Wikipedia

Birdy(film)

Birdyis a 1984 Americandrama filmbased onWilliam Wharton's1978 novel of the same name.Directed byAlan Parker,it starsMatthew ModineandNicolas Cage.Set in 1960sPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania,the film focuses on the friendship between two teenage boys, Birdy (Modine) and Al Columbato (Cage). The story is presented inflashbacks,with aframe narrativedepicting their traumatic experiences upon serving in theVietnam War.

Birdy
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAlan Parker
Screenplay by
  • Sandy Kroopf
  • Jack Behr
Based onBirdy
byWilliam Wharton
Produced byAlan Marshall
Starring
CinematographyMichael Seresin
Edited byGerry Hambling
Music byPeter Gabriel
Production
companies
A&M Films
Delphi III Productions
Distributed byTri-Star Pictures
Release date
  • December 21, 1984(1984-12-21)(United States)
Running time
120 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$12 million[2][3]
Box office$1.4 million[4]

Parker initially turned down an opportunity to direct, believing that the complex book could not be successfully adapted for a feature film. The project resurfaced in 1982 when A&M Films, a subsidiary ofA&M Records,acquired the film rights and commissioned Sandy Kroopf and Jack Behr to write the screenplay. Upon reading the script, Parker returned as director, and the film continued development atTri-Star Pictures.Principal photographybegan in May 1984 and concluded in August of that year. Filming took place on locations in Philadelphia andSanta Clara, California.The film is notable for being the first to be partially shot with theSkycam,a computer-controlled camera system created bySteadicaminventorGarrett Brown.Thescorewas composed byPeter Gabriel.

Birdyopened inlimited releaseon December 12, 1984. It underperformed at the North American box office, grossing only $1.4 million against a budget of $12 million. The film received mostly positive reviews, and has an approval rating of 83% atRotten Tomatoes.Birdywas chosen by theNational Board of Reviewas one of theTop Ten Filmsof 1984, and won theGrand Prix Spécial du Juryprize at the1985 Cannes Film Festival.

Plot

edit

In a 1960s working-class neighborhood inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania,a teenage boy nicknamed "Birdy" befriends his next-door neighbor Al Columbato, and relates to his fascination with birds and their ability to fly. The two begin pursuing Birdy's hobby of catchingpigeonsand caging them in a large, woodenaviarythat he has built outside his parents' home.

One night, the teenagers climb atop a refinery building, where Birdy hangs on the ledge to catch the pigeons roosting on it. Birdy loses his grip and falls several stories, but he lands on a pile of sand. Slightly dazed, he tells Al that during the fall, he flew. After Birdy is hospitalized for minor injuries, his parents dismantle the aviary.

Birdy concedes to Al's wishes of pursuing another venture. After they purchase and restore a 1953 Ford automobile, Al's father registers the vehicle. Al drives Birdy to anAtlantic City boardwalk,but they are arrested the next day after Mr. Columbato reports the car stolen. After bailing the boys out of jail, Mr. Columbato sells the vehicle. Birdy later confronts him, claiming that the car was not his to sell. Mr. Columbato offers Birdy a sum of money, which Birdy refuses in principle.

Birdy builds a new aviary in his bedroom and purchases twocanaries.He names the female Perta and the male Alfonso (after his friend). Upon returning to school, Birdy encounters a classmate, Doris Robinson, and Al encourages him to ask her out on adate.At theprom,Birdy dances unenthusiastically with Doris, leaving her confused and humiliated. Afterwards, Doris drives him to a secluded spot, where Birdy lightly rejects her sexual advances. Birdy returns home to his bedroom and lies down naked in the aviary. In a semi-conscious state, he expresses that he wants to die and be born again as a bird. He then imagines himself flying like a bird around his room, throughout the house and outside in the neighborhood.

Upon graduation, Al enlists and Birdy isdraftedinto theUnited States Army.During theVietnam War,Birdy is placed in amental hospitalafter beingmissing in actionfor a month. Aflashbackreveals that he was the sole survivor of ahelicoptercrash. Al is hospitalized in the same facility. His face is heavily bandaged for injuries that he sustained from an exploding bomb. Major Weiss, a military doctor, informs Al that, although Birdy's injuries are relatively minor, Birdy has not spoken since he was found. Al speaks to Birdy at length, but Al grows increasingly frustrated by his lack of response. He is then elated when Birdy smiles at a joke he makes. Weiss dismisses the response asdissociative behavior.

