Please Drink Water (Birdcage Movie Review)
Kat and Ryley watch Ryley's favorite movie to watch with her mom, the 1996 film, The Birdcage.
Review Overview: Nathan Lane and Robin Williams work so well together in this film. The absurdity of it works so well for the comedy and chemistry between the whole cast.
The kids suck and are boring.
This is a low-stakes, highly-quotable movie that will entertain you every time.
Kat: 7/10
Ryley: 8/10
Both: [00:00:00] Hello,
Kat: and welcome to
Both: easy bake takes
Ryley: the podcast!
Kat: Where we read you the one star reviews of your favorite movies and more. My name's Kat.
Ryley: And I'm Ryley. And today we're basing off the theme of movies we would watch with our mom. I picked the Birdcage. This movie came out in 1996. It's rated R, it's an hour and 57 minutes. It was directed by Mike Nichols. Writers are John Poiret , he wrote the play for this and then,
Kat: Oh okay.
Ryley: Francis Veber he wrote earlier screenplay and Edward Molinaro they, they were credit for writers. It stars Robin Williams as Armand Goldman, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, Diane Wiest, Dan Futterman.
Kat: Wiest.
Ryley: Is it, Wiest?
Kat: [00:01:00] Mm-hmm.
Ryley: Okay. Yeah. Cuz it, yeah. So it's like a full cast.
Kat: Mm-hmm.
Ryley: A quick description is a, a gay cabaret owner and his drag queen companion agree to put up a false straight front so that their son could introduce them to his fiance's right wing moralistic parents. This movie is actually a remake, which I only found out while researching this movie. There's a 1978. It's French. So I'm gonna do my best to.
Kat: Whatever the French word is for birdcage.
Ryley: yeah.
Kat: La Cage aux Folles.
Ryley: Yeah, you got it. You said it.
Kat: I don't know if that's right. I don't know French pronunciations.
Ryley: I don't either. And I had, I've never seen it too, so I, I don't, I can't attest to anything about it.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: So a lot of people prefer the original.
Kat: Okay.
Ryley: But I love, I love the remake. Should I go ahead and read the plot?
Kat: Go ahead. Yep.
Ryley: Armand Goldman is the openly gay owner of a drag club in south beach called the birdcage, his life partner, Albert, plays Starina, the star traction of the club. They live together in an apartment above the [00:02:00] birdcage with Agador, their housekeeper who aspires to be an Alberts drag show. One day, Armand son, Val, who resulted from Armand's drunken one night stand with a woman named Catherine, comes home to announce that he has been seeing a young woman named Barbara, who he intends to marry. Although unhappy about the news, Armand agrees to support Val. Unfortunately Barbara's parents are the ultra conservative Republican Senator, Kevin Keeley and his wife Louise. Kevin co-founder of a conservative group called the coalition for moral order becomes embroiled in a political scandal when a group's co-founder and Kevin's fellow Senator is found dead in the bed of an underage prostitute. Louise and Barbara convinced Kevin that a visit to meet the family of his daughter's fiance would be the perfect way to stave off bad press, so they set off for south beach. Barbara shares news of her father's plan to Val; to cover the Goldman's truth, she has told her parents that Armand is straight and a cultural attache to Greece. Armand dislikes the idea of being forced into the closet, but agrees to play along enlisting the help of friends [00:03:00] and club employees to redecorate the family's apartment to more closely resemble a traditional household. Val and Armand attempt to get Albert out of the house, but when they fail Albert suggests that he will pose as Val's straight uncle. Armand contacts Katherine- Katherine and explains the situation; she promises to come to the party and pretend to be his wife. Armand then tries to coach Albert on how to be straight, but Albert's flamboyant nature makes the test difficult. When Albert realizes his plan will not fool anyone, he takes offense and locks himself in his room. The Keeleys arrive at the Goldmans, who are calling themselves Coleman for the evening to hide their Jewish heritage, redecorated apartment; they are greeted by Agador, who's attempting to pass as a Greek Butler named Spartacus for the night. Unfortunately, Katherine gets caught in traffic and the Keeleys begin wondering where Mrs. Coleman is. Suddenly, Albert enters, dressed and style as a conservative middle aged woman. Armand, Val and Barbara are nervous, but Kevin and Louise are taken in by this disguise. Despite the success of the evening- [00:04:00] there's no success of the evening. There's none whatsoever.
Kat: It lasts for like five minutes.
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: Then they see the plates.
Ryley: Trouble begins when the senators chauffer betrays him to two tabloid journalists, Harry Radman, and his photographer who have been hoping for a scoop on the coalition story, follow the Keeleys to south beach. While they researched the Birdcage, they also remove a note that Armand has left on the door informing Catherine not to come upstairs. When she arrives, she unknowingly reveals the deceptions, leading Val to confess to the scheme and finally identify Albert as his true parent. Kevin is initially confused by the situation, but Louise informs him of the truth and scolds him for being more concerned with his career than his family's happiness. When attempting to leave, he is ambushed by the paparazzi camped outside to take his picture. Albert then realizes there is a way for the family to escape without being recognized. He dresses them in drag and they use the apartment's back entrance to sneak into the birdcage where, by dancing to we are family, they make their way out of the nightclub without incident. Barbara and Val are married in an interfaith service that [00:05:00] both families attend.
Kat: I've never seen a service where they're like, we'll have a priest and a rabbi.
Ryley: I love it. Cuz it reminds me the Up wedding where his sideis horribly like sad. And the other side is just happy and-
Kat: They're shooting guns.
Ryley: Yes! They're shooting guns. That's what it kinda remids me of up but kind of flipped in that way. And I dunno, I just kinda love it.
Kat: This is really, really random, but it reminds me of Kronk's new groove. I don't know if you've ever, have you seen Kronk's new groove?
Ryley: Yeah, they get married at the end. Don't they?
Kat: They do, but not that part, but Albert coming in dressed. Mrs. Coleman.
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: There's a part where literally like everybody who Kronk is friends with pretends to be his wife and all come in dressed as like pretending to be his wife.
Ryley: Yeah. Okay. So I guess they're doing that bit, you know?
Kat: Yeah. I figured it was like a reference to that after watching this.
Ryley: I mean, it had to be, I don't know what else, I mean, this kind of it's really similar, but.
Kat: Mm-hmm.
Ryley: Oh, cool. I, I forgot all about that. That's so cute. Should I go into trivia or should we go into?
Kat: Let's do trivia.
