FILM

Birdman

Actor Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton)— most famous for portraying an iconic superhero “Birdman” over twenty years ago— struggles to mount a Broadway play. Thomson's association with the Birdman character has overtaken his life and his acting career. Now past middle age, Riggan is trying to establish himself as a true artist by writing, directing, starring in and co-producing a Broadway play with his best friend Jake (Zack Galifianakis). Thomson is staking his reputation and his entire life savings on the project and will do anything to make the play a success. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself.

Birdman
Official Website
Cast:

Michael Keaton
Emma Stone
Zach Galifianakis
Edward Norton
Naomi Watts
Amy Ryan
Andrea Riseborough

Director:
Alejandro González Iñárritu

Producer:
Alejandro González Iñárritu, John Lesher, Arnon Milchan, James W. Skotchdopole

Written by:
Alexander Dinelaris, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Armando Bo, Nicolás Giacobone

Distributor:
Fox Searchlight Pictures

Budget:
$18 million

Awards:

Oscar Nominated Best Motion Picture of the Year (2014)
Oscar Nominated Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - Michael Keaton (2014)
Oscar Nominated Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role - Edward Norton (2014)
Oscar Nominated Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Emma Stone (2014)
Oscar Nominated Best Achievement in Directing - Alejandro González Iñárritu (2014)
Oscar Nominated Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen - Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo (2014)
Oscar Nominated Best Achievement in Cinematography - Emmanuel Lubezki (2014)
Oscar Nominated Best Achievement in Sound Mixing (2014)
Oscar Nominated Best Achievement in Sound Editing (2014)
Golden Globe Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical - Michael Keaton (2014)
Golden Globe Best Screenplay for Motion Picture - Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo (2014)
SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (2014)
AFI Award for Movie of the Year (2014)



Metacritic Score:
89%

Rotten Tomatoes Score:
94%

Other content you may enjoy

birdman_(1).jpg
Read

What’s “Birdman” Really About? Is it Critiquing the Dominance of Comic Book Films in Hollywood?

Many critics believe Birdman (2014) is a critique of the current dominance of comic book films in Hollywood. However, the film is not a simple anti-Hollywood screed. Rather, it acknowledges the conflicted ideas and contradictions within its…
Read more
pierrot.jpg
Read

The Style For The Opening Credits of “Birdman” Look Familiar. Where Have I Seen It Before?

Many of Jean-Luc Godard’s celebrated films from the ‘60s used the same font and color scheme as Birdman‘s credits. In fact, the same exact editing (with specific letters appearing before others) was seen in Godard’s 1965 film, Pierrot le Fou.
Read more
johnny-depp-pirates-of-the-caribbean.jpg
Read

What Was the Original Ending to “Birdman”?

[SPOILERS] According to Birdman screenwriter Alex Dinelaris, conceptually the original ending of Birdman would have looped the film back to the beginning. Following the climactic scene where Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) shoots himself and the…
Read more
inarritu-lubezki-and-birdman-a8ab97f3-088c-46ad-918f-26bee275536a.jpeg
Read

Did They Need to Make “Birdman” Look Like Virtually One Continuous Take?

Before it even premiered, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman was drawing a lot of attention for the way it was filmed. Iñárritu and his brilliant cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (Gravity, Children of Men) had created the illusion that…
Read more
hr_Birdman_16.jpg
Read

Is the Hallucinating in “Birdman” Common for Artists?

Faith Salie and Dr. Heather Berlin, hosts of Science Goes to the Movies, discuss how common it is to hallucinate, as per author-neuorologist Oliver Sacks, particularly in creative individuals or artists.
Read more
birdman-image.jpg
Read

What Does “Birdman” Have To Do With Michael Keaton’s Past Role as Batman?

Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman (2014) is a self-aware behind-the-scenes narrative about washed-up actor Riggan Thomson, once the lead of an enormously successful superhero franchise, who stages a Broadway play in the hopes of…
Read more
Birdman: Ending Explained
{parents:category_name}

Birdman: Ending Explained

What happened at the end of Birdman, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s 2014 Oscar-winning movie? Is Michael Keaton’s Riggan really flying, or has he jumped to his death? What did it all mean?
Read more
emmanuel-lubezki_-naomi-watts-and-andrea-riseborough-in-birdman-(2014).jpg
Read

How Was “Birdman” Made To Look Like One Long Shot Without Any Cuts?

One of the most technically challenging techniques in the cinematic toolbox – one that has consistently proven irresistible to ambitious filmmakers – is the long take, an extended shot in which action takes place and the camera moves without…
Read more
Film+Review+Birdman_Cuth.jpg
Read

Does Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) Actually Have Super Powers?

The film does seem to indulge in a bit of whimsical “magical realism” (where fantasy elements seem to be a natural part of what’s otherwise a realist setting). Often times, these supernatural moments appear to manifest in Keaton’s mind,…
Read more