Al suspects Birdy of feigning insanity to hide from the world, and he expresses to Birdy that he too wishes to hide due to his own injuries. Birdy unexpectedly responds by telling Al that he is "full of shit". Al alerts Weiss to Birdy's response, but when the doctor arrives, Birdy remains silent. Not seeing any progress, Weiss orders Al to leave, but Al pushes the doctor aside. After Weiss flees, twoorderliesare sent in to subdue Al, who fights them and takes Birdy to the roof of the hospital. Birdy rushes to the ledge, raises his arms and jumps off the side of the roof as if he were about to fly. Thinking Birdy has plunged to severe injury, Al runs over to the ledge but finds Birdy on another level of the roof, perfectly fine. Birdy looks up at Al and says, "What?"

Cast

edit

[3]

Production

edit

"Our film I hope will be about friendship, obsession, and... the nearer verges of insanity. It's also about the way in which all of us, trapped within the walls and predicaments that skirt our lives, endeavour to soar above them...William Whartonwrote a remarkable, original book and we now have, I believe, a very special script. "

—An excerpt from directorAlan Parker'spre-productionletter to the crew.[5]

Development

edit

Following publication ofWilliam Wharton's 1978 novelBirdy,Alan Parkerreceivedgalley proofsof the book from his agent, who advised him that the novel was going to beoptioned.Upon reading the novel, Parker discussed it with his colleague, producerAlan Marshall,before turning down the opportunity to direct afilm adaptation.[6]He explained, "So much of the story happened inside the boy's head, and the poetry of the book was literary. To make it cinematic - I didn't know if I could make the jump."[7]In September 1979,Orion Picturesoptioned the novel for $150,000.[3]

In October 1982, A&M Films, a newly established subsidiary ofA&M Records,acquired thefilm rightsand commissioned Sandy Kroopf and Jack Behr to write the screenplay.[3][6][7]Kroopf and Behr made various changes from the novel, opting to focus primarily on the friendship between Birdy and Al Columbato. They also decided to set the story during theVietnam War,as opposed to the novel, which is set duringWorld War II."We were in high school in the mid-1960s," Behr explained, "so growing up then was our experience."[7]Structuring the film required Kroopf and Behr to create anonlinear narrative,and manufacture much of its action and dialogue from Al's narrative in the novel.[7]They spent one year trying to sell their script to various studios, without success.[7]In 1983, Parker received the script from A&M and, after reading it, signed on as director.[8]He then discussed the adaptation with executives atTri-Star Pictures.After the studio agreed to produce the film, Parker traveled to Los Angeles, where he met with Kroopf and Behr to work on the script.[6]

Casting

edit
Left to right:Matthew ModineandNicolas Cage,who star in the film as Birdy and Al, respectively.

Parker and casting director Juliet Taylor held open casting calls in Los Angeles,San Francisco,San Jose,New York CityandPhiladelphia.[6][8]Matthew Modineoriginally auditioned for the role of Al Columbato,[9]but Parker decided to cast him as Birdy, believing that the actor possessed an "introverted honest quality" that best suited the character.[6]Modine said, "I was flabbergasted because I hadn't auditioned for Birdy. I had never imagined playing the part of Birdy. So, I had to really go through an extraordinary transformation in my mind of trying to bring this remarkable character to life. It was an incredible experience making the film."[9]

Nicolas Cagewas cast as Al Columbato. He reflected, "I was terrified of the role of Al, because it was like nothing I'd ever done before, and I didn't know how to get to the places the role was asking me to go emotionally."[7]For scenes in which Al's face is disfigured and swathed in bandages, Cage lost 15 pounds and had two of his front teeth pulled out.[6]"I wanted to look like I was hit by a bomb," he said. "It gave me a feeling of something I had lost. I felt this was a once-in-a-lifetime part, and it deserved that much."[7]

