Who's the Real Villain of The Birdcage? 

I have always loved this movie but I always did think Val was an asshole

It does make the two Dads look even more heroic. Unconditional love well into adulthood.

Our son watched The Birdcage with his two dads a very long time ago. He mentioned recently on how watching it showed him how NOT to act as a son.

This has always been one of those movies that I love, but hate a little bit. Val always made me so mad, but Robin Williams and Nathan Lane are just so great together, and Hank Azaria is hilarious. A conflicting fave for sure.

To me this wouldn’t be so bad if Val had some sort of epiphany about what he did and truly apologized. If they ever do another remake it then that’s the change they should make.

I've always hated the character of Val. He's a horrible, selfish bastard of a character. He's been around Arnold his Entire life, but his reaction to having a gay step-father is like he just woke up from a twenty year Pence-enduced coma. As a gay step-father I'm glad to say that my step-daughter is Nothing like this brat.

When I watched the Birdcage as a kid, I thought Val was the protagonist. As an adult, I realized it was really a movie about Armond and Albert's relationship.

Bravo!!!!! I always thought Val was an Ass. He really was ungrateful from the beginning to the end.

Hello Matt I am a straight man who has always hated traditional masculinity (my mom was always forcing me to not show emotions and god forbid I ever cried in front of her, all of this since I was around 5) So I sort of know how it feels, trying to act all the time, second guessing your every move, It wasn't till I met my wife and some gay friends that I was finally able to act the way I wanted and it was liberating, now I really like gay culture, it's funny, charming and some of the bravest men can be found within your ranks. I promise I will never stop fighting along side you guys and I promise that I will make it my mission to show you guys that not all straight men are assholes, truth be told, most straight men also suffer under the fetishisation of masculiny.

I never thought of The Birdcage in that light. What makes this more amusing to me, is that the actor who played Val, went on to play a recently out gay man in Will & Grace.

What exactly was the master plan here? To fool the senator and never be around Val's family again? Or put on an act every xmas and thanksgiving?

My wife and I are always on about how infuriating Val is as a character. He never has to pay for being a prick, he planned the whole thing poorly and he treated both of his parents like garbage. I literally searched 'Val is a Dick the Birdcage' on youtube and here we are. Thank you for voicing what we've been shouting for literal years.

I think what's important here is context. We're looking at a 1973 play turned movie (La Cage aux Folles) remade into a 1996 movie (essentially the exact same script with a few slight differences) viewed through 2015 lenses. A lot has changed in 40 years, though the script itself hadn't. It's easy to paint Val as a horrid villain, but while his behavior is asinine on many levels, his behavior is based on fear--something we should all be familiar with. Letting this fear rule him leads to a lot of horrible behavior on his part, but in the end, the outcome was positive (though telling a senator in the middle of a crisis that your fiance's parents are gay and run a nightclub with drag queens is probably not the proper way to get a "meet the parents" evening). Is Val truly villainous? Hardly. He's a heartless jerk due to his own societal fears, that much comes across, but perhaps the true villain of the film is the society that makes people so terrified of being who they are that they feel the need to blatantly lie and harm the ones they love simply to be accepted.

"The Birdcage" is one of my favorite movies. The stellar performances by Williams, Lane, Hackman and Weiss always distracted me from Val's incredible dipshittery. It's the ancient "denied mother" story, one of humanity's saddest, tucked into a zany comedy. I hope I'll still be able to enjoy it after watching your searingly spot-on review!

I saw The Birdcage for the first time as a teenager with my Dad, and Val ALWAYS bothered me. I just didn’t understand how someone could treat their parents like that.

I saw this as a little kid and remember hating that “son” and couldn’t understand why he didn’t realize how lucky he is to have a family that loves him so much! And the girl loved him and adored his family as they were...

That's exactly what I thought! I'm shocked that Val gets the happy ending instead of him going off somewhere while Armand and Albert stayed friends with the Senator's family, and the daughter married some nice guy. By the end he just seems like _everyone's_ enemy.

I felt the same way. Playing off the homophobia for laughs just made me cringe.

