--- title: "The Birdcage: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-birdcage/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-birdcage" critics_score: 57 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Birdcage (1996): what the critics said Critics' score 57 from 9 reviews: 5 positive, 1 mixed, 3 negative. Most critics lean favourably, though not by much. The praise clusters on the cast. Gene Hackman, as the conservative senator, is the one name nearly every review singles out, with Dianne Wiest beside him. Robin Williams is repeatedly credited for restraint, which several critics find a relief, and Elaine May’s screenplay draws praise for fresh dialogue and topical satire laid over the French original. The reservations cluster on the remake itself. Several critics find the material shows its age and the drag comedy has a been-there quality, and the spread is wide, from warm to cold. Time Out argues the script ends up celebrating conformity rather than diversity, and finds Nathan Lane’s performance a test of patience, where others count him among the film’s strongest elements. The Independent goes furthest, calling it near humourless. Notably, all three negative notices date from the first release; the later reviews are kinder. ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 3 March 1996. The critic calls the film a scream and a riotous comedy with irreverent topicality, performed with matchless aplomb and serving up pure pleasure from beginning to end. He highlights its expertly judged farce, surprising humanity, and strong performances, especially from Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, and Gene Hackman. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1996/film/reviews/the-birdcage-2-1200445467/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 3/4. 8 March 1996. The critic finds the American remake of La Cage aux Folles fresh thanks to strong casting and Elaine May's screenplay with its witty additions. He singles out the restrained performance from Robin Williams and the big laughs from Gene Hackman and Dianne Wiest as the conservative senator and his wife. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-birdcage-1996) ## Empire — Caroline Westbrook Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The remake is mostly satisfying with glitz and strong performances from Lane, Azaria and Hackman, but overly sincere and impeded by political correctness; it remains a genial crowd-pleaser with winning charm. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/birdcage-review/) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 8 March 1996. The critic finds the American remake of La Cage aux Folles tarted up with giddy ingenuity and political satire, with strong turns from Robin Williams and Nathan Lane. She notes that the material still shows its age despite the fresh South Beach setting and Elaine May dialogue. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/08/movies/film-review-la-cage-aux-folles-but-in-south-beach.html) ## Time Out — NF Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. The critic calls the film an anodyne Hollywood remake of the French farce La Cage aux Folles. Williams delivers his best restrained performance in years and Hackman shows strong comic timing, but Lane's squealing turn tests patience and the script ultimately celebrates conformity rather than diversity. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-birdcage) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 8 March 1996. The critic finds much of the film pro forma and predictable, with a been-there-done-that quality to the drag comedy that makes it wearying. He singles out Gene Hackman and Dianne Wiest as the sharpest and funniest elements amid the formulaic aspects. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-03-08-ca-44380-story.html) ## The New Yorker — Terrence Rafferty Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 11 March 1996. The critic views the film as a faithful but second-hand remake that largely contents itself with decking out the original French farce in American drag, praising Gene Hackman's expanded role as the standout element. He finds the leads skillful yet constrained by the source material and wishes the filmmakers had been bolder. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1996/03/18/seeing-straight) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 24 April 1996. Mike Nichols's remake of La Cage aux Folles is a near-humourless two hours of trifles that one must endure to reach a pithy final shot of the two clans separated by an aisle. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/bard-therapy-1306657.html) ## Consequence Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 10 March 2016. The critic celebrates the film's 20th anniversary and enduring appeal as a smart farce about gender, sexuality, and hypocrisy. They single out the performances of Robin Williams and Nathan Lane, especially the toast-piercing scene where Albert tries to conform to masculine norms. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2016/03/the-timeless-transgression-of-the-birdcage/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-birdcage.md