Elizabeth Whitcrafthad been working as a waitress in Philadelphia before she was cast as Rosanne, a teenage girl who makes out with Al. The film marked her feature film debut.[6][8]Maude Winchester secured the role of Doris Robinson, a teenage girl who Birdy encounters, during auditions in San Francisco.[8]Dolores Sage, also making her film debut, plays Birdy's mother.[6]Danny Gloversecured the role of Mr. Lincoln, a bird owner who befriends Birdy, but Parker had his scene removed from the final film, explaining that it "was rather misplaced within the framework of [the] story".[6]

Filming

edit

Pre-production

edit

Parker originally planned to shoot scenes inOakland, California,before visiting the actual Philadelphia locations described in the novel.[6]Upon arriving in Philadelphia, he and producer Alan Marshall set up production offices at aHoliday Innhotel.Location scoutingbegan as Parker was holding casting calls in New York City.Location managerRory Enke andproduction designerGeoffrey Kirklandvisited run-down areas of Philadelphia, and offered suggestions to Parker on his weekend visits from New York.[8]Parker made an arrangement with theInternational Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees(IATSE) that permitted the British crew members to work alongside members of both the east and west coast union locals.[6][8]He had to employ no less than four members of the two camera locals in order to allow his past collaborators—director of photographyMichael Seresin,camera operatorMichael Roberts andeditorGerry Hambling—to work on the film.[8]

Principal photography

edit

Filming was scheduled to start in December 1983, but was postponed for six months to accommodate Modine'sshooting scheduleforMrs. Soffel(1984).[6]Principal photographybegan in Philadelphia on May 15, 1984,[6][8]with abudgetof $12 million.[2][3]The script required that a total of 24 locations be used for filming in Philadelphia andSanta Clara, California.[6][8]Animal trainer Gary Gero employed the use of 80 different canaries for various scenes in the film, as well as pigeons, ahornbill,a cat, eighteen dogs and a seagull.[6]

A women's prison wing located in thePhiladelphia House of Correctiondoubled for a scene set in anAtlantic Cityjail.[8][10]A scene depicting Birdy and Al climbing an elevated railway was filmed at the46th Street Stationabove the intersection of Farragut and Market Street in theMill Creekneighborhood.[10]The cast and crew then moved toPhiladelphia City Hall,whereWilson Goode,the city's first African Americanmayor,visited the set and gave the production his blessing.[6]

After four weeks of filming in Philadelphia, the cast and crew moved toWildwood, New Jersey,which doubled for scenes set at the Atlantic City boardwalk.[6][8]Filming then moved toSan Francisco,California.The scene where Birdy and Al climb atop a refinery building was filmed on the rooftop of an abandonedgasworksinHercules, California.The scene required Modine and Cage to hang off the edge of the roof secured by safety wires, while the sequence in which Birdy falls off the roof was performed by astunt double.[6]

The production next filmed Birdy's flight on anornithopterat theNewby Island landfillinSanta Clara County.The filming of the scene was considered to be a health concern among the cast and crew, due to the exposed garbage and smell ofmethanegas. The filmmakers originally planned to shoot Birdy landing in a reservoir thirty feet away from the landfill, but a test of the water had shown it to be hazardous. Parker said, "We experimented with a 100-foot wire hanging from a helicopter to allow us to 'fly' Birdy into a pond we'd constructed at the bottom of a hill of garbage."[6]The military hospital scenes were filmed at theAgnews Developmental Center,a psychiatric and medical care facility located in Santa Clara. A corner of the hospital was used to film scenes set in Birdy's bedroom.[6]

The production then moved toStockton, Californiato depict a scene involving Al aboard a train.[8]TheVietnam Warsequences were filmed inModesto, California,where the art department found difficulty in pinpointing filming locations, as the entire area was flooded.[8]The use of helicopters during filming was the subject of frequent discussions with theFederal Aviation Administration(FAA), following anaccidentduring the production ofTwilight Zone: The Movie(1983).[8]Thespecial effectsdepartment used fifteen 20-gallon drums of gasoline rigged with explosive charges to depict a napalm strike. A total of four cameras were used to film the explosions.[6][8]Principal photography concluded in early August 1984.[3]

The film was the first to be partially shot with theSkycam,a computer-controlled, cable-suspended camera system created byGarrett Brown.