Ryley: Mike Nichols required [00:06:00] that Nathan Lane and Robin Williams filmed at least one good take of each scene, sticking to the script before he would allow them to improvise, something both actors are known for. Robin Williams was originally cast as Albert, but he wanted change from flamboyant characters. Also with his character dressing in drag, the film would've basically been a repeat of William's earlier film, Mrs. Doubtfire.
Kat: True.
Ryley: Thus he asked to be cast as Armand after Steve Martin, who was originally cast as, Armand dropped out. Mike Nichols agreed and recast him. I'm so glad that happened. Because the movie would not be the same.
Kat: Yeah, really though. It's nice see, it's always nice seeing him play the straight man and like no, no pun intended, but like, like playing a character straight instead of being the like flamboyant character. Cuz he does well on both.
Ryley: Yeah. That's the thing. He is so good as the character he plays in this movie. He- it's one of my favorite characters he plays. Because he's still hilarious. That's that's the-
Kat: Oh yeah.
Ryley: That's the goal- the gold of it, you know? Robin Williams slip and fall during the strip scene was not planned. Williams really [00:07:00] fell and he, Hank Zaria and Dan Futterman are holding back laughter. I love that because it's so obvious, but it's so good. There's no way they couldn't couldn't have, um, put that in the movie.
Kat: But that's like, so Robin Williams to just commit to the bit.
Ryley: Yes.
Kat: You know? Like he's such that person, that's like, I'm not giving up on this yet like, we're going. We're going, we're not wasting film.
Ryley: This one's so freaking random. I just found it absurdly hilarious.
Kat: Mm-hmm.
Ryley: Director Paul Thomas Anderson has said that the movie is that, that this movie is one of the two films that without fail or question will make me stop dead in my tracks and watch all the way to the very end, no matter what else is happening or needs to get done.
Kat: Mm-hmm.
Ryley: Other film is Stanley Kubrick's The shining.
Kat: Okay. But I get what he means.
Ryley: I get, he's not wrong. He's not wrong. I'm not saying he's wrong.
Kat: Oh, the shining is on? I'm gotta watch it.
Ryley: And I'm gonna, I'm gonna pick up where wherever it's at. And, and with that, like, this was literally the, like, this is why I picked [00:08:00] that movie. Anytime me and my mom were watching TV and we saw that the Verage was on. We would just watch at whatever point it was on.
Kat: Always finding a way to connect them.
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: Yeah. Beaches was always that movie where it's like, it's on, I'm watching it.
Ryley: Mm-hmm oh yeah, definitely. And the next one, Mike Nichols had to be covered by a sound, blanket during the toast scene, because he was laughing too, too loud as one of my favorite scenes in the movie. So I completely understand.
Kat: Like, I couldn't, I couldn't imagine. Oh, well actually, you know what never mind I was about to say, I couldn't imagine like filming a comedy, like it being the director being on set, but after a while the jokes aren't funny anymore. Cause I've done things with jokes in them.
Ryley: That's the thing, yeah.
Kat: But with Robin Williams, I don't know.
Ryley: Well, like, and like it said, that one fact of like Mike Nichols was like this, do a perfect scene scripted, and then we'll do a few more scenes where you guys just go fucking crazy.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: And I bet those are the scenes where you're, you're laughing your ass off it's because-
Kat: You're dying cause Robin Williams giving you like a completely different angle every single time.
Ryley: Exactly. And I love that. I, I just love that so much.
Kat: Yeah. That is great. [00:09:00]
Ryley: In a scene when Gene Hackman is on the ladder, he he gives the peace sign as a reference to Richard Nixon. Hackman was on Nixon's enemies list back in the 1970s. And then this last one is, breakthrough movie role American Broadway, uh, this was the breakthrough movie role of American Broadway's actor, Nathan Lane.
Kat: First screen roll?
Ryley: Yeah. Uh, well, we can talk about what we thought about the movie.
Kat: Okay. I had no idea what this movie was about. I knew it was like a bar was included.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: In the movie. I just thought it was way more about the club. I didn't, I had no idea it was like his son is getting married and he has to play straight.
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: But I, I do like that. They show him like being offended by his son, asking him to do it in the first place. Cause at one point when he's like, um, his son comes in and says like, thank you for doing this. He's like, don't talk to me for a while.
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: That's completely justified. Your son is asking you to hide who you are and you've already had to do that at some point in your life and you like are gonna have to do it again. And it's probably really traumatizing to like, have to [00:10:00] do that again.
Ryley: And like, so hurtful of your own child-
Kat: To ask.
Ryley: To ask and almost in a way, like kind of showing you that they're ashamed of you.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: Like that's kind of what- that's how, I mean, that's how that's it would feel. Yeah.
Kat: Of course. And like, I feel like most parents, they probably think that anytime their kid asks them to stop doing something.
Ryley: Exactly.
Kat: The girl should be embarrassed by her family is the thing.
Ryley: Yeah. They don't have the Val doesn't have the embarrassing family. She does.
Kat: Yeah. It's Barbara.
Ryley: It's Barbara.
Kat: And I did, I liked the, um, the way that her family was portrayed a caricature-ness of like her family too.
Ryley: Oh yeah.
Kat: To where it's like balanced, I guess.
Ryley: Yeah. Everything's ex kind of exaggerated in this movie.
Kat: Yeah. So it's like, everything's exaggerated. It's not like, they're just exaggerating one thing it's like-
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: The nature of the movie is like-
Ryley: Mm-hmm
Kat: large.
Ryley: Exactly. And I understand if people like do view it as like, as like other caricatures or [00:11:00] they're
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: Offensive stereotypes.
Kat: It's another thing of the times, but it's really not the worst of the worst that could have happened for this movie like stereotype wise.
Ryley: Right. Especially, if you view as like, they're just, they're extremes of characters.
Kat: They're extremes on both sides of the spectrum of things.
Ryley: In, in my opinion, I think of the end of the day, I think if you view it like that, it's still really, it's fun.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: It's a comedy, so.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: That's the most, I probably just gonna say.
Yeah.
Kat: I also wrote, I'll probably cut this, unless your mom would love to hear this, but I, your mom is Alfred.
Ryley: Leave it in. She's gonna love it. Leave it in.
Kat: Your mother is Alfred and I see the bits of him that you got from her.
Ryley: Oh.
Kat: If that makes sense too. You're you're very dramatic sometimes.
Ryley: We're both very, very dramatic.
Kat: Very flamboyant people and I love it. I wouldn't, I wouldn't want anything less.
