The Birdcage Trivia

1. Many of the scenes of "The Birdcage" were shot twice. Why was this?

From Quiz Unknown Things about "The Birdcage"

Answer: To allow for improvisation

Directed by Mike Nichols, the 1996 movie "The Birdcage" had many of its scenes shot twice for two reasons. The first was to follow the script of the screenplay, which was written by Elaine May and based on the work "La Cage aux Folles" by Jean Poiret. The second was to allow for the hilarious improvisation that occurred between Robin Williams (playing Armand Goldman), Nathan Lane (playing the delightful Albert Goldman, his marriage partner), and the other cast members during the shooting of the movie - and which subsequently appeared in various scenes of the movie. Robin Williams was always extraordinarily skilled at this ability in all his comedic roles, frequently leaving his co-stars in stitches.

From Quiz The Birdcage

Answer: Albert

Nathan Lane highlights the movie as Albert, the wife of Armand Goldman (Robin Williams). As Nathan Lane says in the behind the scenes of the film, "It is a very scary thing to see yourself as a woman."

From Quiz 'The Birdcage' Quotes

Answer: Louise Keeley

She says this when asking Barbara about the man she plans to marry.

From Quiz The Birdcage

Answer: Birdcage

Well this one was a give me.

From Quiz Unknown Things about "The Birdcage"

Answer: His grandmother

Hank Azaria plays the overwhelmingly gay housekeeper, Agador Spartacus, to the Goldmans. He is from Guatemala originally, with a very thick accent that is hard to decipher, and is hoping to get into acting. He usually gets around in outfits such as tiny thongs to the horror of the Goldman's straight son, Val (played by Dan Futterman). When forced to dress in subdued clothing - with shoes he never normally wears - for the visit of the far right Senator Kevin Keeley (played to perfection by Gene Hackman) and his family, he constantly trips over his feet. He also wrecks the preparation of the conservative dinner he tries to prepare for the visit. Hank Azaria realised a short way into the shooting of "The Birdcage" that he subconsciously based the accent he had created for his character on that of his real life grandmother, who was a Spanish Jewish woman from Greece.

From Quiz The Birdcage

Answer: Albert

After entering the house where drag queens are renovating for the arrival of the Keeleys, Albert is shocked to find all his belongings gone.

From Quiz 'The Birdcage' Quotes

Answer: Armand

They lie about Agador's real name, but Val calls him 'Agador' by accident and Armand covers it up by saying his full name is Agador Spartacus.

From Quiz The Birdcage

Answer: Albert

In my opinion this was one of Nathan's best performances.

From Quiz Unknown Things about "The Birdcage"

Answer: Steve Martin

Robin Williams had not been the first choice to play the somewhat subdued character (comparatively speaking) Armand Goldman for "The Birdcage". That role was earmarked for actor Steve Martin instead, but scheduling conflicts saw Martin having to withdraw from the part. Instead, and to the eternal gratitude of movie goers everywhere, the multi-talented Robin Williams scored the role in his place.

From Quiz 'The Birdcage' Quotes

Answer: Agador & agadore & agadoor

Then later Albert walks in and compliments Agador on the Turkish Coffee.

From Quiz The Birdcage

Answer: in bed with a prostitute

And to think that he was the co-founder of the Coalition for Moral Order!

From Quiz Unknown Things about "The Birdcage"

Answer: Albert Goldman

When casting roles were offered for "The Birdcage" the ever versatile Robin Williams was given first choice to play the delightful Albert (eventually played by Nathan Lane). Albert is not only Armand's life time partner, he is the flamboyant and very lovable star of Armand's drag club "The Birdcage" in Miami. Williams had all the right qualifications for the role, that's for certain. It called for a multi-talented actor who could sing, dance and portray a wide range of emotions - a piece of cake for Williams. Nathan Lane handled it with aplomb instead, helped along in the role by coaching advice from Williams. Together it was an unbeatable combination. The reason Williams turned down the role of Albert was that he had recently played the hilarious role of the female housekeeper in the 1993 film "Mrs Doubtfire", and wanted to play the lesser flamboyant role of Armand in "The Birdcage" as a contrast.

From Quiz 'The Birdcage' Quotes

Answer: Albert

When Armand is trying to convince Albert not to go home.

From Quiz The Birdcage

Answer: Starina

Fitting, I think.

From Quiz The Birdcage

Answer: Starina

Albert plays Starina in The Birdcage, Armand's drag club.

