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Birdy (film)
Encyclopedia
Birdy is a 1984 American
film directed by Alan Parker
and starring Matthew Modine
and Nicolas Cage
. It is based on the novel of the same name
by William Wharton
.
. Birdy already has a disturbing fixation with birds and his Vietnam experiences push him over the edge: when he returns from the war, he is sent to a mental hospital for assessment and his friend Al stays with him to try to reach him before its too late and he'll be separated from Birdy, leaving him alone and lost inside his mind. As the story develops, many flashback scenes show their life together as teenagers in 1960s
America as well as their developing friendship and views of life.
was written and performed by Peter Gabriel
. The music contains some adaptations of tracks on Gabriel's third
and fourth
albums. The music makes heavy use of the Fairlight CMI
IIx music computer, which was one of the first sampling systems. Peter Gabriel was one of the first customers of the Fairlight CMI IIx.
at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival
. Roger Ebert
gave the film four stars (out of four) and at Rotten Tomatoes
currently (2011) it has a rating of 88% based on 25 reviews.
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
film directed by Alan Parker
Alan Parker
Sir Alan William Parker, CBE is an English film director, producer, writer and actor. He has been active in both the British cinema and American cinema and was a founding member of the Directors Guild of Great Britain.-Life and career:...
and starring Matthew Modine
Matthew Modine
Matthew Avery Modine is an award-winning American actor. His film roles include Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, the title character in Alan Parker's Birdy, high school wrestler Louden Swain in Vision Quest, football star turned spy Alec McCall in Funky Monkey and the...
and Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
. It is based on the novel of the same name
Birdy (novel)
Birdy is a 1978 novel by William Wharton.It was Wharton's first published novel, and was published when he was more than 50 years old. It won the National Book Award for first novel, and was made into a film, directed by Alan Parker and starring Matthew Modine and Nicolas Cage.Naomi Wallace, a poet...
by William Wharton
William Wharton (author)
William Wharton , the pen name of the author Albert William Du Aime , was an American-born author best known for his first novel Birdy, which was also successful as a film.-Biography:...
.
Synopsis
Two teenagers, Birdy (Modine) and Al (Cage), become friends at school and serve in VietnamVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Birdy already has a disturbing fixation with birds and his Vietnam experiences push him over the edge: when he returns from the war, he is sent to a mental hospital for assessment and his friend Al stays with him to try to reach him before its too late and he'll be separated from Birdy, leaving him alone and lost inside his mind. As the story develops, many flashback scenes show their life together as teenagers in 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
America as well as their developing friendship and views of life.
Cast
- Matthew ModineMatthew ModineMatthew Avery Modine is an award-winning American actor. His film roles include Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, the title character in Alan Parker's Birdy, high school wrestler Louden Swain in Vision Quest, football star turned spy Alec McCall in Funky Monkey and the...
as Birdy - Nicolas CageNicolas CageNicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
as Al Columbato - John HarkinsJohn HarkinsJohn Joseph "Pa" Harkins was a 19th century Major League Baseball player who pitched for three different teams in his five season career that lasted from to .-Playing career:...
as Dr. Weiss - Sandy BaronSandy BaronSandy Baron was an American comedian who performed on stage, in films, and on television.-Biography:Baron was born Sanford Beresofsky in Brooklyn, New York, and changed his name while a student at Brooklyn College, taking his inspiration from the nearby Barron's Bookstore...
as Mr. Columbato - Karen YoungKaren YoungKaren Young may refer to:*Karen Young , American film and TV actress*Karen Young , American romance novelist of the late 20th / early 21st centuries...
as Hannah Rourke - Bruno KirbyBruno KirbyBruno Kirby was an American film and television actor. He was perhaps best known for his roles in the Hollywood films City Slickers, When Harry Met Sally..., Good Morning, Vietnam, The Godfather Part II and Donnie Brasco.-Early life:Kirby was born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu, Jr. in New York City,...
as Renaldi - Nancy Fish as Mrs. Prevost
- George BuckGeorge BuckSir George Buck was an antiquarian who served as Master of the Revels to King James I of England.George Buck was educated at the Middle Temple, and served on the successful Cádiz expedition of 1596 under Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex...
as Birdy's Father - Dolores Sage as Birdy's Mother
- Pat RyanPat RyanPatrick J. C. Ryan is a Canadian curler originally from Edmonton, Alberta. Ryan is a former World Champion skip, and three time Brier champion. Ryan currently lives in Toronto....
as Joe Sagessa - James Santini as Mario Columbato
- Maud Winchester as Doris Robinson
- Marshall BellMarshall BellArchibald Marshall Bell is an American actor. He has appeared in many character roles in movies and television. His best-known movies are probably A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge , Stand by Me , Twins and Total Recall .-Early life:He was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he lived until...
as Ronsky - Elizabeth WhitcraftElizabeth WhitcraftElizabeth Whitcraft is an American actress who played small parts in some notable American films in the 1980s and 1990s. She was often credited as Liza Whitcraft or Liz Whitcraft....
as Rosanne - Sandra Beall as Shirley
- Victoria Nekko as Claire
- Crystal Field as Mrs. Columbato
- John Brumfeld as Mr. Kohler
Soundtrack
The film's soundtrackBirdy (album)
Birdy is the first soundtrack and sixth album overall by British rock musician Peter Gabriel, for the movie of the same name, released in 1985 . The album marked Gabriel's first work with producer Daniel Lanois...
was written and performed by Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
. The music contains some adaptations of tracks on Gabriel's third
Peter Gabriel (III)
Peter Gabriel is Peter Gabriel's third album. The album contains two of Gabriel's most famous songs, the U.K. Top 10 hit "Games Without Frontiers" and the political song "Biko", about the late anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko...
and fourth
Peter Gabriel (IV Security)
Peter Gabriel is the fourth album released by the British progressive rock musician Peter Gabriel. This album was originally released as Gabriel’s fourth eponymous album, but was released in the United States as Security, Gabriel's first album with Geffen Records in the US and Canada.-History:This...
albums. The music makes heavy use of the Fairlight CMI
Fairlight CMI
The Fairlight CMI is a digital sampling synthesizer. It was designed in 1979 by the founders of Fairlight, Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie, and based on a dual-6800 microprocessor computer designed by Tony Furse in Sydney, Australia...
IIx music computer, which was one of the first sampling systems. Peter Gabriel was one of the first customers of the Fairlight CMI IIx.
Reception
The film received the Grand Prize of the JuryGrand Prix (Cannes Film Festival)
The Grand Prix is an award of the Cannes Film Festival bestowed by the jury of the festival on one of the competing feature films. It is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme d'Or...
at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival
1985 Cannes Film Festival
-Jury:*Miloš Forman *Claude Imbert *Edwin Zbonek *Francis Veber *Jorge Amado *Mauro Bolognini *Michel Perez *Mo Rothmann *Néstor Almendros *Sarah Miles...
. Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave the film four stars (out of four) and at Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
currently (2011) it has a rating of 88% based on 25 reviews.