Display MoreWe had a great time with The Birdcage! It really is a classic; wonderful actors armed with witty dialogue that, if you'll forgive the comparison, feels like the respectable ancestor of modern Marvel quips. Robin Williams and Nathan Lane are so intensely likeable and their sets and costumes are particularly and perfectly evocative. And none of what was breaking a 'taboo' at the time feels out of place today… the gay aspect isn't ever treated as some joke and that holds up now that society is ever so slightly better!
The big Wing Commander connection was Robin Williams' famous visit to the Wing Commander IV shoot while he was making this movie. As anyone could've predicted, he's witty and charming to his standard incredible extreme here… and it might be his most handsome on screen role! Chris Roberts famously wanted him to appear as Merlin in the Wing Commander movie but they couldn't make contact in time… I do feel like you can see a little of him in the extant Merlin concept art!
It was also exciting just to think about the logistics of everything. The club and the exteriors were shot on location in Florida (it takes place roughly 30 miles from From Justin to Kelly, a comparison no one else is likely ever to make!) but the interiors were shot next door to Wing Commander IV. Imagine walking out of one of these sets, going down the hall and emerging in Admiral Tolwyn's office!
Are there going to be any, ah, birds in your birdcage movie?