Ryley: I pierced the toast that's- any time I see my mother, one of us is saying that at some point. Yeah. That is that this movie is just so quotable.
Kat: [00:12:00] Yeah. Yeah.
Ryley: Dozen quotes. Howdy ma'am.
Kat: One that like made me laugh really hard just from the beginning was like, Robin, like, uh, Alfred's like complaining about himself.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: And Robin Williams is like I made you short?
Ryley: I made you short? Yes, my mother, my mom, uh, quotes that as well.
Kat: But in your case, she probably, she probably did.
Ryley: Yeah, exactly.
Kat: And then the other quote I loved was, he's probably driving back to m- Miami at 20 miles per hour with the parking break on right now.
Ryley: That's that's my mother. That's my mother.
Kat: Yes, literally.
Ryley: That's my mother.
Kat: That woman cannot drive.
Ryley: Nope. She hasn't in over two years.
Kat: Well, she lives in this city. She doesn't need to.
Ryley: Oh no, no.
Kat: She's got your father too.
Ryley: Yeah, exactly. Or an Uber.
Kat: Mm-hmm.
Ryley: Oh, my. But no, absolutely. And yeah, I, I couldn't agree more.
Kat: And then wait, scroll back up. There was, uh, one other actor, the one that plays the, um, the housekeeper.
Ryley: Hank Azaria.
Kat: Yes. I [00:13:00] love him.
Ryley: I love him too. I love it that he he's giving Albert pills. he's like, Armand is like, what are you giving him? And he goes, I'm just scratching off the a and the S of an.
Kat: After that he's like, it works so well for me.
Ryley: You're a genius. I love that so much.
Kat: I love that.
Ryley: There's so many good gems.
Kat: There are.
Ryley: In this movie and that's why I love it. It's just such a, this is one of those movies where I watch with my mom. It's just laugh after laugh after laugh of just.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: The, just the funniest. bits of dialogue and I love it. I think it's great.
Kat: Yeah, he did he was so great in this movie, but yeah, it's like similar to To Wong Foo, where there's like some street people playing gay people.
Ryley: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Kat: But they, they treated the characters well.
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: And I don't feel like, you know, it kind of makes me feel the same way like Bernie, like Jack Black playing Bernie, it didn't feel like, it felt like if anyone was gonna play those characters, I'm glad it was that person because they're treating the character with respect.
Ryley: Exactly. [00:14:00] Exactly. Mm-hmm.
Kat: I'm not a gay man, so I can't say definitively.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: If this representation is okay.
Ryley: Right, exactly. And that's at the end of the day, that's what I'm trying to say. Like I understand that.
Kat: Yeah. We'll get that out now. So we don't keep repeating ourselves further down.
Ryley: Yeah, exactly. Critics that I pick, like they talk about that stuff. And so.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: I feel like Robin. Was, I guess, after doing this, I mean, like, he was like an ally, like a pretty strong ally I feel like. Cause I'm trying to think of other examples.
Kat: Here. I'll look it up real quick. I dunno if he was a member, but he was an advocate for GLAAD.
Ryley: Nice.
Kat: And he was an LGBT activist and he was an ally and.
Ryley: Okay.
Kat: He, I think he also helped, I think he helped out with the Trevor project. And if you don't know what that is, that's for teen suicide prevention within the LGBT community.
Ryley: Mm.
Kat: So.
Ryley: There you go. When I was looking up researching this movie, people had their opinions and of course. That's perfectly fine and I understand that it's valid.
Kat: Mm-hmm.
Ryley: But overwhelmingly people love this movie, you know?
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: So even though it might not be as [00:15:00] politically correct as-
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: What were your thoughts?
Ryley: My thoughts. Okay. Well, this is one of my favorites to watch with my mother is one of my favorites to watch with my mother.
Kat: And this is like, it may- watching it makes your mother make more sense.
Ryley: Right.
Kat: Like I got your mother before, but like, I really get her now.
Ryley: Well, it's just so funny that you- Nathan Lane is my mother.
Kat: I picked up on. Yeah. Yeah.
Ryley: My mother is-
Kat: immediately
Ryley: highly dramatic.
Kat: Literally five seconds in, of just being like, don't look at me
Ryley: Exactly. To me, this movie is reminds me of home. I, I just think it's also just, just a really funny movie for the dialogue it has and the jokes it has, like, I pierced the toast. It's silly.
Kat: Mm-hmm.
Ryley: There's so many silly things in this movie and there's like serious things in this movie, and it, it gets sad at some point.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: I read a comment. Someone's like, I want Albert to get a hug from someone cause like.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: He gets treated horribly in this movie.
Kat: He does.
Ryley: And it's so sad.
Kat: Yeah. And it's, it's, uh, one of those things where it's like the too much person getting treated, like [00:16:00] they're too much and it's just like-
Ryley: And it's sad.
Kat: Sometimes they're not, sometimes they just, somebody needs to pay attention to this person.
Ryley: Exactly.
Kat: There was one other thing I thought of before we move on or before you finish up, it has nothing to do with what we were just talking about. The funny quotable things like my new, my new favorite thing from watching this movie is one of the people who's helping redecorate holding up a, a taxidermy deer head and going, too butch?
Ryley: I love it too. That's fan- it's just fantastic.
Kat: I love it.
Ryley: I do hate the son in this. So first time I watched this movie, I was like, I want him dead. I hate him. I hate his fiance, the actors who both play those characters, I forgot her name, but she's nearly 30 and the guy who plays Val is 28. So they're late twenties.
Kat: I mean, they didn't look like, I don't know. I have no idea what 30 looks like, but that's a conversation for another day.
Ryley: I have no gauge to what 40 looks like, but I know it doesn't look 20 .
Kat: Yeah, it doesn't look 17 or however old she is.
Ryley: Yeah, I hate, I [00:17:00] really do hate the son and the-
Kat: Mm-hmm.
Ryley: His fiance in this movies.
Kat: I think it's fair.
Ryley: Like besides the conservative parents, they are the worst characters to this movie.
Kat: Yeah. They're not very helpful.
Ryley: They're not helpful. They're the whole reason why this thing is happening. They're just being shitty to Albert and Armand.
Kat: Yeah. And the whole situation could have been avoided if they were both just honest too.
Ryley: Exac- Yeah.
Kat: Uh, did you have anything else that you, you felt?
Ryley: I know I probably do, but I'll mention it later. I can move on to the critic reviews.
Kat: Okay.
