matthew Jones said that the arrival of ''The Birdcage'', a comedy that celebrated being gay, "helped an audience traumatised by a decade of living day-to-day with the threat of disease and death to laugh again".<ref name="BBC">{{Cite web |last=Maskell |first=Emily |date=10 March 2021 |title=The Birdcage at 25: a gay comedy that broke boundaries |url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20210310-the-birdcage-at-25-a-pioneering-moment-in-mainstream-cinema |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en}}</ref> In 2021, Emily Maskell of the [[BBC]] wrote, "What is particularly astute about the film's comedy is the way in which it mixes its [[Farce|farcical]] hijinks with a [[Satire|satirical]] intent, taking aim at both [[homophobia]] and the crisis of [[masculinity]], as it navigates the infiltration of conservatism into a liberal space."<ref name="BBC" />

Many critics have said that the film's resonance is due to its core theme of family, its depiction of a loving, long-term relationship between two men, and the parents ultimately coming together to make their children happy.<ref name=mcall/> Nathan Lane commented, "Homophobia is still alive and well but there's something about that film that touches people because it's ultimately about family, what you do for your family, why you love your family even though they drive you crazy. Then ultimately — not to sound corny — it's about love. It's about love in both families and coming to accept one another in their differences."<ref name=mcall/>

For the film's 25th anniversary in 2021, [[Turner Classic Movies|TCM]] and [[Fathom Events]] screened ''The Birdcage'' theatrically as part of their Big Screen Classics series.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kirk |first1=Alexander |title='The Birdcage' returns to theaters for 25th anniversary |url=https://www.9news.com/article/entertainment/movies/the-birdcage-25th-anniversary/73-5ff428a5-8282-46d1-bc70-8c925c13427e |access-date=8 November 2023 |work=9news.com |date=June 26, 2021}}</ref>

