The Big Picture
- The Birdcage could have had a different dynamic with Steve Martin in Nathan Lane's role, but Lane's performance as a drag queen brings depth and emotion only he could deliver.
- The film's comedy comes from the situation, not the characters' sexuality, and Lane's physical comedy and Williams' more subdued performance complement each other perfectly.
- Lane stands out in moments where he's not trying to be funny, displaying genuine sadness and internal struggle that Martin couldn't have portrayed. The film's success is also attributed to the deep respect and dynamic between Lane and Williams.
Film history is full of "what-if" scenarios of actors, writers, and directors. Eric Stoltz instead in Back to the Future instead of Michael J. Fox, Alejandro Jodorowsky's version of Dune, or the unfathomable scenario of the shark actually working on the set of Jaws, to name a few. One that has fallen by the wayside, but could have had major implications, involves Mike Nichols 1996 comedy The Birdcage. The film is a beloved comedy, and for good reason. Nichols and former comedy partner Elaine May coming together for the script, Gene Hackman and Dianne Wiest as a cartoonishly conservative Senator and wife, and most importantly, Robin Williams andNathan Lane as a gay couple desperately trying to pass as husband and wife, so their son can get married.
The movie hinges entirely on Williams and Lane's relationship, and they absolutely nail it. Lane especially, as he serves as the heart of the film, displaying his excellent comedy chops as well delivering some heartbreaking moments that give the plot the weight it needs. However, Lane was never the first choice, but rather Steve Martin. How would that have changed the film? Martin is one of the best comedians of his time, but could he have replaced Lane, and would the film have been just as great?
Steve Martin Was Offered Nathan Lane's Role in 'The Birdcage'
To start, we have to go back to the late '90s. While all the players here are now rightfully viewed as some of the best to ever do it, that was not the case at the time. Williams was still undeniable, Mike Nichols and May were comedy legends, Hackman and Wiest were multiple time Oscar winners, but Nathan Lane was really not up to par, at least on paper. Sure, he had voiced Timon in The Lion King, and had been in a lot of notable Broadway productions, but he was nowhere near the star he is now, or the widely beloved figure he is now. Steve Martin on the other hand, was a star on par with the rest of the cast. A massive comedian in the '70s turned movie star in the '80s and '90s, he had actually worked with both Williams and Nichols before, starring in a production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot at Lincoln Center, directed by Nichols, and alongside Williams. Martin was offered the part in The Birdcage, but ultimately passed, as he felt he couldn't do the campiness necessary in portraying a drag queen on screen. So, we ended up with Lane in the role, and quite honestly, we were better off for it.
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The Birdcage is a film that stands the test of time not just because it's funny, but because it never resorts to the cheapest of jokes, but instead has a genuine heart. The comedy doesn't come from Williams and Lane being gay, it comes from the situation that they are in, being forced to hide who they are in front of this conservative Senator and his modest wife. Robin Williams is a comedy genius as the straight man in this duo, whereas Lane is really allowed to be over the top at certain moments. This dynamic works incredibly well. Lane is able to use his theater chops to great effect, employing a very physical style of comedy, and Williams channels something a lot more serious, and more subdued. Williams is certainly very funny in the film, but he provides a base for Lane, and Hank Azaria as their live-in housekeeper, to really play off of. Lane is delightful in drag, Azaria does great voice work and physical comedy, the script is razor sharp and full of great topical references (the Jeb Bush reference has aged like a fine wine), and Hackman and Wiest are very funny as ultra conservative stiffs.
Robin Williams Is Great, but Nathan Lane Is the Shining Star in 'The Birdcage'
However, Nathan Lane really shines in the moments where he doesn't have to be funny. A lot of comedies try to inject some kind of backbone or genuine conflict to make you more invested in the story. That drama is built directly into the film, particularly in the scene where Williams and their son essentially tell Lane's character that he's just "too gay" to meet his girlfriend's parents. Even in a suit, no makeup, walking like a cowboy, it's just too obvious. When Lane walks in the room wearing that suit, trying to repress who he is, you see a genuine sadness in his eyes, an internal struggle that he has clearly felt before. He's sad that he can't pass as a straight person, but also that he's being forced to do so by the two people he loves the most. When he reappears in drag as Williams' "wife," he's very funny, but that moment sticks with you. It colors the rest of the comedy you see. Martin simply does not have that in his bag of tricks. He could have done the physical comedy, him and Williams would have made a great comedy duo, but he could never do that scene. We see something from Nathan Lane's soul in that scene, something that shows the career he would go on to have as one of the most underrated performers of a generation.
The Birdcage is a comedy that stands out. Lane and Williams lead a fantastic cast, Nichols directs them incredibly, and the film is beautifully shot by Emmanuel Lubezki, one of the most innovative modern cinematographers, who would go on to shoot films like Children of Men and The Tree of Life. The relationship between Williams and Lane would extend beyond the screen as well. In a recent interview, Lane expressed that Williams helped protect Lane from being outed during publicity for the film. Lane was not publicly out as gay, and felt that coming out at the time was not something he wanted to do, due to both the climate around LGBT issues at the time, and wanting to focus on his first major film role rather than his personal life.The Birdcage is a special film, carried by the dynamic and deep respect both Lane and Williams shared for each other. Nobody else could have played Lane's part, and it is a miracle that he was given this role, and allowed to run with it. The Birdcage is a phenomenally funny film, and one worth repeat watches.