I avoided the movie early on due to homophobia. I was attacked as a teen leaving me feeling like most gay men were predatory. Upon actually watching the Birdcage, I laughed myself sick. Until I realized something. Nathan Lane's character had to hide who he was. This struck me as profoundly sad. It still brings tears to my eyes. He went through so much to support his douchey son, hide himself so much, changed who he essentially was because he loved his son. The fact that people have and still may have to live as someone they aren't is pretty gutwrenching to me.

La Cage Musical does the story more justice.. the son actually learns a lesson!! lol

"When the schnecken becken"... I love Albert!

When I saw the Birdcage I kept thinking "Am I supposed to hate val? They're writing says yes but the editing says no. I hate him any way."

I just watched this movie for the first time (because I'm a terrible human) and was also completely struck by how awful Val was. There was no sense of closeness or of family between him and his dads. It was awful. I chocked it up to the fact that the movie was made in 1996 so maybe the way to regard gay characters was a really underdeveloped thing (this is a ridiculous justification, though) and also that it's a farce, but yeah, he sours the movie for sure. Nathan and Robin were pure brilliance, though.

I love this movie, but you are absolutely right. What Val did to his two dads was reprehensible. He cared more about what his possible father-in-law thought more than the two people who raised him.

*standing ovation* Val made me so violently angry when I first saw this movie I thought I might literally spontaneously combust. You put very eloquently what I can only convey through loud, incoherent rants.

While I agree with a lot of what you've said, you seem to have missed an important plot point, that may have changed the conversation a bit. It wasn't Val who started this lie, it was Barbara. Val tells his dad that Barbara was the one who told her family that Armand was a cultural attache and that Albert was a housewife. We actually see this happen when Barbara tells her parents she's engaged.

I think that's kinda why they put so much stress on how young Val is. C'mon, we all did stupid selfish things when we were young (and hopefully look back on these mistakes with a degree of shame... it's part of how we grow into decent humans). I like to think he outgrew it. Doesn't detract from your point, though... he is a total D-bag, and certainly the cause of conflict far more than the senator is.

You made a lot of really great points, many of which I'd never considered before! I think it's also really important to mention, though, the fact that Val wants to hide the fact that he and his father are Jewish. It's not just the queerness of his family something he thinks he needs to hide, but his heritage and faith.

Yo I've been realized this shit lol we're supposed to feel sorry for him in the movie but the way he treated his own mother, his real mother not the last who just gave birth to him, it was disgusting.

I love The Birdcage... was the first gay movie I ever watched with my Dad (he was against it, but ended up loving it) and you are so right Val was a POS. But every story needs conflict.

That is one of my all time favorite movies, and your right Val is totally the village of the movie!

I think people might be reading too much into Vals motivations. He’s panicking because the parents of the woman he loves are bigots who would stop them marrying. He behaves like he does to his fathers because of that panic. And the beautiful thing is that his dads understand his pain and do everything they can so he can marry his fiancé. I think it’s a wonderful film about the relationship between parents and their offspring and the sacrifices parents make to protect them.

I was terrified you were going to rip one of my favorite movies apart, but you were 100%. I've watched it a million times, and now I get to enjoy it that much more. Thank you.

I've been wanting to shake Val for being such a jerk for years. Thank you for saying that better than I ever could.

Brilliant. I’ve watched most of your vids the last few days, and the tone of this one is so very different, so justifiably enraged. I hadn’t even thought of this when I was the film in first release, but your absolutely on point. Excellent summation.

Fabulous! I love you for pointing this out, and saying so well what I've always thought of this movie.

You've put into a video just what I've thought about this movie for years! I have a love-hate relationship with the film. I love so many of the lines, characters, and comedy, but Val makes me so angry! He brings this conflict into his parents' lives and is willing to destroy everything they've built for themselves. What was he going to do if he and Barbara got married and the entire family was there? Have his father pretend again to be heterosexual? Continue on for the rest of their lives under that lie? His parents' relationship was falling apart in front of his very eyes and he sat back and had the nerve to say "Try not to walk. Don't gesture. Just don't talk much." He was cruel, selfish, and unapologetic.

I think I remember feeling the same way about Val the first time I watched it. It's like, he got a slight taste of "normal" and immediately sided against his own father and step-dad. Don't forget that Armand was Jewish in the film, and his own fiance got in on the subterfuge and pretended they had a different last name to hide that fact as well. Had things gone as planned, it's pretty obvious what would have happened after the wedding. Val would have cut Armand and Albert out of his life completely, especially having been the son-in-law of a Senator and having access to money.

