The Flickr Diannewiest Image Generatr

About

This page simply reformats the Flickr public Atom feed for purposes of finding inspiration through random exploration. These images are not being copied or stored in any way by this website, nor are any links to them or any metadata about them. All images are © their owners unless otherwise specified.

This site is a busybee project and is supported by the generosity of viewers like you.

Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest and Calista Flockhart in The Birdcage (1996) by Truus, Bob & Jan too!

© Truus, Bob & Jan too!, all rights reserved.

Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest and Calista Flockhart in The Birdcage (1996)

Vintage press photo by UIP / United Artists, no. 90/13A. Photo: Lorey Sebastian. Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest and Calista Flockhart in The Birdcage (Mike Nichols, 1996).

The American comedy The Birdcage (Mike Nichols, 1996) is the American remake of the French-Italian film La Cage aux folles/Birds of a Feather) (Édouard Molinaro, 1978) which was based on actor-playwright Jean Poiret's play 'La Cage Aux Folles' (1973). Director Mike Nichols teamed up with his former partner/screenwriter Elaine May for the first time in many years and for the first time together in films to create this sophisticated, remake of the phenomenally popular French musical farce. The film stars Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, and Dianne Wiest. Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart - pre-Ally McBeal, Hank Azaria, and Christine Baranski appear in supporting roles.

Jean Poiret's original play 'La Cage aux Folles' ran for almost 1,800 performances, from 1973 to 1978, at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in Paris. The French film version, La Cage aux folles/Birds of a Feather( Édouard Molinaro, 1978) starring Ugo Tognazzi and Michel Serrault, was also a considerable commercial success. It became one of the highest-grossing foreign-language films released in the United States of all time. It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for three Oscars: Best Director (Molinaro), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Costume Design. Michel Serrault won the César Award for Best Actor. The film was followed by two sequels: La Cage aux Folles II (1980), also directed by Molinaro, and La Cage aux folles 3 - 'Elles' se marient (1985), directed by Georges Lautner. The 1983 Broadway musical 'La Cage aux Folles' based on the play and the film, was also successful. In 1996, an American remake titled The Birdcage was released and relocated to South Beach. It was the first time Mike Nichols and Elaine May, who helped define improvisational comedy in the 1950s, worked together on a film. The stars were Robin Williams and Nathan Lane.

Val (Dan Futterman) and Barbara (Calista Flockhart) are engaged to be married. For a long time, they have wanted to avoid their parents' meeting but now it really has to happen. However, this does not seem very simple. Val's father Armand (Robin Williams) owns a gay nightclub called The Birdcage in South Miami Beach. His long-time lover, Albert (Nathan Lane), stars there as Starina. Barbara's father (Gene Hackman) is an ultra-conservative senator from the Republican Party and co-founder of the Committee for Moral Order. The Senator and family descend upon South Beach to meet Val, his father and "mother." Role-play is set in motion to avoid a negative reaction from Barbara's moralistic parents. What ensues is comic chaos. Three songs written by Stephen Sondheim were adapted and arranged for the film by composer Jonathan Tunick. Albert's first song (as Starina) is 'Can That Boy Foxtrot,' cut from Sondheim's Follies. 'Little Dream' was written specifically for the film, and ultimately used during Albert's rehearsal with the gum-chewing dancer. While Armand and Katharine dance in her office, they sing 'Love Is in the Air', cut from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. In addition to the Sondheim songs, Tunick utilized dance-style music such as Donna Summer's 'She Works Hard for the Money' and 'We Are Family', along with Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine's 'Conga'.

TheBirdcage (1998) grossed $18,275,828 in its opening weekend, topping the box office. It remained at No. 1 for the next three weeks. The film received positive reviews upon its release. Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times: "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 ('Live on Fisher Island and get buried in Palm Beach - that way you'll get the best of Florida!')." Derek Armstrong at AllMovie: "Mike Nichols' The Birdcage is a funny, slapstick, but ultimately slight farce, notable as a forerunner in the movement to make gay characters mainstream and profitable at the box office. It succeeded big time, winning a broad audience and raking in close to $125 million. It's rare that another actor gets to upstage Robin Williams, but Nathan Lane does so wonderfully, playing an ungracefully ageing drag queen who performs at the Miami nightclub owned by Williams, his subdued life partner." The Birdcage was nominated for, among others, an Academy Award for art direction and Golden Globes for best comedy and best comedy actor (Nathan Lane). In addition, the film actually won American Comedy Awards for the funniest lead actor (Lane) and most humorous supporting actress (Dianne Wiest) and a Screen Actors Guild Award for all actors' acting.

Source: Roger Ebert (Roger Ebert.com), Derek Armstrong (AllMovie), Sandra Brennan (AllMovie), Wikipedia (Dutch and English) and IMDb.