Ryley: Richard Propes, he wrote a review for this. He gave it three outta four stars and he gave it like a B rating. So he liked it.
Kat: Okay.
Ryley: This is his whole little review of it. "While the film occasionally drifts into stereotypes, they're typically rather harmless and Williams and Lane play off of each other perfectly. They're convincing as a couple that cares, that bickers and that ultimately protects each other. Lane, in particular, is reminiscent of more than a few drag Queens I've known in my life, no silly, not that way." His words. "They are supported in their [00:18:00] excavates by hilarious Hank Azaria as their manservant. Hackman and Weist play the perfect uptight parents, and the closing scenes are a hilarious closing to the film. The script is lacking at times, with uneven pacing and definitely lacking in character development. It's most noticeable with Futterman's role, which often plays as lifeless, pointless and too directly opposite from both his mother and mother to be truly believable. Yet, inherent flaws aside, Birdcage is often funny, despite not really aging that well. The chemistry of Lane and Williams helps to create two memorable characters whose relationship efforts to protect their son and efforts to appear straight are downright hilarious at times, while not quite up to the stage production, the film adaptation of the Birdcage is definitely worth a video rental.
Kat: I, I did forget at some points, but like that make it makes sense. Alfred's a drag queen. Like it, it makes sense for the dramatics.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: And like the personality.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: I don't know why I forgot that. I guess it's just, cuz there's only short periods of him in drag.
Ryley: You wish he, he was in it more, you know, like [00:19:00] more, there was more scenes.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: Well you at the beginning saying like I thought it was just gonna be about the. that would've made it interesting movie as well with.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: With Robin and Nathan Lane. That also would've been hilarious.
Kat: Cause that's what I assume, cuz it's called the Birdcage and the club's called the Birdcage.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: But I know that like the term, the Birdcage has more meaning to it than that.
Ryley: Yeah, exactly.
Kat: I do agree. I guess the fact of the son being lifeless.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: I understand why you don't like his character as much. It just doesn't really seem like he's doing much, but I understand that the other characters are doing a lot, but there's a way to keep up with that and be this, this 100% character that's playing it straight, but he's just like too vanilla for this movie.
Ryley: He really is. And it must be hard when you're competing against. The other four in this movie.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: I also do agree that it's a little uneven.
Kat: Mm-hmm.
Ryley: The, pacing's a little uneven, cuz there's parts that a little, a few parts that drag, cuz it's it's a two hour movie there's parts where it could have been sped up or.
Kat: Yeah, I agree. I agree. It, [00:20:00] it is a little, I don't know, movies that are this theatrical and like big I'm okay with it going off on little tangents.
Ryley: Mm-hmm that's fair. Oh yeah. That's totally fair. But yeah and I like how he mentions, like, you know, does it age? Well, not, not.
Kat: Not fully.
Ryley: Not most of it.
Kat: Yeah. Yeah. I feel like it aged back in some of it.
Ryley: Yeah, a little, I, I understand what he means by that though, but I think if if you like the parts of like, I don't know, I don't know where I was gonna go with that.
Kat: It, it seem, it seems like the consensus here with, uh, Richard at least is like the, the rest of the movie, at least the Robin Williams and Nathan Lane really help you to like see past those things.
Mm-hmm.
And it's redeeming otherwise. Mm-hmm.
People who watch this movie are already comfortable with the LGBT community.
Ryley: Exactly. Oh yeah. The, the other thing about this too, I didn't see anything negative written about in like a horrible conservative way, you know, or a homophobic way.
Kat: Yeah. They wouldn't watch this movie.
Ryley: Yeah. That's the thing. This is not, this is not on their radar. They're not gonna spend the time [00:21:00] to watch this movie.
Kat: Yeah. I was worried about that when you picked this, I was like, I knew you wouldn't pick those reviews, but I was worried that yeah, it's like, we got terrible ones with fucking Jaws. You know, we didn't even include.
Ryley: Oh my God, I have to report it. It was just, I'm like this can't be on the internet, butno this is a pleasant surprise.
Kat: Mm-hmm.
Ryley: Yeah, I didn't see anything ugly like that. So it was.
Kat: Good, good.
Ryley: It was good.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: I think that kind of supports my point a little bit with like, I don't think the people who are watching this movie are gonna pick up the harmful stereotypes and run with them.
Ryley: Exactly. Exactly. So this next one by Edward Guffman, this was written back in 1996 when the movie came out.
Kat: Okay.
Ryley: They wonder why there needed to be a remake. They call it a glossy miscalculation. They say the story isn't updated or changed in any way. It's just the same story being recycled. They say Robin is miscasted because his best roles are when he's unhinged, not sedated like he is in the movie.
Kat: He didn't wanna do that.
Ryley: Exactly. He didn't want to though. Though he plays warmhearted scenes well, unlike Nathan Lane. "Lane is a stage veteran and his performance, consequently, is [00:22:00] big brassy and annoying- as if he were playing to the folks in the top balcony. He's a clown, but he lacks the essential quality of all great clowns, pathos and a beating heart beneath the mask.
Kat: You just described drag queens. And like, I mean that in the most loving way, as someone who absorbs drag queen media.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: I- it's just like you don't get it. That's all. You don't get what a drag queen is.
Ryley: "The message of La Cage remains the same in the Birdcage, be who you are and don't feel shame, and it's worth repeating. Too bad the Birdcage doesn't find a new way of framing it and it delivers neither the laughs nor the heart of the original." I haven't seen the original, so I cannot attest to what it is like or how it compares but I think it's really unfair to, I mean, he, I mean, he kind of tore apart, Robin and Nathan.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: Those are the best parts of the movie in my opinion.
Kat: My thing though, is like, I understand there are a lot of movies where it's like originally like a foreign movie.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: And it's remade in English, or like in an American way. A lot of times there isn't a lot of things that are changed because it's literally just making a movie in [00:23:00] English. So I don't think that this movie had to change a whole lot because it's literally, it's a play and it's already been made a movie.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: It's one of those things where it's like, I feel like this person would be upset if the movie changed too much.
Ryley: There isn't much they could have done to make them happy. They're gonna complain about it anyway.
Kat: You can't please everyone, you might as well just remake the original in English, you know?
Ryley: Exactly.
Kat: I didn't know there was a French version. I didn't know it was a play, but that, I also just like, hadn't seen this movie.
Ryley: I've seen this movie for years. I only just found out that this is based off another movie and play.
Kat: Yeah. Well there you go.
