one of the joy of watch good performer be see them fall so deeply into their role that when their character be ask to change and the change be so uncomfortable it either create drama or comedy . in this case and we have comedic gold . robin williams headline but nathan lane be the star of this filled festival of frolicing and where everybody throw in their character worth and have the audience on the floor laughing . robin williams and nathan lane play two gay jewish lover in florida who own a drag club call the birdcage . william straight son be go to get marry to the daughter of a right senator from ohio . williams and lane decide to try to play it straight for a night and which mean turn everything in their comfortable world upside down and inside out to pull it all together . the writing be simply excellent and great dialog and very quotable . even if the movie itself end up terribly and it would have have good camp value regardless . however and the movie itself be support strongly by the fantastic work of the acting and especially lane because he be able to not only convince the audience about his character and but have his character try and act as well and thus create multiple level of personality hard to come to term with inside of just one person . williams do well too and but probably the best counterpart to lane be hank azaria in a hilariously gay role and gene hackman and dianne wiest a the conservative parent . they actually make the conservatism the movie poke at believable while not become too mocking or too caricaturistic . all in all and it a good time and and great fun for the whole ( openminded ) family . polarisdib .