Cinematography

edit

The film was the first to be partially shot with theSkycam,a computer-controlled,cable-suspended camera systemcreated byGarrett Brown,inventor of theSteadicam.The Skycam had 100-foot high posts with four hanging wires controlled by a computer, and a lightweightPanavisioncamera with 200 feet of film hung at the center of the wires.[6][8]The filmmakers intended to use the Skycam to fully depict Birdy's point of view during a fantasy sequence in which he imagines himself as a bird flying,[6]but they encountered difficulties, as the camera would often malfunction. Although the Skycam proved successful on its first take, Parker insisted that the filmed footage be shot more rapidly, but the camera system malfunctioned during its second take, after capturing 40 seconds of footage. This resulted in the camera operators shooting the remainder of the sequence with a Steadicam mounted on top of an improvisedcamera dolly.[6]

Music

edit
Main article:Birdy (Peter Gabriel album)
Peter Gabriel,who scored the film.

Thescorewas written, co-produced and composed by English singer and songwriterPeter Gabriel,and marked his first work on a feature film.[6][11][12]Duringpost-production,Parker had been incorporating the percussive rhythms from Gabriel's solo albums into the film.[6]He contacted the musician's managerDavid Geffen,who advised him that producing the soundtrack would be a slow process, as Gabriel was known for working at his own pace.[6]While working on his fifth studio albumSo,Gabriel agreed to scoreBirdyafter viewing arough cutof the film.[6][13]

Recording sessions took place at theAshcombe HouseinSomerset,England,from October to December 1984.[11][14]Gabriel used tapes of previously recorded material from the past four years, which he and music producerDaniel Lanoisremixedfor select scenes in the film.[6]The score "Close Up" originated from the song "Family Snapshot"(fromGabriel's third album), which was composed on aYamaha CP-70 Electric Grand Piano.[11][15]The track "Birdy's Flight" is based upon the instrumental outro of "Not One of Us," also from Gabriel's third album. "The Heat", "Under Lock and Key" and "Powerhouse at the Foot of the Mountain" borrowed musical elements from "The Rhythm of the Heat," "Wallflower," and "San Jacinto," all songs on Gabriel'sfourth album,which had been composed on aFairlight CMIIIx, amusic workstationwith an embedded digitalsamplingsynthesizer.[11]

The soundtrack album, entitledBirdy: Music from the Film,was released on March 18, 1985, byGeffen RecordsandCharisma Records.[11]AllMusic's Tom Demalon awarded it four stars out of five, writing, "The fact thatBirdyis comprised of all instrumentals means that listeners whose familiarity with Gabriel is limited to 'Sledgehammer' and 'In Your Eyes' will be largely disappointed. However, its meditative nature makes it fine, reflective listening for the more adventurous. "[16]

In an interview withSpinin 1986, Gabriel said, “Birdywas about the struggle of the spirit... It was about the interplay between the traumatized Birdy, the wounded victim, and his best friend, who’s ostensibly the tough one. But in the end, it’s Birdy who’s strong and his friend who’s cracking. When I saw the rough cut of the film, I knew I had to do it. It haunted me.”[17]

Recalling in 2010 his experience of working with Gabriel, Alan Parker toldProgmagazine, "We got on so well, he’s such a sweet man. It was such a refreshing change from working with megalomaniacs likeRoger Waters.Peter’s record company were very difficult to begin with, and so I phoned them to ask if they’d mind if Peter took a little time to do this, and they said as long as it didn’t take more than a couple of months because Peter was already a year late or something. He had strong views and I would never be able to persuade him to do something he didn’t feel comfortable with, but we didn’t have any confrontation as such. "[18]