Ryley: I think it's really unfair that they said Lane is a stage veteran of his performance as if he were playing in the folks at the top balcony, Broadway actor. So I understand how-
Kat: It's a different style.
Ryley: They're different styles of acting. So like, of course his character is gonna be what his character is.
Kat: It's literally his first screen appearance.
Ryley: Yeah, this was his debut. Yeah.
Kat: Yeah. And also I feel like at a certain point it comes down to, is this what the director wanted him to do?
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: Cause the director could have fixed that the director could have given him [00:24:00] him notes to like bring it back a little. I think it works for his character.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: His character is the most over the top one. The drama, everything I think it just makes sense for the character.
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: Specifically have a, a Broadway actor playing this character makes sense.
Ryley: Oh 100%. Exactly. That's that's my point. So it's like, it's like, I think you-
Kat: I just don't think this person got it.
Ryley: They didn't get it.
Kat: The French are very understated too. So I, the character probably wasn't played that big.
Ryley: Yeah. That's the other thing too. Like.
Kat: And I just, I enjoy Nathan Lane. I'm sorry.
Ryley: I love nathan Lane. I love Nathan Lane in this movie.
Kat: It's Timon.
Ryley: Exactly.
Kat: Don't disrespect Timon.
Ryley: Don't you do that. Exactly. I, I had to say the Robin- Robin is great in this movie.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: Yes, we know him best as unhinged in, in a lot of his movies, but he also is really great toned down.
Kat: This is also another thing where if he played Alfred, I feel like people would be like, oh, he's just doing what he knows best. He's not trying to challenge himself.
Ryley: Exactly.
Kat: When literally some of my favorite movies that he's in is when he's an understated character.
Ryley: [00:25:00] Yes. Yes.
Kat: This person just doesn't seem like they get either of these actors.
Ryley: Yeah. That's and that's, that's the part that maybe like, I don't agree at all.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: The next one, this was written by spliced wire.com. I didn't get the author's name. This person says the movie is too political correct and says it's flavorless because of it. From what I summed up.
Kat: I don't know the, the sexuality of this person but Trixie and Katya do this thing with Netflix, where it's like Queens who love to watch and they'll just like, watch a Netflix show and like just roast it.
Ryley: Oh yeah.
Kat: Netflix literally pays them to do it.
Ryley: I love that.
Kat: Sometimes they'll watch stuff that's like specifically like a gay show or like something gay related and they're like the most gay person thing to do is to have our representation and tear it to shreds. So that's what that makes me think. Um, it was, it was too politically correct.
Ryley: I, I have no clue, so I I'm not, and I'm not gonna guess. I don't know.
Kat: But just as that example from.
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: I don't know their sexuality, but that sounds like a comment would come out of Trixie or Katya's mouth. Just being like [00:26:00] it was too politically correct. I hated it.
Ryley: It could have been worse.
Kat: They could have gone way farther.
Ryley: They said, uh, Michael Nichols was like tiptoeing around production because he didn't want the production heads to cancel the movie because of making it too racey or something. I don't know.
Kat: Yeah. They want the movie made, so they're not gonna do those things. Like they have to, you have to abide by the studio at a certain point cuz it's- your movie's not gonna get fucking made.
Ryley: Exactly. Says there's a handful of funny scenes due to the credit of Nathan Lane's character. But most of them are like cliches. So like even the funny parts to them where like they knew they were cliches or whatever.
Kat: Okay.
Ryley: And they labeled the physical comedy of Nathan Lane.
Okay.
That they said that was the funniest parts, which I didn't really get.
I, I guess
Kat: like being a larger than life, character.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: There is more like physical gestures that are being made and like there's more dramatics in his movement.
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: So maybe that's what they mean, but like, I feel like it's always coupled with something being said.
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: Maybe [00:27:00] reaction acting or reacting or whatever.
Ryley: Uhhuh. Yeah. Or just, I guess, yeah.
Kat: I don't think that's the funniest part of it. I think it definitely adds a lot to it.
Ryley: Yeah, of course. They said Williams was, was a good anchor for the story compared to Nathan Lane's character.
Kat: Yeah. And I, I agree. Yeah. I think so too.
Ryley: Like that's like his purpose in the movie.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: Is to be the anchor.
Kat: He's the straight man.
Ryley: Yeah. The straight man. Thanks for stating the obvious, person.
Kat: Congrats. You understood the movie.
Ryley: And they quote, "the problem here is what they have to work with. The script is dry and dull-- followingvalmost scene for scene it's 1978 inspiration. Snippets of plot and laughter come here and there, but without any consistency. The characters are more like caricatures and we don't know anything about them beyond what is obvious from their first moments on screen." Says the young couple, uh, they say the young couple are the least interesting characters. I do agree with that. "In the end, the birdcage is about gayish physical comedy, which might have been enough. Had we not seen it all before so many times. And they're, "John Riter [00:28:00] on three's company comes immediately to mind." Says the ending is worth it to see gene Hackman and drag. So, yeah, that was their opinions. I don't agree with a lot of it. I do agree that the couple are the least interesting characters that's just that's a given.
Kat: Yeah. With the two, the couple, the young couple.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: Like, there's a way to be the, like the, the quote unquote, like calm people or whatever in a situation and still be interesting.
Ryley: I think they're just so faded into the background.
Kat: Yeah. I don't know if it's like writing or if it's just.
Ryley: I think it's both. I, I don't, I think. I don't think there was a possible way because of the writing for them to even pop whatsoever. They're literally used as like, just pieces for the plot, you know?
Yeah. They seem like they're in the wrong movie the whole time.
Like wandered to the wrong set. The last one. This is Roger Ebert, I've been using him a lot lately. He wrote review. And this was back in 1996 as well.
Kat: I think he's passed.
Ryley: Oh.
Kat: Recent in recent times.
Ryley: [00:29:00] Oh, that's sad.
Kat: But, so he's very prolific. So if you ever see something from Roger Ebert.com that's not by him it's because like other critics write on his website.
Ryley: Oh, wow. Okay.
Kat: Mm-hmm.
Ryley: He wrote one for the Birdcage and give it a three out of four.
Kat: Okay.
Ryley: "The birdcage isn't about plot. It's about character and about the twisted logic of screwball comedy, in which everybody acts the craziest just when you're trying to make the most sense."
Kat: Okay.
Ryley: Which I think sums up the comedy of the movie itself.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: It's it's wild. It's extreme.
Kat: Mm-hmm.
