Birdy

Based on the acclaimed, ‘unfilmable’ novel by William Wharton, about a boy who dreams of flying, Alan Parker’s elliptical, ethereal film is just as vividly poetic as its source. Birdy is story of two unlikely boyhood friends, the confident and popular Al (Nicolas Cage) and Birdy (Matthew Modine), awkward, withdrawn, and obsessed with birds. The advent of the war in Vietnam shatters their youth, and they both return irrevocably changed - one physically traumatised, the other emotionally fractured. This unique and affecting film from director Alan Parker, features skilful, highly committed central performances from young stars Modine and Cage (who allegedly had teeth removed for his gruelling role), and a wonderful score by Peter Gabriel. Birdy is a great unsung gem of 1980s cinema. (Powerhouse Films)