I watched this with a couple of friends last year and it is an interesting artifact of its period. The movie itself is VERY pro LGBT and shows the agony two people who wanted to spend the rest of their lives together went through at the time. It even had the nuance to point out that one of the fathers very much did sleep with a female friend and both admit to enjoying it, but it is never presented that he would be happy or healthier with a woman. It acknowledges sexuality as a spectrum when the concept is difficult for many in the LGBT community itself TODAY. And yet, watching it with two people who watched it when it came out was interesting. They both admitted that, at the time, they felt some sympathy for the son. Now they only feel frustration and anger at him. While the representation of gay relationships has aged pretty darned well, especially the heartbreaking moment when one father financially and legally ties himself to the other as much as could be done at the time as an expression of his desire to spend the rest of their lives together, it is a very interesting litmus test to see how those who watched it when it came out see the film today. The film has aged better than most. People's opinions on it, however, have seen a much bigger shift and one for the better.

The original French movie is much better and does not portray the son as an insensitive homophobic ass. Albert is kind of tamed compared to the original. Gurl!, you ain't seen flaming until you watch Albin in action. it's amazingly funny.

Just found your channel while in quarantine! I remember watching this when I was kid! My mom loves this film and it was pretty much a family favorite since it was just such a fun film but I do remember my mom always fast forwarding any part with Val unless he was with Nathan Lane or Robin Williams XD Great video!

I haven't even seen your video yet and I already agree 100%. I always hated Val for how he treated Albin. Albin has been his second father his whole life. Yet, Val treats him like this horrible, huge embarrassment. If Albin had just been in his father's life a few years, I'd still find it upsetting. But, really, Albin has been in Val's life his Entire life. It's not that the future father in law is such a prick, but that the son he's helped raise could so easily turn on Albin and discard him. And, the other part I hate, is how is he getting "good job offers" when he's on,y half way through college? Not to mention he's been having sex with an underage girl. (He's 20 and she's 18, but they've been having sex for a year.). Overall, I love this movie and the musical, but I've always really been pissed at Val for treating Albin like crap. Thus concludes my rant. ☺️

My name is Joe and I found your video, Matt, very insightful - as I expected (LOVE Your Videos! Sometimes they move me to tears!) - I remember that we had the Showtime Network on cable when I was a young adolescent and I saw movies that I would Never have seen otherwise - one of those was the French film, 'La Cage aux Folles' (I'm pretty sure they showed it late at night so it wouldn't 'accidentally' be viewed by young children - I remember well staying up late to watch - and rewatch - films that I Liked which fit this category) - I recall how VERY VERY FUNNY I found that French movie (subtitled) to be... and since it was the 1980s at that time and HIV & AIDS were causing much suffering in this world, I was not wanting to mature into a homosexual man... but that movie helped me to realize that while I might be afraid of my own budding sexuality, I did Not need to be afraid of gay men... years later I would realize that I could be afraid of a Deadly Virus, and afraid of my own potentially Bad Judgment, but I Still didn't need to fear gay men in general... and as a college student I realized that I could find a way to allow myself to be gay and still minimize my risk of contracting HIV/Dying of AIDS... my 1st ex was significantly older than I and very aware of how I felt, and also a big proponent of "safe sex" and fidelity in gay relationships. We met in 1991 in Chicago Illinois and moved together to Minnesota in the summer of 1995... A few months later we both experienced shock as a brutal cold wave descended on the Upper Midwest, with daily high temps of -40 in the Twin Cities. 'The Birdcage' came out at this time and we went to the movies to see it; my significant other said, "I LOVE These Actors - Robin Williams and Nathan Lane - BOTH SO FUNNY - and their costars... Dan Futterman [who played Val] has been a gay character in Other Films, and he's Very Believable! (WINK!)" [We Always Wondered... being gay ourselves - about actors' potential for being Gay/Bi] - "And - Joe - as a Florida Native [I'm from Daytona Beach] - I thought it would cheer you up to see your home state on the big screen ['The Birdcage' was set in South Beach, Miami] - during this Cold Wave!" [He was RIGHT!] I was acutely aware, since the reactions of members of my own family to my Coming Out had been quite diverse, that the characters onscreen were not as different from people we Knew as we might've Wished... and I am actually very happy to see that Younger gay men [like YOU - Matt Baume!] Can get angry at Val's behavior NOW, when I didn't blink an eyelid at it in 1996! Thank Heaven for Progress! [I'm sad that Progress has not been Universal or Steady... and Many people have disappointed me - one movie I watched multiple times late at night on Showtime was the Australian film, "Gallipoli' - sigh... my pubescent self fell madly in lust with the ass of a beautiful young Aussie named Mel Gibson... and Man, what a disappointment HE turned out to be!!!] But the good news is that when the dust finally settled even my most homophobic siblings eventually came around and accepted Me Fully As I Am - and this happened while we were Still in the 1990s! So I am Grateful for having the opportunity to be "Out and Proud" for 30 years now... and I know better than to take it for granted when there are still too many places in this world that are hotspots of homophobic hatred.

