'THE BIRDCAGE' OPENS DOOR TO INCLUSIVE FAMILY VALUES.Byline: Bob Strauss Daily News Film Critic "The Birdcage" is the kind of movie that tries to have it all ways and, due to Elaine May's sharp script and a crack farce cast, pretty much gets away with it. An Americanized updating of the French drag comedy "La Cage La Cage has several uses including:
Early life Lane was born Joseph Lane in Jersey City, New Jersey, the son of Irish American Catholic parents. (Broadway's "Guys and Dolls," Timon's voice in "The Lion King") as the middle-age gay couple. The sure directorial hand of sly social satirist Mike Nichols ("The Graduate," "Working Girl") adds exquisite timing and a wry taste of deco decadence to the proceedings, too. As with most of Nichols' comedies, however, "The Birdcage" hedges its humor. Especially with Lane's role as Albert, the flamboyant, effeminate ef·fem·i·nate adj. 1. Having qualities or characteristics more often associated with women than men. See Synonyms at female. 2. Characterized by weakness and excessive refinement. star of the drag revue that packs 'em in to his partner's Miami Beach Miami Beach, city (1990 pop. 92,639), Dade co., SE Fla., on an island between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean; inc. 1915. It is connected to Miami by four causeways. nightclub, the movie constantly encourages us to laugh at outrageous caricatures (in a nice change of pace for Williams, Armand Goldman is the comparatively self-controlled half of the couple). But "The Birdcage" also lobbies for acceptance of such behavior, and insists that it's no impediment to such fundamental family values family values pl.n. The moral and social values traditionally maintained and affirmed within a family. as love, commitment and sacrifice. Those familiar with the story know the basics. Val (Dan Futterman), Armand's son from a single heterosexual liaison, returns from college to announce his engagement. The fiancee, Barbara Keeley Barbara Keeley (b. March 26, 1952) is the Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP) in the British House of Commons for Worsley. She was elected at the 2005 general election, after the retirement of Terry Lewis. She is married to Colin Huggett. (Calista Flockhart Calista Kay Flockhart (born on November 11, 1964) is an Emmy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning American actress, primarily on soap operas and television. She is perhaps best known for playing the title character of Ally McBeal (1997 - 2002). ), will soon be visiting with her uptight parents in tow, and Val wonders if Armand and, more importantly, Albert can tone it down for the first meeting. What's new here is the fact that Val's prospective father-in-law, Gene Hackman's Sen. Keeley, is the vice president of the Coalition for Moral Order, a social conservative group whose co-founder just died in bed with an underage prostitute. As a form of damage control, Keeley and his wife, Louise (Dianne Wiest), hope to organize an ultra-traditional, media showpiece show·piece n. Something exhibited, especially as an outstanding example of its kind. showpiece Noun 1. anything displayed or exhibited 2. wedding for their daughter. This makes it even more imperative that Val's parents act like real men - a hopeless, uproarious task in Albert's case, who's to pretend he's an uncle. Anyway, the upshot is an awkward dinner party seasoned with deception and mistaken identity mistaken identity n → erreur f d'identité mistaken identity mistake n → Verwechslung f mistaken identity n . The icing and the dessert, of course, turn out to be Albert's astonishing a·ston·ish tr.v. as·ton·ished, as·ton·ish·ing, as·ton·ish·es To fill with sudden wonder or amazement. See Synonyms at surprise. approximation of Barbara Bush. Though relatively tame, the political satire and media bashing that bounces through "The Birdcage" provide a good deal of extra amusement. And although the comedy ranges from cartoonish to sophisticated, it is consistently hilarious. Nichols and May were one of the top stand-up comedy teams of the late '50s, and their first film collaboration displays all the imaginative wit that initially made them famous. One wishes, however, that Nichols and May would have taken a few aspects of "The Birdcage" a bit more seriously. Though he displays marvelous slapstick slapstick Comedy characterized by broad humour, absurd situations, and vigorous, often violent action. It took its name from a paddlelike device, probably introduced by 16th-century commedia dell'arte troupes, that produced a resounding whack when one comic actor used it to invention as the Goldmans' fey Guatemalan servant Agador, Hank Azaria also manages to insult both gays and Latinos on a regular basis. And you wish someone would just slap the Val character at some point. Though his demands that Albert and Armand act like people they aren't are rooted in every kid's embarrassment about his parents, it's so much crueler for him, in this circumstance, to bring society's prejudices into such a loving home. All that considered, "The Birdcage" still has a lot more to say, and says it a lot funnier, than a dozen "To Wong Foos." Its ultimate message of tolerance, though hardly new, has rarely been served up in movies with this much manic fun. THE FACTS The film: "The Birdcage" (R; language, adult situations). The stars: Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, Dianne Wiest, Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria, Christine Baranski. Behind the scenes: Directed and produced by Mike Nichols. Written by Elaine May, based on the stage play "La Cage Aux Folles" by Jean Poiret and the film script by Poiret, Francis Veber, Edouard Molinaro and Marcello Danon. Released by United Artists Pictures. Running time: One hour, 58 minutes. Playing: Citywide. Our rating: Three Stars. |
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