From Quiz 'The Birdcage' Quotes

Answer: Albert

When Armand and Albert are fighting in the beginning.

From Quiz The Birdcage

Answer: Calista Flockhart

Calista Flockhart plays the daughter of a conservative Senator who is the fiancée of Val, the son of a gay couple.

From Quiz 'The Birdcage' Quotes

Answer: Albert

Albert says this when Armand is teaching him to be more masculine!

From Quiz The Birdcage

Answer: South Beach

This is in the state of Florida.

From Quiz Unknown Things about "The Birdcage"

Answer: The girl from Grover's Corner

This scene is too funny for words. Albert wanted to originally meet the Keeleys as himself, but dressed in a dark business suit and not his usually flamboyant attire. However, when he dresses for the part, he still looks impossibly gay right down to his pink socks ("Well, one does want a hint of colour after all"). After realising that Armand and Val don't want him there, he retires, hurt, to his room - not knowing that Armand has organised for Val's real mother (played by Christine Baranski) to attend the dinner. Before she eventually arrives however, Albert, now over his huff, and because he is used to dressing in various female costumes during his career on stage, emerges from the bedroom dressed as the very epitome of middle class respectability and middle-aged female suitability - and playing Val's mother. It's incredibly funny, but he does save the day. For the time being. Armand and Val are then forced to play along. Armand refers to Albert as "Mother", and describes her to the Keeleys as "the girl from Grover's Corner" (a reference of course to the town in Thornton Wilder's work "Our Town"). However, because Armand is so anxious to reinforce the fact that "Mother" is the ideal housewife and parent, he goes overboard. The result is that the Senator begins to think Armand is patronising her, and he grows annoyed with Armand on her behalf. His wife, Louise, in the meantime (played perfectly by Dianne Wiest) begins to cry because she think the Senator prefers "Mother" to her.

From Quiz The Birdcage

Answer: Kennedys

Armand passes by the Kennedys at his drag club, saying, "Leave room for coffee!" (He has just ordered them a free round.)

From Quiz 'The Birdcage' Quotes

Answer: Kevin

When assessing how bad the Senator Jackson situation is.

From Quiz The Birdcage

Answer: Barbara

Or in the English accent of Nathan Lane, "Bobra."

From Quiz Unknown Things about "The Birdcage"

Answer: Barbara Bush

Barbara Bush (born 8 June, 1925) is the wife of the 41st President of the United States, George H.W. Bush (born 12 June, 1924) and was First Lady of the States from 1989 until 1993. Once you see images of Mrs Bush in her later years, and then compare them to the characterisation that Albert gives to his idea of Val's real mother, you'll have to laugh. He has it down perfectly, from the grey and perfectly coiffured hairstyle, to the strand of pearls that Mrs Bush is almost always wearing around her neck in her vast array of photographs.

From Quiz 'The Birdcage' Quotes

Answer: Agador

When Agador is wearing Albert's red wig.

From Quiz The Birdcage

Answer: housekeeper

And to think, his mother was a High Priestess and his father was the Shaman of their tribe.

From Quiz Unknown Things about "The Birdcage"

Answer: Betty White on steroids

A very funny quip, and amazingly accurate when you see Gene Hackman in his character of Senator Keeley, who is forced to dress up in drag in order to escape the pursuing press in this excellent movie. His hair style is most definitely that of the lovely Betty White's in her later years. And at six foot two in real life, Gene Hackman was almost a foot taller than the height of the diminutive Betty in her younger days.

From Quiz 'The Birdcage' Quotes

Answer: Agador

When he is cooking for the Keeley's

From Quiz The Birdcage

Answer: Robin Williams

Who else could have pulled it off?

From Quiz Unknown Things about "The Birdcage"

Answer: The director Mike Nichols

When Armand decides initially to introduce Albert as his friend in "The Birdcage", but still hiding the fact that they were both gay, he tries to teach Albert to act more like a man. This is an extremely funny scene, and includes Armand attempting to teach Albert to walk like a man, talk like a man, and "schmear" his toast like a man (Albert in distress: "I pierced the toast!"). It ends with Armand being punched by somebody he insults, and Albert assuring Armand that he was very brave and manly. During the shooting of this scene, particularly the "schmearing" section, the director Mike Nichols kept roaring with laughter. They finally had to put a blanket over his head so Robin Williams and Nathan Lane weren't distracted.

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