== Accolades ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Association
! Ceremony Date
! Category
! Recipient
! Results
|-
| rowspan="2" |20/20 Awards
| rowspan="2" |2017
|Best Costume Design
|[[Ann Roth]]
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|Best Art Direction
|[[Bo Welch]]
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|[[Academy Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |title=1997 Academy Awards |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1997 |website=oscars.org |date=October 5, 2014 |access-date=7 November 2023}}</ref>
|[[69th Academy Awards|March 24, 1997]]
|[[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction]]
|Bo Welch<br/>Cheryl Caraski
|{{Nominated}}
|-
| rowspan="4" |[[American Comedy Awards]]<ref name="Mubi">{{cite web |title=The Birdcage - Awards & Festivals |url=https://mubi.com/en/films/the-birdcage/awards |website=[[Mubi (streaming service)|Mubi]] |access-date=8 November 2023}}</ref>
| rowspan="4" |[[American Comedy Awards#1997 awards|1997]]
|[[American Comedy Awards|Funniest Lead Actor in a Motion Picture]]
|[[Nathan Lane]]
|{{WON}}
|-
|[[American Comedy Awards|Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture]]
|[[Hank Azaria]]
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|[[American Comedy Awards|Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture]]
|[[Dianne Wiest]]
|{{WON}}
|-
|[[American Comedy Awards|Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture]]
|[[Christine Baranski]]
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|[[ADG Excellence in Production Design Award|Art Directors Guild Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Winners & Nominees 1997 |url=https://adg.org/awards/adg/winners/1997/ |website=adg.org |access-date=7 November 2023}}</ref>
|[[Art Directors Guild Awards 1996|1997]]
|[[Art Directors Guild Award for Excellence in Production Design for a Feature Film|Feature Film]]
|Bo Welch<br/>Tom Duffield<br/>John Dexter
|{{Nominated}}
|-
| rowspan="3" |Awards Circuit Community Awards
| rowspan="3" |1997
|Best Adapted Screenplay
|[[Francis Veber]]<br/>[[Édouard Molinaro|Edouard Molinaro]]<br/>Marcello Danon<br/>[[Jean Poiret]]<br/>[[Elaine May]]
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|Best Art Direction
|Bo Welch<br/>Cheryl Carasik
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|Honorable Mentions
|[[Mike Nichols]]
|{{Nominated}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Blockbuster Entertainment Awards]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 11, 2023 |title=UPN {{!}} 3rd Blockbuster Entertainment Awards (March 11, 1997) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irm7hFn3rNk |access-date=November 7, 2023 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>
| rowspan="2" |March 11, 1997
|[[Blockbuster Entertainment Awards|Favorite Supporting Actor – Comedy]]
|[[Gene Hackman]]
|{{WON}}
|-
|[[Blockbuster Entertainment Awards|Favorite Supporting Actress – Comedy]]
|Dianne Wiest
|{{WON}}
|-
|[[Casting Society of America|Casting Society of America Awards]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=1996 Artios Award Winners |url=https://www.castingsociety.com/awards/artios/1996 |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=Casting Society of America |archive-date=August 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813145037/https://www.castingsociety.com/awards/artios/1996 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|October 15, 1996
|[[Casting Society of America|Best Casting for Feature Film, Comedy]]
|[[Juliet Taylor]]<br/>Ellen Lewis
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|[[Chicago Film Critics Association|Chicago Film Critics Association Awards]]
|[[Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 1996|March 10, 1997]]
|[[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
|Nathan Lane
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|[[Cinema Audio Society Awards]]
|1997
|[[Cinema Audio Society Awards|Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Feature Films]]
|Lee Dichter<br/>[[Gene Cantamessa|Gene S. Cantamessa]]
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|[[GLAAD Media Awards]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 February 1997 |title=GLAAD Announces Nominees of 1997 Media Awards |url=http://www.qrd.org/qrd/orgs/GLAAD/general.information/media.awards-1997 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161121215715/http://www.qrd.org/qrd/orgs/GLAAD/general.information/media.awards-1997 |archive-date=2016-11-21 |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=GLAAD}}</ref>
|1997
|[[GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film – Wide Release|Outstanding Film – Wide Release]]
|{{n/a}}
|{{Nominated}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Golden Globe Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Winners & Nominees 1997 |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/1997 |website=goldenglobes.com |access-date=7 November 2023 |archive-date=January 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107061612/https://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/1997 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| rowspan="2" |[[54th Golden Globe Awards|January 19, 1997]]
|[[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy|Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical]]
|{{n/a}}
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|[[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy|Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical]]
|Nathan Lane
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|International Monitor Awards
|1997
|Theatrical Releases – Color Correction
|David Bernstein
|{{WON}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[MTV Movie & TV Awards|MTV Movie + TV Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |title=1997 MTV Movie Awards |url=http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/1997/ |website=[[MTV]] |access-date=7 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423094834/http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/1997/ |archive-date=2008-04-23 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rowspan="2" |[[1997 MTV Movie Awards|June 10, 1997]]
|[[MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance|Best Comedic Performance]]
|[[Robin Williams]]
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|[[MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo|Best On-Screen Duo]]
|Robin Williams<br/>Nathan Lane
|{{Nominated}}
|-
| rowspan="3" |Online Film & Television Association Awards
| rowspan="3" |1997
|Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical
|Mike Nichols
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical
|Nathan Lane
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy/Musical
|Hank Azaria
|{{Nominated}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Satellite Awards]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Snow |first=Shauna |date=1997-01-16 |title=Awards News |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-01-16-ca-18975-story.html |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>
| rowspan="2" |[[1st Golden Satellite Awards|January 15, 1997]]
|[[Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture|Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical]]
|Nathan Lane
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|[[Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical]]
|Gene Hackman
|{{Nominated}}
|-
| rowspan="3" |[[Screen Actors Guild Awards]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Johnson |first1=Ted |title='Birdcage' bunch wins SAG award |url=https://variety.com/1997/scene/vpage/birdcage-bunch-wins-sag-award-1117435338/ |access-date=7 November 2023 |date=1997-02-23}}</ref>
| rowspan="3" |[[Screen Actors Guild Awards|February 22, 1997]]
|[[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role|Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role]]
|Nathan Lane
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|[[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role|Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role]]
|Hank Azaria
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|[[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture|Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture]]
|Hank Azaria<br/>Christine Baranski<br/>[[Dan Futterman]]<br/>Gene Hackman<br/>Nathan Lane<br/>Robin Williams<br/>Dianne Wiest
|{{WON}}
|-
|[[Writers Guild of America Awards]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dutka |first=Elaine |date=March 17, 1997 |title='Fargo,' 'Sling Blade' Win Top Writers Guild Honors |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-03-17-ca-39138-story.html |access-date=2023-11-07}}</ref>
|[[49th Writers Guild of America Awards|March 16, 1997]]
|[[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published]]
|Elaine May
|{{Nominated}}
|}

==See also==
* [[Cross-dressing in film and television]]
* [[List of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender-related films by storyline]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
* {{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VmMEAAAAMBAJ |title=March 19, 1996 |magazine=[[The Advocate (magazine)|The Advocate]] |date=March 19, 1996 |issue=703 |issn=0001-8996 |ref={{harvid|Advocate|1996}}}}
* {{Cite book |last=Harris |first=Mark |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VeUlEAAAQBAJ |title=Mike Nichols: A Life |publisher=Penguin |year=2021 |isbn=978-0399562242 |author-link=Mark Harris (journalist)}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{TCMDb title|343214}}
* {{Mojo title}}
* {{Metacritic film}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}

{{La Cage aux Folles}}
{{Mike Nichols}}
{{ScreenActorsGuildAward CastMotionPicture 1995–2000}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Birdcage, The}}
[[Category:1996 films]]
[[Category:1996 comedy films]]
[[Category:1996 LGBTQ-related films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:American comedy films]]
[[Category:American films based on plays]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ-related films]]
[[Category:American remakes of French films]]
[[Category:American remakes of Italian films]]
[[Category:Comedy film remakes]]
[[Category:LGBTQ-related film remakes]]
[[Category:Cross-dressing in American films]]
[[Category:American drag (entertainment)-related films]]
[[Category:Films about anti-LGBTQ sentiment]]
[[Category:Films based on adaptations]]
[[Category:Films directed by Mike Nichols]]
[[Category:Films set in Miami]]
[[Category:Films shot in Miami]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Elaine May]]
[[Category:Gay-related films]]
[[Category:Homophobia in fiction]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films]]
[[Category:United Artists films]]
[[Category:LGBTQ-related sex comedy films]]