i just rewatched this, and i'd really like Matt to do a deeper dive on this, because i had forgotten how much this movie really is a perfect snapshot of the public conversation around gay people in the mid-90s. throughout the film, there's an emphasis on how Albert and Armand are a family, who have raised a (straight!) son-- pointing out that gay people want to have families like anyone else, and tearing those families apart is cruel. Armand worries about being thrown out of his own house with no legal recourse, and there's a minor plot point where Armand and Albert sign a legal document that officially gives half their possessions to the other person-- pointing out the legal struggles that gay people faced with not having the same protections as a married couple. it absolutely excoriates the hypocrisy of conservative politicians who hopped on homophobic talking points for popularity and attention despite not actually caring much one way or another when it comes down to it. and, even though some of the stereotypes are over the top-- gay men do not typically decorate their entire house with penises-- they have the effect of showing how impossible it is to hide who you are, and how painful it is to try. (i actually winced when Armand tucks his Star of David into his shirt.) Albert's drama queen behavior is played for laughs in the beginning, but in the "and you hate me" scene, his feelings are taken completely seriously by the film, and he ends up being the only competent one of the bunch. and it came out twenty years before marriage equality! a hilarious farce movie that put the very real issues facing gay people right in the audience's face. and never once makes light of them.

I've watched this movie a dozen times, and I've always felt so icky whenever Val talks, but it wasn't until this video that I was really able to understand why.

You should review 'The Sum of Us", Same era, but a very different slant on being, just gay. Thanks for your reviews, enjoying immensely a revisit of movies past.

Wow, your commentary is SOLID GOLD!

Hi Matt, just discovered your channel and I've gone pretty deep on your videos. Particularly the Culture Cruise playlist. Loving them all. I also went and listened to your episode 19 of your podcast and I'm glad I did. Keep it up. 🙏

I mostly remember Robin Williams' question, when the gay press pressed him on the portrayal: "What more did we have to do? Did we have to kiss.?' My response is, 'Yes. That would have been nice. Just a peck on the cheek.' I've always been a bit unnerved by the Birdcage, but this review really sticks the knife in why. I cried watching this review. I have a love/hate relationship with this film, like Kristen does. Robin Williams and Nathan Lane are wonderful in it, though the 'Celluloid Closet' Vito Russo voice in my head groans. The book politically activated me. At least no one died in the Birdcage.

It's a shame to reduce the narrative to heroes vs. villains. We've all done things we were ashamed of, things we knew at that time were wrong but did anyway. That was what was so beautiful about the film. People aren't heroes and villains. They're people who just want to be happy and want to get by. It's not the people who never make mistakes and never hurt anyone else that are worth our empathy, sympathy and admiration. Those people don't exist. And films about those people aren't just inauthentic. They're dull.

Well said, and totally agreed. Val is incredibly selfish and callous the whole movie through, and never ONCE gives Albert the basic dignity of sitting down with him and speaking plainly about his fears in facing Barbara's parents. He tiptoes around Albert the whole time, acting like Albert is some terrible thing he can't directly address. Honestly, I think Val is a manifestation of straight America's subconscious bias. The movie assumes the audience is part of straight America, and that of course they'll automatically sympathize with Val's "plight" of having to navigate having gay parents. It doesn't seem to take the perspective of its gay characters as seriously.

