Birdman Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ignorance

The full title of the film is "Birdman (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)". Indeed, the concept of ignorance crops up throughout the film, both internally, concerning the activities and motivations of its characters and externally, as the viewer experiences the film. "Birdman" tells the story of a jaded, frustrated (and possibly psychotic) fading superhero film star who is attempting to redefine himself by producing and starring in a Broadway play.

It features his interactions with his family, his fellow actors in the play, and (perhaps) the superhero character he played in his films.

The subtitle also foreshadows the stunning plot twist at the end of the film.

Answer: Michael Keaton

Michael Keaton both charmed and shocked us as the title character in "Beetlejuice" for director Tim Burton in 1988. He then thrilled and surprised us when he added Burton's "Batman" to his resume in 1989 and again in 1992. These roles have given him more than a passing acquaintance with the challenges of playing both a superhero and a grotesquerie.

His character in "Birdman," Riggan Thomson, played the superhero Birdman in a trilogy of films twenty years prior to putting together the Broadway production that he hopes will re-brand him as serious actor.

Although fans of the "Birdman" films are clamoring for him to star in yet another sequel, Riggan hopes to break free of the Birdman character through establishing himself in the play that is the centerpiece of "Birdman". Michael Keaton was nominated for a Best Performance by an Actor Oscar for his performance in "Birdman".

Answer: Alejandro González Iñárritu

Alejandro González Iñárritu devised "Birdman" and co-wrote its Oscar-winning screenplay. He originally planned the film to be a lighter viewing experience than his previous films "Amores perros", "21 Grams", "Babel", and "Biutiful". Along with his fellow Mexican directors Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cuaron, Inarritu has led a vanguard of filmmaking.

The trio (known by some as "The Three Amigos") have become famous for films that can be both fantastic and uncompromisingly realistic. Besides his share of the Best Picture Oscar for his role as producer, Inarritu won both the Best Director Oscar and a share of the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for his work on the film.

Answer: his best friend and lawyer Jake

Played by Zach Galifanakis, Jake is concerned for his friend, whom he feels has taken on too great a task in trying to put together the play. He is also worried about the time constraints and limited budget involved in putting on the play. He later saves the play from a lawsuit due to his extensive and slightly disturbing knowledge of porn movies.

Answer: his daughter Sam

Riggan's daughter Sam is struggling to recover from drug addiction, but not without some occasional backsliding. Riggan sees her assistant gig as a way for them to connect and to offer his daughter a hand. Besides helping Riggan and the production in many practical ways, Sam helps Riggan gain perspective at a crucial point of the film by using - of all things - a roll of toilet paper. Sam is played by actress Emma Stone, who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance in "Birdman".

Answer: An overhead light fixture falls, striking the actor in the head.

During a play rehearsal which includes Riggan, another actor and two actresses, it is apparent that the other actor is not performing very well. As an increasingly-bored and annoyed Riggan casts his restless gaze to the ceiling lighting fixtures, one of them crashes down, striking the other actor in the head, rendering him temporarily senseless, and necessitating his replacement in the play.

The scene suggests that Riggan may have the property of telekinesis.

Answer: He is the boyfriend of one of the actresses.

The replacement actor turns out to be Mike, a famous and difficult method actor who is available immediately, having quit or been fired from a recent role, depending on which story is believed. His girlfriend Lesley is one of the actresses in Riggan's play, and she recommends him for the part. Mike is hilariously played in "Birdman" by Edward Norton, who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the film.

Answer: Tabitha tells Riggan she hates it when Hollywood actors try to make it on Broadway.

Riggan and Tabitha (played by Lindsay Duncan) have a confrontation - it's actually a major fight - in a bar in which he accuses her of failing to understand theatrical production and of simply slapping labels on the plays she reviews. In addition to professing her contempt for Hollywood types, Tabitha flatly promises to pan Riggan's play, thus driving him into an existential and hallucinatory funk.

Answer: He shoots himself in the head with a real handgun.

In an effort to make everything right, Riggan plans to shoot himself in the head with a real gun at the end of his climactic pre-suicide monologue in the play, and actually does so. However, somehow the gun misses its mark, and that results in unintended consequences.

It is assumed by all that Riggan's use of a real gun instead of a prop was an accident. Tabitha gives the play a critical rave, titling her review "The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance" and Jake reports that tickets sales are breaking records. Riggan wakes up in his hospital room in bandages that duplicate the mask that Birdman wore.

Answer: We see Sam look towards the sky; she smiles and laughs.

This surreal and ironic denouement ties several competing plot threads together in ways well-suited to the film: Riggan's superhero character versus his actual persona; the opposing pulls of art and commerce; and the stresses and joys of family love. It clarifies the film's unusual subtitle and gives Riggan a version of a happy ending. Just don't expect a neat answer to the question, "What does it all mean?"