While this Americanized remake of "La Cage Aux Folles" is not filled with all those snappy Jerry Herman songs from the 1983 Broadway musical, there are so many ironies which connect the two and make it O.K. that the story simply ended up a summertime comedy that packed in audiences, straight and gay. Ironically, in the movie "Popeye", Robin Williams claimed "I Yam What I Yam", and in "La Cage", his character's lover sang "I am What I am". Also ironic is the fact that Nathan Lane's "The Producers" co-star Gary Beach won great acclaim on Broadway for playing the same role which Lane plays here. Years later, Harvey Fierstein (who played Williams' brother in "Mrs. Doubtfire") would play the same role in the third Broadway production of "La Cage".
A big drag disco becomes the setting for the former "La Cagelles", right off the Atlantic coast down in Miami. Williams and Lane are a married gay couple dealing with the impending wedding of "their" son to the daughter of an ultra conservative politician (Gene Hackman) and his all-American wife (Dianne Wiest) who have no idea that their daughter's prospective in-laws are indeed two men which would rock Hackman's world considering that he is in charge of a "morality" commission determined to close all gay establishments and basically the gay community as well.
In addition to all this wackiness there is Hank Azaria, the feisty "maid" who longs to be in Williams' drag show (which stars Lane) but genuinely has no talent. Azaria brings out all his comic genius in this scene-stealing supporting part, especially when he is put in charge of redecorating the apartment in anticipation of Hackman and Wiest's arrivals. The film follows both the original French movie and the musical almost to the letter, with the presence of Christine Baranski as young Val's (Dan Futterman) real mother. Future "Ally McBeal" star Calista Flockhart is amusing as Hackman and Wiest's daughter who is as far removed from her parent's conservative ways as they are with the reality of changing times.
Plenty of comedy ensues out of the chaos, resulting in a drag show finale that has to be seen to be believed. There's enough music here to be its own juke-box musical, especially "We Are Family", the big production number for the various drag queens who provide their own share of amusement as they witness the crazy goings on around them. Wacky costumes and stylish wigs, in addition to the crazy art direction, add to the over-all direction by the legendary Mike Nichols. So go pluck yourself in the cage. You may find that you'll never want to be freed again.
A big drag disco becomes the setting for the former "La Cagelles", right off the Atlantic coast down in Miami. Williams and Lane are a married gay couple dealing with the impending wedding of "their" son to the daughter of an ultra conservative politician (Gene Hackman) and his all-American wife (Dianne Wiest) who have no idea that their daughter's prospective in-laws are indeed two men which would rock Hackman's world considering that he is in charge of a "morality" commission determined to close all gay establishments and basically the gay community as well.
In addition to all this wackiness there is Hank Azaria, the feisty "maid" who longs to be in Williams' drag show (which stars Lane) but genuinely has no talent. Azaria brings out all his comic genius in this scene-stealing supporting part, especially when he is put in charge of redecorating the apartment in anticipation of Hackman and Wiest's arrivals. The film follows both the original French movie and the musical almost to the letter, with the presence of Christine Baranski as young Val's (Dan Futterman) real mother. Future "Ally McBeal" star Calista Flockhart is amusing as Hackman and Wiest's daughter who is as far removed from her parent's conservative ways as they are with the reality of changing times.
Plenty of comedy ensues out of the chaos, resulting in a drag show finale that has to be seen to be believed. There's enough music here to be its own juke-box musical, especially "We Are Family", the big production number for the various drag queens who provide their own share of amusement as they witness the crazy goings on around them. Wacky costumes and stylish wigs, in addition to the crazy art direction, add to the over-all direction by the legendary Mike Nichols. So go pluck yourself in the cage. You may find that you'll never want to be freed again.