Release

edit

Tri-Star Pictures had planned to release the film using aplatformtechnique which involved opening it in select cities before releasing itnationwide.The studio was confident that thelimitedtheatrical run would generate strong-word-of-mouth interest and awards consideration for the film.Birdyopened inlimited releaseon December 21, 1984, in New York City, Los Angeles andToronto.[19]The film's failure to garner any award nominations during the limited run resulted in Tri-Star cancelling a wide release scheduled for late January 1985. In response, A&M Films prompted the studio to refocus the film's marketing campaign.[19]Tri-Star adjusted its promotional focus on the friendship between Birdy and Al,[19]while Parker, Modine and Cage heavily promoted the film by personally visiting critics, journalists and radio reporters.[20]Birdyunderperformed at the North American box office, grossing only $1,455,045 in the United States and Canada,[4]against a budget of $12 million.[2][3]

Home media

edit

The film was released onVHSin mid-June 1985 by RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video,[21]and onDVDon February 15, 2000, byColumbia TriStar Home Video.The DVD presents the film in optionalfullscreenandanamorphic widescreenversions on both sides of the disc. Special features include the film'stheatrical trailer,as well as trailers for other films starring Cage and directed by Parker, information on the cast and crew, and a booklet featuring production notes.[22]

Birdywas first released on theBlu-rayformat in the United States on June 25, 2019. It was given amanufacture on demandrelease, with no extras other than the theatrical trailer.[23]Aregion-free,limited edition version was released in the United Kingdom by Powerhouse Films on October 28, 2019. Parker oversaw the film's2Kdigital restoration.Special features include a 48-page booklet, the theatrical trailer, interviews with the cast and crew, anaudio commentaryby Parker and Justin Johnson of theBritish Film Institute,and Parker's 1976television filmNo Hard Feelings.[24]

Reception

edit

Critical response

edit

Birdyreceived mostly positive reviews from mainstreamfilm critics.[25]Thereview aggregationwebsiteRotten Tomatoessampled 44 reviews, and gave the film a score of 84%, with anaveragescore of 7.3 out of 10. The consensus summarizes: "Aided by strong work from Matthew Modine and Nicolas Cage,Birdyfinds director Alan Parker turning a supposedly unfilmable novel into a soaring -- and emotionally searing -- success. "[26]Roger Ebert,in his review for theChicago Sun-Times,awarded the film four stars out of four, writing, "Birdy... tells a story so unlikely... and yet a story so interesting it is impossible to put this movie out of my mind. "[27]Janet MaslinofThe New York Timeswrote, "Mr. Parker has for the most part directed the film deftly and unobtrusively. Every so often, though, he introduces the kind of overstatementBirdydidn't need... Fortunately, the heavy-handedness is in limited supply. Most ofBirdyis enchanting. "[28]Film criticEmanuel Levycalled it "a powerfully dramatic chronicle of postwar trauma."[29]

Gene Siskelof theChicago Tribune,felt that the film was "far better as an antiwar film than as a poetic tribute to flight".[30]Pauline KaelofThe New Yorkerpraised Modine and Cage's performance, but described that the film as being "morose and unrelieved".[31]Varietywrote, "Belying the lightheartedness of its title,Birdyis a heavy adult drama about best friends and the after-effects of war, but it takes too long to live up to its ambitious premise. "[32]Jack Zink of theSun-Sentinelwrote that the film "takes a while to hook you into its story. This is one occasion we can afford the wait; Parker keeps us awake by repeatedly slapping us across the face visually."[33]

Accolades

edit

Birdyreceived several awards and honors, with particular recognition for the film itself. TheNational Board of Reviewnamed it one of theTop Ten Filmsof 1984.[34]Following its release, the film premiered at the1985 Cannes Film Festival,and on May 20, 1985, it won theGrand Prix Spécial du Juryprize.[35]In 1987, the film received anAudience Awardat theWarsaw International Film Festival.[36]