Ryley: "What makes Mike Nichols' version more than just a retread is good casting in the key roles and a wicked screenplay by Elaine may who keeps the original story but adds little zingers here and there." Says the casting is great and what really makes the movie. Says Gene Hackman and Diane Wiest gave him the most laughs. Elaine may was mentioned a bunch about helping with writing the screenplay, but I never saw her credited for it. Probably helped out a-
Kat: that that's-
Ryley: It's weird.
Kat: Yeah. It sounds like not a lot of rewriting was done. [00:30:00] It was just, she probably added things to it, so couldn't give her like a full screenwriting credit because she didn't, she change the script. She just added things.
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: But I think she probably just translated it to like in a, like, Localized it, she probably localized it.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: To be it like American.
Ryley: Right.
Kat: But that deserves a credit.
Ryley: It, it does though. I'm really like, cuz I saw her name pop up a bunch of times. So I'm a little con- maybe I missed it. That could have been my problem too.
Kat: I mean, it's not surprising if she wasn't.
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: Credited, cuz that that happens sometimes where people just aren't listed on as helping at.
Ryley: Yeah. Apparently she had a big, like, apparently just a significant part in it, so.
Kat: It sounds like, yeah.
Ryley: Yeah. Cuz I kept seeing her name and I was like, who is this person? Oh, I didn't include their full review, but I did wanna say that the Massie twins gave this a 9 out of 10. I'll give you a little snippet of what they said. They said, "the dialogues is sensational, the cast is perfect, the directing is sharp, by celebrated film filmmaker Mike Nichols, the music is snazzy and the film concludes quite cleverly." so they really like this movie. [00:31:00] It it's so odd what what they'll hate and what they'll love.
Kat: It's off the wall.
Ryley: It's off the wall. It's you can usually pinpoint it by the decade.
Kat: OH, this is the guy that did the graduate.
Ryley: Mike Nichols?
Kat: Mm-hmm.
Ryley: Oh, okay. That makes sense. Cause I feel like the, the, uh, Massie twins love that movie.
Kat: Yeah. That makes, that makes that make a little more sense. But I just, I, I needed to look that up cause I was like, there has to be a movie that makes them like him.
Ryley: Yeah, this is yeah, but they love this movie. So.
Kat: Mm-hmm.
Ryley: Just a little shout out to them.
Kat: His style of directing makes sense. Now that I know he's done, he did the, the graduate.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: Like, that makes a lot more sense with how this movie like flows, cuz it, the graduate, the plot doesn't really matter either, does it?
Ryley: The graduate's weird. That movie, you think it's going in one direction and it doesn't, at least I that's how I viewed it. I was like, where is this going? like, I did not know where this movie was going. And then it.
Kat: Like I could tell you exactly what happens, but when you watch it, it doesn't feel like it.
Ryley: It's like a fever dream, almost like.
Kat: It is.
Ryley: You're like, am I, where are we going?
Kat: Why do they keep playing [00:32:00] the same three Simon and Garfunkle songs?
Ryley: I watched that in a college class and, oh my God.
Kat: I did too.
Ryley: There's, there's better than watching an old movie like that. And people busting out laughing during the like.
Kat: Mm-hmm.
Ryley: Him turning off the lights when he's about to sleep with Mrs. Robinson and that song, place, the room lost their minds. So it is it's com it's really funny. That's a funny, like little fucking bit, you know? Yeah.
Kat: Audience reviews?
Ryley: Audience reviews. All right, we're gonna start it with a 10 out of 10. It's a perfect movie they say it's- June 7th, 2022.
Kat: Oh, wait. Before we go onto the audience reviews I did wanna mention, because we got our first person to message us with movie suggestions.
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: Shout out to Nikki.
Ryley: Yes.
Kat: Nikki gave us so many from a bunch of years, a bunch of movies I love, a bunch of movies I didn't even think about doing. So thank you so much, Nikki, for messaging us with a bunch of movie suggestions and also requesting a birthday movie request too. We'll keep that in mind for next year, around the time of your birthday. So thank you so much.
Ryley: I will make it. I will put it on the calendar, so I, we will do. We will [00:33:00] absolutely do it. Thank you so much.
Kat: Yes. But yes. So thank you, Nikki. And if anyone else has been like, maybe I'll give, I'll send a request maybe I won't, just send us one, do it. It can't hurt anything. We love, we love ideas.
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: We're not running, we're not running out, but like give us direction.
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: So thank you so much, Nikki.
Ryley: Thank you.
Kat: Audience reviews?
Ryley: "Perfect movie." This is a 10 on 10. "Pick a genre and think of your favorite movie in the genre. In comedy, this is it for me. The over the top performances of the actors in this movie happen to be exactly what the movie needed. The movie is a cartoon of over the top characters, which will have you belly laughing all night long. Don't drink any liquids while listening to Nathan Lane or the houseboy. Robin sets up the other actor lines perfectly. The perfect amount of disdain and anxiousness. If the actors did not believably pull off the parts, the laughs would not be as strong. Every part is studied and portrayed to draw you into the fantasy with every cell in your body. I can't say anymore, because pulling on different favorite lines would spoil your own viewing, so I must end the review here, although I would love to discuss lines [00:34:00] like you're not a woman, pirin," I, I don't know what that one is. "And yes, it's sludge. Enough. Enjoy. Call the kids, get the popcorn and beer or soda ready."
Kat: That's cute. I liked that one.
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: People who like this movie, just get it.
Ryley: They get it.
Kat: You just it's like, it's not, it's not a hard movie to get, but some people just don't get it apparently.
Ryley: Yeah. Apparently from what we saw on.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: You know, and that's. That's fine. You don't have to.
Kat: Mm-hmm.
Ryley: This is a one outta 10 though. This was written in November, 2020. "Plodding pace, slow, an hour too long."
Kat: What, you want it to be an hour long?
Ryley: You want it to be 57 minutes? Okay. "I didn't think the French original deserves all the claim it got. Predictable, each character of one-note stereotype, with laughs because each stereotype performs according to type. How enlightened. Then we have this film, a true step down in every regard. Robin Williams played the role oh so seriously. Nathan Lane, the opposite, all for laughs. The kid they raised was a ponderous bore. And his fiance a spoiled child. For excellent drag, watch the Milton Berle show, or head to an actual bar or cabaret where [00:35:00] men in witchy drag really know how to entertain. The film was the other kind of major drag."
Kat: I will say. I agree with them that like, if you wanna see yeah drag drag, go to- go to your local drag bar.
Ryley: Yeah, exactly.
