Bird (1988)

Theatrical Release Information  |  See Details About All Versions

Forest Whitaker stars as the brilliant jazz saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker in this elegiac biopic. Director Clint Eastwood pays full homage to Parker's musical genius, but also devotes ample time to the musician's twin demons--drugs and alcohol-which accelerated his death at the age of 34. In his struggles to gain widespread acceptance for his music, "Bird" is forever stymied by his own self-destructiveness, and forever bailed out by the love of his life, Chan Richardson Parker (Diane Venora). The film bemoans the decline of the brand of jazz fathered by Parker, which came to be replaced by more conventional material -- as illustrated by the "descent" into the mainstream of Parker's mentor Buster Franklin. Also starring in Bird is Samuel E. Wright as Dizzy Gillespie. That's the real Charlie "Bird" Parker on the film's soundtrack, though most of the background music has been re-orchestrated. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Warning:  This product is intended for mature audiences only. It may contain violence, sexual content, drug abuse and/or strong language. You must be 17 or older to purchase it. By ordering this item you are certifying that you are at least 17 years of age.

Theatrical Feature Running Time:

160 mins

Complete Cast:

Director(s):

Clint Eastwood

Writer(s):

Joel Oliansky

Producer(s):

David Valdes, Clint Eastwood

Theatrical MPAA Rating:

R(Adult Situations, Profanity, Questionable for Children, Adult Language)

Closed Captioning:

Check All Versions

Subtitles:

Check All Versions

• 1988 - Bird - Cannes Film Festival - Grand Technical Prize
• 1988 - Bird - Cannes Film Festival - Grand Technical Prize
• 1988 - Bird - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Director
• 1988 - Bird - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Supporting Actress