The Birdcage(1996)

Name: The Birdcage
Director: Mike Nichols
Genre: Comedy
Released: Mar 8, 1996
Cast: Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, Dan Futterman

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

R
Rated R for language
1h 57m
- Comedy

Release Date: Mar 8, 1996 | Wide

A gay couple running a flamboyant Miami Beach drag nightclub is thrown into chaos when their son announces he's marrying the daughter of an ultra-conservative US senator and that the prospective in-laws are coming for dinner. In the most uncomfortable performance of their lives, the two must pretend to be something they're not, in a comedy about love, family, identity, and the costumes we wear for other people's comfort.

Note: Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)See full company information

Releases

Original Release | Mar 8, 1996

30th Anniversary (Fathom Entertainment) | Jun 7, 2026

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Box Office Results

Updated as of Mar 10, 2026 11:24 AM ET

All Releases (2)
Total US & Canada:
$124,060,553
Total International
$61,200,000
Total Worldwide:
$185,260,553

Total US & Canada:
$120,456,200
Total Worldwide:
$120,456,200

Current Showtimes

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Director & Top Cast

Mike Nichols
Director

Robin Williams
Armand Goldman

Nathan Lane
Albert

Gene Hackman
Senator Keeley

Dianne Wiest
Louise Keeley

Dan Futterman
Val Goldman

Calista Flockhart

Barbara Keeley

Hank Azaria

Agador

Christine Baranski

Katharine

Tom McGowan

Harry Radman

Grant Heslov

Photographer

Kirby Mitchell

Chauffeur

James Lally

Stage manager

Luca Tommassini

Celsius

Luis Camacho

Goldman girl

André Fuentes

Goldman girl

Tony Gonzalez

Goldman girl

Dante Henderson

Goldman girl

Technical Specifications

Sound Mix: DTS,DTS-Stereo

Other Details

Country of Origin: United States

Language: English

Summaries

Plot Summary

The Birdcage is a 1996 American comedy directed by Mike Nichols and written by Elaine May, based on the 1973 French play La Cage aux Folles by Jean Poiret and the 1978 Franco-Italian film of the same name. The film stars Robin Williams as Armand Goldman, the owner of a Miami Beach drag nightclub, and Nathan Lane as Albert, his partner and the club's star drag performer. The supporting cast includes Gene Hackman as Senator Kevin Keeley, Dianne Wiest as Louise Keeley, with Hank Azaria, Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, and Christine Baranski. Set in South Beach, Miami, the film explores themes of love, family acceptance, identity, performance, hypocrisy, and the gap between conservative politics and personal lives. The film became the second-highest-grossing comedy of 1996 (behind The Nutty Professor) and a lasting cultural touchstone. In 2026, Fathom Entertainment, Park Circus, and Amazon MGM Studios are re-releasing the film theatrically in the US on June 7 and June 10 as part of Fathom's Big Screen Classics series, marking its 30th anniversary during Pride Month. It is suited to original fans and audiences discovering it for the first time.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Fun Facts

Mike Nichols and Elaine May's first — and long-awaited — movie collaboration. The director and screenwriter were legendary improv comedy partners in the 1950s and '60s, but they had never made a feature film together from start to finish. Nichols had wanted to remake La Cage aux Folles for 15 years, and when he finally got the green light, he brought in May to write the adaptation. It was their first complete cinematic collaboration.

Robin Williams and Steve Martin swapped places — and Martin regretted it. Steve Martin was originally cast as Armand, with Robin Williams set to play Albert. But Martin dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, and Williams asked to switch to Armand because he had already played a flamboyant drag character in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) and didn't want to repeat himself. Martin later regretted turning down the role, as he never ended up making a film with Williams.

Hank Azaria based his voice on his grandmother — and didn't realize it for weeks. Azaria's character Agador was originally written as a separate black housekeeper to be played by David Alan Grier. When the filmmakers decided that would carry racist undertones, Robin Williams suggested combining the roles and giving them to Azaria. After filming for two to three weeks, Azaria suddenly realized his Guatemalan housekeeper voice sounded exactly like his own grandmother.

Robin Williams's kitchen slip was a genuine accident. In the scene where Armand panics over the shrimp and falls on the kitchen floor, Williams actually slipped for real. The shot was kept in the final cut — and if you look closely, you can see Hank Azaria and Dan Futterman struggling to hold back laughter while Williams himself suppresses a laugh as he tells everyone to "Go" out of the kitchen.