Kat: And go to a show.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: Cause that's the only way to really experience it like not even fucking Drag Race will give you the actual, like what drag is thing.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: Do agree with them there. I also like that they pointed out Nathan Lane and Robin Williams are such fun parents.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: And their kids boring, but also that's not uncommon.
Ryley: That isn't uncommon.
Kat: Your parents are very flamboyant, you're either gonna tone down or you're gonna match the energy.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: It's just, it's just what happens.
Ryley: Exactly.
Kat: So it's not, it's not insane to imagine that they're kids like that.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: And his fiance is a spoiled brat.
Ryley: Oh yeah. I hate her.
Kat: I know they didn't, they didn't say brat, but I said brat.
Ryley: There's nothing redeemable about the fiance. I, I really just do not like her.
Kat: You don't get to know her.
Ryley: You don't. Well, you don't. And like, I know people complain about that, but it's like, I don't know. I kind of wanna hate her. She's the reason why they're doing this.
Kat: Just let me hate her.
Ryley: Let me hate her. I thought it was stupid when they said [00:36:00] Nathan Lane, the opposite all for laughs. Yeah, it's a comedy he's supposed to be funny. That's that's the bit.
Kat: Yeah, they, they make good points about like the drag in the real world.
Ryley: Exactly. And you should.
Kat: Support your local drag artists.
Ryley: Exactly, exactly. Go do that. This next one's one outta 10, written in January, 2010. "Don't waste your time go watch the original." "Watching this movie after seeing the French original is like reading Wikipedia summary after reading Romeo and Juliet. Robin Williams as Armand is the only actor who is playing his role somewhat close to satisfactory. He can't quite match the charm and manners of Ugo Tognazzi, though. But Nathan Lane as Albert is a disaster, you can clearly see that he is a man occasionally trying to play a gay person.
Kat: Oh, yeah, you're right. He wasn't out yet. Was he?
Ryley: Not-
Kat: But this is in 2010. He was out by then.
Ryley: He was way out by then, like he had to be. So I don't know. I don't, maybe this person missed that missed that news, that news article.
Kat: I guess so.
Ryley: Yeah, cuz I don't really get that comment. "It's all in the makeup and even that does not always help. When he is rehearsing a song, you can't tell he's [00:37:00] gay at all." Again, I dunno. I don't know.
Kat: Has this person met a gay person before?
Ryley: That and like, do you know anything about Nathan Lane other than when this movie came out?
Kat: What?
Ryley: Yeah, I'm really confused. I'm really, I was confused by this as well.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: "But if you look at Michel Serrault's original performance, it's nothing is short of outstanding. Every movement, every expression tells you that he's a woman in man's body. Basically, witty script and superb actors' play make me watch the 1978 La Cage Aux Folles original over and over while bland adaptation with weak acting of the birdcage spoils the brilliant script. I have no clue what was the point in making this remake. Replace French lawmaker with a Senator? Just go get the original. Then you can watch this remake and see if you agree with me."
Kat: I know this was 2010, so things have mindsets have changed and-
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: Do they think every drag queen feels as though they're a man or woman trapped in a man's body? Because yeah, there are some trans drag Queens who through drag have realized their [00:38:00] trans identity more.
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: But not every drag queen feels that way.
Ryley: No.
Kat: Do they think every gay man feels that way?
Ryley: I did not know what they meant by that. I was still confused about that.
Kat: I, I understand like Nathan Lane's character didn't give me that. It didn't, it didn't like, I know there was the joke where it's like, you're not a woman. He's like-
Ryley: You bastard!
Kat: Yeah, exactly. I guess maybe they wanted that feeling more. They wanted the feeling of like questioning transness from the character. But the way they say it.
Ryley: Exactly. And, and I did not know what they were meaning at all. They keep mentioning the original again.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: Cannot attest to what they're talking about when they mean by that, so. So this next one is four stars on Letterboxd it was written six days ago. "Unbelievably funny. This is the first time I I've seen it and there's 10 to 15," quote, "quotable I've been repeating to myself since. The main cast are absolutely exceptional and hysterical. This one deserves a bit more attention and modern reflection purely from a comedic standpoint. Also Nathan Lane clearly steals the show, but I was blown away by Robin Williams, proving again that he was a truly great [00:39:00] actor. Why? Because he easily could have turned on the classic Robin Williams comedy, but instead he toned it down to play off of Nathan Lane in an absolutely brilliant way. It's funnier for it. And I know Robin knew that as well. This will be a re-watched often."
Kat: That's kind of what I was feeling with the Robin Williams part, where it's like, it takes a lot of skill and knowledge of being the other side too. And like knowing how to, to set things up for that person too. Not saying that he did the heavy lifting, like Nathan Lane clearly brought a lot.
Ryley: Yes, he did.
Kat: You- without the chemistry, like wouldn't have worked as well. And I think Robin Williams is just so talented.
Ryley: That's the thing it shows his talent.
Kat: Was.
Ryley: Aw. don't look at me.
Kat: You're not allowed to pick a Robin Williams movie for a long time.
Ryley: That's fair. That's fair. This has no stars. If my child did this to me, I would disown them."
Kat: Same.
Ryley: Yeah. Five stars. "What the fuck did I just watch?"
Kat: Yes, yes. That's how I felt after watching, but I'm a cheerleader. Yeah.
Ryley: I wanna watch that. I wanna watched that now, knowing that's [00:40:00] like, it's got the same premise going on, I need to watch it. This is five stars. I pierced the toast does not pay any monthly rent in my brain that's for certain." No, I do. There was so much hate for the, for the son. There was so much hate for him. This is just one of the few and I just collected.
Kat: The way they say it sounds like you saying this.
Ryley: Yes, no, I've definitely said this. This might have been me who wrote it. This was four stars. "I would just kill the son my God."
Kat: Written on 9/11.
Ryley: Oh, wait, just wait, hold on. Uh, this next one is one out of 10 stars written May of 2002. "Two words, bad movie." "From what I remember of the original, even though the characters are unbelievable, they aren't that annoying. In this film everyone is unpleasant. But Dan Futterman's Val wins the honor as being one of the most unpleasant characters I have ever seen. Why anyone would put up with his petulant demands, is beyond me. I know that there wouldn't be much of a movie otherwise, [00:41:00] but in the French film, I don't remember the son being that much of a baby. The film itself is an exercise in predictability. I'm a fan of farce but when it is this labored and unfunny, it can become tiresome. I have never quite got Mike Nichols' films so that may have something to do with it and I think that Robin Williams is vastly overrated as an actor and I think that also has a lot to do with the fact that I don't like this film.
