Line #13 Film/Birdy

Context Film / Birdy

Go To


1	[[quoteright:297:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/birdy_german_movie_poster_md.jpg]]
2
3	''Birdy'' is a 1984 American drama film directed by Creator/AlanParker and starring Creator/NicolasCage and Creator/MatthewModine, [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on the novel of the same name]] by William Wharton. The film's score was composed by Music/PeterGabriel. Set in [[TheSixties 1960s]] UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}}, the film focuses on the friendship between two teenage boys, Al Columbato (Cage) and Birdy (Modine). The story is presented in flashbacks, with a frame narrative depicting the boys' traumatic experiences in [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar Vietnam]].
4
5	Not to be confused with the [[Music/{{Birdy}} British singer of the same name]].
6
7	----
8
9	!! This film provides examples of the following tropes:
10
11	* DelusionsOfDoghood: The title character believes he's a bird after nearly being killed fighting in Vietnam.
12	* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Birdy's real name is never revealed at any point in the film.
13	* PopStarComposer: The score was written, co-produced, and composed by Music/PeterGabriel. Much of it is rendered on a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairlight_CMI Fairlight CMI]] synthesizer/workstation, and parts of it are adapted from material from the artist's [[Music/{{Melt}} third]] and [[Music/{{Security}} fourth]] albums.
14	* SettingUpdate: The original novel took place in the 1940s and as such had the boys fighting in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII rather than in Vietnam.
15	* ShockAndSwitchEnding: [[spoiler:At the end of the film, Birdy and Al escape to the hospital roof, but Birdy breaks free of his friend, runs to the roof edge, raises his arms, and jumps off. Al is in shock, expecting that Birdy has leaped to his death, and runs over -- but discovers that his friend simply jumped the short distance over to the neighboring building's roof. Birdy calmly looks back at Al in puzzlement and says, "What?" as the movie ends.]]
16

Context Film / Birdy