THE BIRDCAGE (1996) **1/2 Hank Azaria steals the show from an all-star cast (Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Diane Wiest, Nathan Lane; Calista Flockhart is in it too), in no small part due to his inability to walk in shoes. Which says too little, everyone plays their part, Williams at times to perfection, Lane at all times appropriately over the top (or however they do it), Hackman with suitable density, and Wiest without ever really eyeing the balls (career girl by any other name), but it's Azaria who fires things up on the occasions where the plot run stale or lukewarm. And what a plot! Frat boy raised by performing homos wants to marry daughter of moral subcommittee senator preoccupied with becoming old money...the opportunities resemble little as much as infinity and all the obvious ones, and some amusing intricacies along the sides, are played well if lightly and without overt malice. When Robin mentions Ted Kennedy in a respectful tone in the opening scene it's obvious that political alliances will never lurk far beneath the surface, the mockeries of the utter hypocrisy of the American right are more than deserved if occasionally hysterical to fit the milieu, and the big statement (yes, really big) about true family values are so obvious that there's no way Senator Hackman is ever going to see them. Gays out of the military and into politics! And will someone please finally cover the primer on that atrociously White House?
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