References

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^"Birdy".bbfc.co.uk.British Board of Film Classification.RetrievedNovember 2,2016.
  2. ^abcNixon, Rob."Birdy".TCM.com.Turner Classic Movies.RetrievedOctober 25,2016.
  3. ^abcdefg"Birdy".catalog.afi.com.American Film Institute.RetrievedJanuary 1,2020.
  4. ^ab"Birdy (1984)".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedNovember 2,2016.
  5. ^Parker, Alan."birdy33.jpg (1500×1000)".AlanParker.com.RetrievedDecember 28,2016.
  6. ^abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaaabacParker, Alan."Birdy - Alan Parker - Director, Writer, Producer - Official Website".AlanParker.com.RetrievedNovember 2,2016.
  7. ^abcdefgBennetts, Leslie (December 23, 1984)."'Birdy,' - A Difficult Journey to the Screen ".The New York Times.RetrievedNovember 2,2016.
  8. ^abcdefghijklmnopParker, Alan."Birdy - The Making of the Film: Egg by Egg".RetrievedNovember 4,2016.
  9. ^ab"Interview with Matthew Modine, star of" Birdy "".The CW Atlanta.RetrievedNovember 2,2016.
  10. ^ab"Film locations for Birdy (1984)".Archived fromthe originalon 2016-04-10.RetrievedNovember 2,2016.
  11. ^abcdeEaslea, Daryl (17 September 2013). "17. Watch theBirdy".Without Frontiers: The Life & Music of Peter Gabriel.London, England:Omnibus Press.ISBN978-0-85712-860-7.
  12. ^Brackett & Hoard 2004,p. 319
  13. ^White 1986,p. 53
  14. ^Bowman 2016,pp. 119–120
  15. ^Hecker-Stampehl, Jan."Peter Gabriel - III (" Melt ")".Genesis News.RetrievedNovember 2,2016.
  16. ^Demalon, Tom."Birdy - Peter Gabriel".AllMusic.RetrievedNovember 2,2016.
  17. ^"Peter Gabriel: Our 1986 Interview".Spin.September 1986.
  18. ^Smith, Sid (4 June 2022)."The stories of Peter Gabriel's solo albums, told by his collaborators".Prog.
  19. ^abcLondon, Michael (March 8, 1985)."Will 'Birdy' Fly The Second Time?".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedNovember 2,2016.
  20. ^Hawes 2008,p. 190
  21. ^Hunt, Dennis (May 10, 1985)."Home Video Executes Lure Of X-rated Theaters".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedNovember 2,2016.
  22. ^Hughes, Chris (February 23, 2000)."Birdy: DVD Talk Review of the DVD Video".DVDTalk.com.RetrievedNovember 2,2016.
  23. ^"Birdy MOD Blu-ray".RetrievedNovember 14,2019.
  24. ^"Birdy limited edition Blu-ray".RetrievedNovember 14,2019.
  25. ^Harmetz, Aljean (May 22, 1985)."Cannes Festival Awards Good To U.s. Nominees".Sun-Sentinel.Archived fromthe originalon December 28, 2016.RetrievedDecember 28,2016.
  26. ^"Birdy (1984)".Rotten Tomatoes.RetrievedDecember 16,2023.
  27. ^Ebert, Roger (January 1, 1985)."Birdy Movie & Film Summary (1984)".RetrievedNovember 2,2016.
  28. ^Maslin, Janet(December 21, 1984)."Movie Review - - The Screen: Alan Parker's 'Birdy'".The New York Times.RetrievedNovember 2,2016.
  29. ^Levy, Emanuel(April 22, 2011)."Birdy (1984): Drama of Postwar Trauma, Starring Nicolas Cage".EmanuelLevy.com.RetrievedDecember 28,2016.
  30. ^Siskel, Gene (May 13, 1985)."Cage Aside, 'Birdy' Just Doesn't Fly".Chicago Tribune.RetrievedNovember 2,2016.
  31. ^Kael 2011,p. 74
  32. ^VarietyStaff."Review: Birdy".Variety.RetrievedNovember 2,2016.
  33. ^Zink, Jack (May 3, 1985)."'Birdy' Takes Wing With Style ".Sun-Sentinel.Archived fromthe originalon November 4, 2016.RetrievedNovember 2,2016.
  34. ^"Top Films Archives".National Board of Review.RetrievedDecember 30,2016.
  35. ^Harmetz, Aljean (May 21, 1985)."A Dark Horse Film Wins Top Prize at Cannes".The New York Times.RetrievedNovember 2,2016.
  36. ^"Birdy (1984)".MUBI.RetrievedDecember 30,2016.

Bibliography

edit
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Birdy_(film)&oldid=1250232925"