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

I Care a Lot by morrisseysteve

© morrisseysteve, all rights reserved.

I Care a Lot

bit.ly/3evupnK moviesteve.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/i-care-a-lot-1.jpg You used to see plenty of films like I Care a Lot in 1990s. In the slipstream of Quentin Tarantino’s first burst of success there was a glut of movies with a “who’s zooming who” plot playing out in an “only in the movies” universe of smart talk, skull-cracking violence, hot women, cool men, gunplay … Read more

110529-N-TT977-329 by paul.blanquer

© paul.blanquer, all rights reserved.

110529-N-TT977-329

110529-N-TT977-329
Actors Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna co-host the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)

VDIUE1650 by danimaniacs

© danimaniacs, all rights reserved.

VDIUE1650

IMG_9045 by danimaniacs

© danimaniacs, all rights reserved.

IMG_9045

IMG_8802 by danimaniacs

© danimaniacs, all rights reserved.

IMG_8802

Edward Scissorhands (1990 / 20th Century-Fox) by KlaatuCarpenter

© KlaatuCarpenter, all rights reserved.

Edward Scissorhands (1990 / 20th Century-Fox)

090524-N-0696M-170 by lovelove71

© lovelove71, all rights reserved.

090524-N-0696M-170

Actors Gary Sinise, left, and Joe Mantegna address the audience gathered on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol during the National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, D.C., May 24, 2009. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley, U.S. Navy/Released)

"The Horse Whisperer" by Static Phil

© Static Phil, all rights reserved.

"The Horse Whisperer"

Robert Redford and Patrick Markey present in 1998 "L'Homme qui murmurait à l'oreille des chevaux" with Robert Redford, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Neill, Dianne Wiest,...

Edward Scissorhands (1990/20th Century-Fox) 1 sheet by KlaatuCarpenter

© KlaatuCarpenter, all rights reserved.

Edward Scissorhands (1990/20th Century-Fox) 1 sheet

Tonya & Dianne - NYC by verplanck

© verplanck, all rights reserved.

Tonya & Dianne - NYC

Play poster, W 14th St subway station, Chelsea

New Trailer For Al Pacino Drama THE HUMBLING Directed By Barry Levinson by screenrelish

© screenrelish, all rights reserved.

New Trailer For Al Pacino Drama THE HUMBLING Directed By Barry Levinson

Having collaborated with the legendary Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson on the well-recieved HBO biopic YOU DON’T KNOW JACK, screen icon Al Pacino is back working with the man who gave the likes of RAIN MAN, WAG THE DOG and SLEEPERS.
We caught THE HUMBLING at last month’s T...

bit.ly/1scR1ug

First Trailer For Barry Levinson's THE HUMBLING Starring Al Pacino & Greta Gerwig by screenrelish

© screenrelish, all rights reserved.

First Trailer For Barry Levinson's THE HUMBLING Starring Al Pacino & Greta Gerwig

Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson is back in more comfortable territory after the bizarre decision to helm low-budget found-footage horror THE BAY. The director of the terrific RAIN MAN, WAG THE DOG and SLEEPERS is reunited with Al Pacino following their collaboration on the HBO made-fo...

bit.ly/1u1Hd6K

The Lost Boys Blu-ray steelbook by Moldovia

© Moldovia, all rights reserved.

The Lost Boys Blu-ray steelbook

The Birdcage by Tobyotter

Available under a Creative Commons by license

The Birdcage

One of my favorite Robin Williams movies - the entire cast was great - and I am not even a comedy fan.

Robin Williams was a comedy genius.

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

Happy Post-Retirement Life - Richmond Multicultural Festival N15156e by Harris Hui (in search of light)

© Harris Hui (in search of light), all rights reserved.

Happy Post-Retirement Life - Richmond Multicultural Festival N15156e

I wish I will be as happy as them when I am retired.

Although most of the people are shooting the performances on the stage, I still can't help shooting the candid around the place at Richmond Multicultural Festival.

Happy Monday and great week!

110529-N-TT977-266 by Joint Base Lewis McChord

110529-N-TT977-266

Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

Gen. Martin E. Dempsey has been nominated to become the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Located in the heart of the Pacific Northwest's Puget Sound region, Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) is the Defense Department's premiere military installation on the West Coast.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) provides world-class installation support to the joint base warfighters, Family members and the surrounding community.
For more information about Joint Base Lewis-McChord, visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/JBLMGarrison or read the article at www.nwguardian.com.

110529-N-TT977-484 by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

110529-N-TT977-484

Navy. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)

110529-N-TT977-455 by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

110529-N-TT977-455

Navy. Adm. Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations at the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)

110529-N-TT977-280 by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

110529-N-TT977-280

110529-N-TT977-280
Gen. Martin Dempsey, U.S. Army Chief of Staff at the 2011 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2011. (Department of Defense photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)