The Birdcage (1996)
By the mid-90s the struggle for gay rights was beginning to take center stage in the American media. Two decades later, it’s easy to forget that it was a bold decision for director Mike Nichols and Williams (and the then still-closeted Nathan Lane) to remake this French sex farce. Nichols had some history at the front of the sexual revolution with films like "The Graduate" and "Carnal Knowledge," and he hit another home run with "The Birdcage." Though Williams is sometimes campy in the role, that doesn’t seem terribly out of place for a Miami nightclub owner. Lane, Hank Azaria, and Gene Hackman round out a cast at the top of its game.
