The Birdcage
1996
**½
Director: Mike Nichols
Cast: Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria, Christine Baranski, Grant Heslov, Tom McGowan
When his son is bringing his fiancée's conservative, moralistic parents for a visit, a gay cabaret owner and his drag queen partner must pretend to be a straight couple. This adaptation of the 1973 play La Cage aux Folles, which was filmed in France in 1978, is sympathetic but cringey and occasionally infuriating. There are gay clichés galore, but precious few laughs. Gene Hackman gives the funniest performance and Hank Azaria is just awful.
