Movie #75 - The Birdcage

The Birdcage
MGM
1996 - Rated R - 1 hr 57 min
Director: Mike Nichols
Starring: Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, Diane Wiest, Hank Azaria, Calista Flockhart, Christine Baranski

First of all, the fact that this movie is rated R is definitely a sign of the times... I guarantee you if a movie came out today about "A gay cabaret owner and his drag queen companion agree to put up a false straight front so that their son can introduce them to his fiance's right-wing moralistic parents" I don't think it would be rated R unless there was nudity and copious F-bombs. There are neither, so I'm guessing the gay thing earned it the R. How lame of you, 1990's FCC.

On to bigger and better things, for example, how much I love this frickin' movie. It still makes me laugh, thanks to the amazing cast. And although it's kind of annoying that this nice couple's idiot son wants them to be untrue to themselves to impress some jerk, if you forget about that and just enjoy the hillarity that ensues, you're golden.

It's hard to decide whether Nathan Lane or Hank Azaria is the best thing about this movies. From the spot-on melodramatics that Lane provides to the "combination of Lucy and Ricky" that makes Azaria so memorable, I'm truly torn. Fortunately, I don't have to decide because I can get them both. I will also add, though, that this movie is an interesting one, since Robin Williams plays the "straightman" (I know, I know. He's gay, but he's the straightman. Are we clear?) It was probably one of his first roles not being the loony one.

It was nice to laugh with this movie today... I consider it one of my favorites.

Movie #23 - Along Came Polly

Along Came Polly
Universal Pictures
2004 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 30 min
Director: John Hamburg
Starring: Ben Stiller, Jennifer Aniston, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Debra Messing, Hank Azaria, Alec Baldwin

Ben Stiller plays the same goofy, lovestruck, hopeless guy he does in most of his movies. In this, he's an insurance adjuster who can't take risks. When his wife unexpectedly cheats on him (on the first day of the honeymoon), he freaks out, goes home, and bumps into the least likely woman to be interested in him... Surprisingly, she is interested (What is it that the ladies love so much about Ben?)

Overall, it's just a funny rom-com with a basic plotline, cast of characters, and a few choice one-liners thrown in for fun. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Alec Baldwin are probably the best parts about this movie. Still, I enjoyed watching it for the first time in a few years.