Side note: as an adopted child, I never understood Val's desire to connect to Katherine. He had two loving parents who raised him, and I can't in any way imagine a scenario where he might think that this person who was absent his entire life, who knew where to find him if she wanted to be a part of his life but didn't, might be a better "mother" to him than Albert. I've never felt like it was a good idea or something I really wanted to do for my own life, so why did Val think it was good for his?

Hello Matt. I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your channel. Keep up the good work.

I am absolutely loving your channel and your personality

They did need a scene where Val makes amends for his behavior but also needed a actor who was actually 21. The idea I think they were going for was youthful selfishness which we all had and promoted many of us do really stupid and hurtful things.

Another fantastic video Matt. Thanks for making them. Although I agree with your analysis, you failed to take into account this story dates from the early 70s, when Val's behaviour was very normal. I think that Val represents society's attitude toward the gay lifestyle, and considering the times, a very liberal one. It was important to show his homophobia so that society would see itself in him. His parent's loving and accomodating response I think had the effect of making it easier for audiences to relate to Val and reflect on their own homophobia.

I remember watching the film- and feeling so sorry for the fathers. Like Albert is treated so dirty, and I felt so sad when he tried to play straight and then had to disguise completely. Like bad son who won’t stand up for his fathers, and I know you love her but she has to be ready to marry into your family as you are hers. What does he expect to do for their wedding? The rest of their lives?

Just saw a Reddit story where a guy was asked by his girlfriend to only bring one of his moms over for dinner and ask her to pretend she's straight because her parents were conservative and she didn't want them to know that the guy was raised by two moms. the guy was confused because he couldn't understand asking that of his mothers and decided to break up with the girl instead when she showed that she was just as homophobic as her parents. The comments introduced me to birdbrain as the movie.

The original french film is so much better and funnier. Though the US film is still very good. Pip pip

Thanks for this. I have always believed this. It’s even worse in the stage musical because the son has to sit through a entire song about his relationship to his father and remain unmoved. I took a class in NYC with John Weiner who not only originated the son but played him for the entire 3 and a half year run. We had a couple conversations about his flawed character.

good points! Didn't see that way before but you make so much sense!

Thank you! I have been saying this for years!

Laurent in the French original _La Cage aux Folles_ appeared to be younger than his counterpart, Val, in the American _The Birdcage_, so we were able to cut a bit more slack for Laurent.

The problem with The Birdcage is that it's a 1996 film using a 1973 script, so it's woefully out of date by the time it came out in US theatres. Now that it's 2021, it really looks archaic.

I just love your work!

The ENTIRE plot of the movie revolves around this aspect....that's the whole point. He "begrudgingly" said Albert was his Mom? No, that's what the movie led up to. It was him FINALLY accepting Albert into his life. Notice how at the end, Albert is crying and interrupting the wedding ceremony and Val smiles.

you are right, and I thought the same when I saw the movie

This is the most cathartic video I have ever seen, thank you

THANK YOU! I've been saying this for years and I'm always looked at like I'm the inanse one!

Thank you SO MUCH!!! I watch this awhile back and while there are some really hilarious moments and I do enjoy it overall, Val just angered me so much!

Very good essay. I haven't re-watched the Birdcage but it makes sense. I have seen the original French version (and its sequel) before The Birdcage came out, I wonder how that compares as I don't remember much about them now.

I can understand Matt making a point, but he sounds like my partner a lot when he talks back to characters on the TV making bad choices, and I have to remind him 'If those people didn't act like that the movie/TV show story line would be pretty boring'. This movie is one of my favorites I can watch over and over and always be entertained (and I still use a lot of the lines as come backs - "Wish wigs?"). But if you want to see nastiness, watch the original French film where there is open hostility between the gays and the straights.

This has a similar energy to the “Grandpa Joe was the antagonist” argument in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory; in that IT COMPLETELY MAKES SENSE.

Thank you for finally putting a finger on it! For the longest time I couldn't really put into words what frustrated me about this movie, but you nailed it

THANK YOU! I had to pause the movie when Nathan Lane tried to stutter his way through a defense of his colourful socks and that spoiled little shitbird glared at him because I was crying too loud to hear the dialogue. I honestly expected his girlfriend to dump him at the end of the movie - this level of disrespect for your family is _the reddest of flags._

Just have to say...this is my new favourite channel!

