it hard to imagine say this about an outrageous comedy and but robin williams who make his career ( at least the early part of it ) by do outrageous comedy ( and the more outrageous the good ) be completely and totally and absolutely outshone in the bird cage by nathan lane . that not a criticism of williams . he be fine and but lane be simply over the top funny a the very feminine drag queen albert and the gay lover or spouse of armand ( williams ) . armand and albert have a son they have raise ( val and play by dan futterman ) and he about to get marry to barbara ( calista flockhart ) . the catch . barbara father be the extremely conservative senator kevin keeler ( gene hackman ) and he will be none too pleased by the family his daughter be marry in to . you will laugh pretty much the whole way through at lane and and it isn not just lane . at time and williams be play the second or even third banana by the end of the movie . there albert and armand maid agador spartacus ( hank azaria ) who almost as funny a lane and and ( while i do not want to give too much away ) when you catch a glimpse of hackman in drag near the end of the movie you will be in stitch . it great fun and burden a little bit by an unnecessary decision to have keeler involve in a political scandal . the whole movie would have work quite well without that particular subplot . still and this be a very funny movie . turn to it whenever you need a laugh . positive .