Kat: You know, at least, like I said before, I do love a person that can admit it. This wasn't for me.
Ryley: Mm-hmm. I hate that, like Robin did get, like, people were critiquing a little bit of his acting, like a lot of people who, even people who hated the movie were like, but Robin's fantastic in it, but there were people out there who were like, oh yeah, I don't understand Robin's character at all. I'm like that to me, it's just like, can you grow? And realize that he's not just-
Kat: One thing.
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: Yeah. He's not just the genie.
Ryley: He's not, and he's so good as a straight man. He really is.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: This next one is five stars. "The main thing I had forgotten about this movie since I [00:42:00] lost saw it was how useless and annoying the son is. Like, why is he like that? Anyways, apart from that, I enjoy this movie completely and then ending is the best thing to ever exist."
Kat: Mm-hmm.
Ryley: One outta 10, "extremely overrated" written in 2000. "Comedy is one of my favorite formats and I have a wide range of tastes in that genre."
Kat: I don't believe you.
Ryley: I watch this film- "I watch this film because of the actors involved and because of all the rage made about the film. I found this film to be boring, very unclever and full of too much tired, old schtick. I kept shaking my head wondering when something creative and funny was going to happen. By the end I figured that the film wasn't glorified because it was a good movie, but because of its message. Whatever. Couldn't they have done that with good writing and new ideas. Yawn."
Kat: I don't think this person, um, understands comedy.
Ryley: I love how they told us at the beginning, though.
Kat: You should never do that.
Ryley: Kat, you don't understand. They have a very right wide range of taste in genres.
Kat: Never show your hand like that cuz I'm gonna call it out.
Ryley: You're gonna take it away.
Kat: These people are boring.
Ryley: That's what I was thinking. I'm like-
Kat: Yeah I think that person's [00:43:00] bo- Oh my god.
Ryley: I was wanting to hide it. I didn't want you to see it.
Kat: I will still laugh.
Ryley: Okay.
Kat: I will still laugh.
Ryley: Alright we're gonna get there. Hold on. We have five stars. "There are millions of things I love about the girl case but the thing that gets me every single time is Diane Wiest's delivery of 'somebody has to like me best!' Brilliant." And I do, I love that quote. She's fantastic, but here's the crown jewel of all the fuckin' reviews, three and a half stars for this so they still liked it. And they said September 8th, 2022, "the queen died while I was watching this." I just love this significance of that. Like-
Kat: Where were you when the queen died?
Ryley: I was watching the birdcage. I just love it. Well, I don't wanna talk too much about that cuz I don't know how-
Kat: No, I will sh- I've been publicly shitting on her.
Ryley: Okay. Okay. So it's it's it's fine to. It's not something I'm gonna- we're gonna regret later.
Kat: If there's anyone out there who's like "it's in poor taste." Get outta here.
Ryley: [00:44:00] No, no, that's the whole thing. I, I do not understand.
Kat: And then I hope- if anyone out there who's listening is Irish, please drink some water.
Ryley: Yeah, please do. This is the official last 10 outta 10 one.
Kat: Okay.
Ryley: "One of the most human comedies I've ever seen," this was written in 2007. What, "what makes this movie so wonderful is how good a job Robin Williams and Nathan Lane do as portraying, loving, dedicated parents. Aside from the amazing soundtrack and the fun antics, it is their sheer goodness as human beings that stays in your head for a long time. A fun thing to do is compare this movie to La Cage Aux Folles and see how different characters are interpreted differently." The son in the birdcage is much, much- "the son in the birdcage is a much more complex character than the one in La Cage, and a lot of the movie is about him accepting his identity. The daughter, on the other hand, is much more of a three-dimensional character in La Cage. The other nice thing about this movie," is the- "is that unlike in the original, you end up liking the girl's parents to some extent. They actually [00:45:00] do have a lot in common with the heroes. That isn't true in La Cage where" the," girl's FA- "girl's father seems to be almost sinister."
Kat: I mean, the dad in this. One's not great.
Ryley: No.
Kat: He gets in drag, that's a big step.
Ryley: Exactly. Exactly. Like they're comically funny. It doesn't make up for who they are and what they believe in.
Kat: No.
Ryley: But they have funny lines, you know?
Kat: I wouldn't have dinner with them.
Ryley: No, I wouldn't hang out with them. For character's sake in the movie and the dialogue they have, like, yes, they're funny.
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: They're likeable in the way of like, Yeah, they're awful people, but they say funny things like, you know what I'm trying to say? Like-
Kat: Yeah.
Ryley: They're not likeable.
Kat: Yeah. They're just, I think exaggerated in a way that it's like far enough removed from reality to where it's okay that they're a little funny and.
Ryley: Exactly. Um, if you had to rate it, what would you rate it?
Kat: I think I would give it. A seven out of 10.
Ryley: That's good.
Kat: Cause it's entertaining like Paul Thomas Anderson said actually.
Ryley: Yeah.
Kat: If this I in the future, if this movie's on I'll I'll watch it and I, I get that.
Ryley: Mm-hmm [00:46:00]
Kat: What about you?
Ryley: I'm gonna go with a eight.
Kat: Eight. Okay.
Ryley: This, this is a sentimental movie for me. Uh, I watch it with my mom all the time. This is one of our favorite movies to like quote.
Kat: Mm-hmm.
Ryley: Yeah, and it's, it's not a perfect movie, but it has. A lot of-
Kat: A lot to offer.
Ryley: Yes. A lot, a lot of great things in it.
Kat: Mm-hmm. Anything else you wanna say before we?
Ryley: No, I think I've said everything.
Kat: Okay. Like you heard before we had Nikki send us a movie suggestion.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: You don't just have to send us movie suggestions on Instagram. You can also send us any complaints.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: Just anything you wanna tell us, honestly, or if you have a meme of a movie we've done that you think is funny, send it to us. We'll probably like it.
Ryley: Mm-hmm.
Kat: But our Instagram DMS are open at easy bake takes. Um, we also sometimes post clips of our show on TikTok also at easy bake takes and there is a transcript for every episode available on our website, easy takes podcast.com and don't forget to write and review us wherever you get your podcast. It really helps us out. And thank you so much for listening. My name's [00:47:00] Kat
Ryley: and I'm Ryley.
Kat: This has been Easy Bake Takes. Easy watching out there.
Ryley: Bye
Kat: bye.