While Val was a bit of a jerk, he didn't *begrudgingly* admit everything at the end. Val--after spending the evening with Albert as the life of the party--he realized he was mistaken for acting the way he had throughout the movie and was trying to atone. And he only acted the way he did because he knew his fiance wouldn't​ marry him without her parent's​ blessing. That was my takeaway anyway.

Love your videos Matt!

Oh Matt, what a good episode 💜

Oh God... You just made me realise this! But still... A fun movie nonetheless.

I thought so, too! I couldn't understand why this son hated his parents so much.

I saw this originally in a stage performance, so my feelings on it are skewed, but at least on stage, Val had a very small role. He was a typical immature, self-centered 19yo and though he was the reason for the drama that unfolded, his role was really just there to set things going story-wise. The conflict between Armand and Albert was really what the play was about, and Albert was the real hero, as he struggled for acceptance, even against the man he'd spent his life with. In English and in modern times, Val's need to get married makes zero sense anyway. As for his selfishness... That's teenagers for you. they can't see past the tips of their noses. And maybe Armand and Albert were weak parents for giving in to Val's request, but even there we see that the main tension is between Armand and Albert. In the play, at the end of the first act Albert is singing "I am what I am" sadly, and the reason is he feels hurt by Armand. Not by Val. FWIW, IMO you can't blame 19yos for being ungrateful and selfish. That's their nature. It's like being upset at a toddler for tipping over a plant. It's up to parents to judge how far they'll go to make their kids' lives easier. I adore La Cage-both in English and in French. But the movie was really trying to stretch a bunch of plot points too far and I fear that a lot of the theme got lost in translation.

I've just discovered your channel. I ADORE YOU 😍😍😍

"Her dad is also in the entertainment industry- he is a senator" 🤣 LMAO

I just watched this last night with my daughter and never realized that Val is the TRUE villain of the movie. He really upset me as I watched it. At least at the end he claimed both his parents and that made me feel better

chances are this was mentioned a long time ago.......but Albert refers to himself as Val's "anty" at the beginning and then as Val and Barbara are dancing at the house she makes a comment about his mother and he says "Barbara, Albert isn't my mother".......then we end with the "this is my mother"........your vid is very well done and because what you observe is (unfortunately) true, we never see Val and Albert have a bonding relationship that would justify Val making the "this is my mother" comment feel real. I caught your vid 6 years after its post, but very enjoyable :)

La Cage aux Folles is hilarious and touching...how did the movie adaptation manage to make what is functionally the same story so depressing?

"Also in the entertainment industry...he's a US senator." I'm thrilled already

The son being an ungrateful, insensitive prick is kinda the whole premise of he story. The senator is a side character that plays a small part.

Been saying this for 25 years. Also, my dad looked a lot like Gene Hackman... and this movie showed me what my dad would have looked like in drag LOL

When i was a kid i never noticed how bad Val was. I was so taken in by the performances of Robin Williams and Nathan Lane that my focus was on them and the eventual dinner party. Of course as i got older i was more critical of Val and thought his behavior towards his dads was reprehensible.

Thank you for posting this. I used to think the movie was hilarious as a kid but I rewatched it recently and Val's cruelty hit me much harder.

What’s interesting is that in the original French film, the senator was a much more violent and threatening figure, it’s even implied he beats his daughter. Meanwhile the Val character was a lot more innocent and harmless. Most of his callousness came from being too spoiled and naive to realize what he’s doing and in the end he comes off as feeling guilty for hurting his parents.

one of my favorite scenes , gene hackman in drag

The son was a POS from go, but I've always thought the kid is a reflection of the parents. What kind of values did they raise him with?

The best part was William's line you used at the end ;-)

I love this movie so much and, when I first watched it a while ago, I didn't like Val but it wasn't until this video that I realized just how much I didn't like him. I don't know why I didn't think of what your video reveals (not even reveals, it's all right there in the film) and when I rewatched the movie, it was like I was watching a whole new movie. Thank you so much for making the content you make.

Mathew you nailed that review lol, good job

I never had any kids, but if I had, I'd hope they'd be as straightforward and human as you are, Matt.

Great Work!