9pm Saturday January 13th - The Birdcage (1996) Comedy - Rated R
A gay cabaret owner and his drag queen companion agree to put up a false straight front so that their son can introduce them to his fiancée's right-wing moralistic parents.
In this remake of the classic French farce "La Cage aux Folles," engaged couple Val Goldman (Dan Futterman) and Barbara Keeley (Calista Flockhart) shakily introduce their future in-laws. Val's father, Armand (Robin Williams), a gay Miami drag club owner, pretends to be straight and attempts to hide his relationship with Albert (Nathan Lane), his life partner and the club's flamboyant star attraction, so as to please Barbara's father, controversial Republican Sen. Kevin Keeley (Gene Hackman).
TRIVIA
- Director Mike Nichols required Nathan Lane and Robin Williams to film at least one good take of each scene sticking to the script before he allowed them to improvise (something both of the actors are known for).
- Robin Williams' slip and fall during the shrimp scene was not planned. Williams really fell, and he, Hank Azaria, and Dan Futterman are holding back laughter.
- Director Mike Nichols hired filmmaker and PBS producer Rick McKay months before filming began on "Birdcage" to go to Paris, London, San Francisco, and Atlanta to make a feature length documentary about drag queens. McKay conducted extensive research to identify drag queens from all over the world to interview and film in performance. This completed film was used to train Nathan Lane and Robin Williams.
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