As I'm sure everyone knows, this movie is a remake of the French film La Cage aux folles. This is also the better version as well. La Cage aux folles was an excellent film and definitely stands on its own merit, however, the charm that The Birdcage has cannot be matched.
Robin Williams plays a gay man (very convincingly) who has everything. He owns a drag queen nightclub, has a life partner (played even more brilliantly by Nathan Lane), and has a son who is turning into a man. This transformation from child to man comes a little too quick for Armand (Williams), as his dear son comes home from college and announces his engagement to a senator's daughter. As if that isn't bad enough for poor Armand, the girl's father is one of the most conservative senators on the block. When the senator wants to come over and visit his daughter's future in-laws, it becomes painfully obvious to Armand that despite his extravagant gay lifestyle, he must try to "play it straight" for his son's sake. What results is absolutely hysterical.
The casting of this movie is brilliant. Lane and Williams complement each other's comedy styles perfectly, and Gene Hackman is great in the role of the uptight senator. The movie is hysterical, without being condescending and would appeal to just about anyone regardless of their personal lifestyle choice. Not to mention this film says an awful lot about relationships, stereotypes, and true love regardless of gender. With all these factors in its favor, the movie works like a charm.
Personally, I am a huge fan of drag queens (it was caused by seeing The Rocky Horror Picture Show and John Waters' movies at a very young age), so there was absolutely no way I could not like this movie. Realistically speaking, however, this movie really has something for everyone. It's hysterical without being too obscene, it's romantic without being too conventional, and it's heartwarming without being sappy. Very few movies can pull all of this off so well. So whatever your station is in life, you're sure to enjoy this. Go ahead, indulge.
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