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Bird

Play trailer Poster for Bird R,  1988,  2h 41m,  Biography/ History/ Drama/ Music Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 79% 24 Reviews Tomatometer 79% 5,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
79% Tomatometer 24 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Director Clint Eastwood, a noted jazz aficionado, directs this heartfelt study of pioneering bop saxophonist Charlie Parker (Forest Whitaker). Moving forward and backward through Parker's brief life before his death of a heroin overdose at age 34, the film foregrounds the saxophonist's difficult relationship with his wife, Chan Parker (Diane Venora), but also features lengthy scenes of Parker improvising on stage, lit with the neon and cigarette smoke of vintage jazz clubs.
Bird

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Forest Whitaker inhabits Charlie Parker with aplomb in this moving love letter to the music icon, told by director Clint Eastwood with a moody style that visually evokes the wistful rhythm of jazz.

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Critics Reviews

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Richard Combs Sight & Sound Jan 16, 2020
What the film pulls off is the difficult fusion of this kind of accuracy with larger 'truths' which are no respecter of accuracy. Go to Full Review
Michael Wilmington Los Angeles Times Dec 11, 2018
In this movie and its hot, fast bursts of bop, Charlie Parker gets a fitting elegy. Go to Full Review
Variety Staff Variety Mar 26, 2009
Sensitively acted, beautifully planned visually and dynamite musically, this is a dramatic telling of the troubled life of a revolutionary artist. Go to Full Review
Chance Solem-Pfeifer Willamette Week Jan 22, 2025
The film slips into a level of dreamy, nonlinear creativity seldom found in Eastwood’s unfussy directorial style. Would-be framing devices become multidimensional narrative portals. Go to Full Review
Herb Boyd The Crisis Nov 14, 2023
Sure, the music is great, but it should have been placed in political and historical context. Bird did not wage the cultural revolution alone, nor did he fall from out of the sky. Go to Full Review
Terry Francis Southern Voice (Atlanta) May 8, 2023
Aside from Lennie Niehaus' superb work as musical supervisor... and Forest Whitaker and Diane Venora's performances in the lead roles, all you get are clichés and the film's superficial response to an artist's descent into self-destruction. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Ron R Feb 27, 2019 I enjoy this film but,, I am a big fan of Jazz especially Bop BeBop. I'm grateful that Mr Eastwood made this movie, I would love to see it on a big screen. I think that Forrest Whitaker's performance was a sign of things to come. Overall a top film for me. See more
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Bird

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Cast & Crew

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Clint Eastwood

Director

Forest Whitaker

Charlie 'Bird' Parker

Diane Venora

Chan Parker

Samuel E. Wright

Dizzy Gillespie

Keith David

Buster Franklin

Michael McGuire

Brewster

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Bird

Bird (1988) Bird (1988) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Director Clint Eastwood, a noted jazz aficionado, directs this heartfelt study of pioneering bop saxophonist Charlie Parker (Forest Whitaker). Moving forward and backward through Parker's brief life before his death of a heroin overdose at age 34, the film foregrounds the saxophonist's difficult relationship with his wife, Chan Parker (Diane Venora), but also features lengthy scenes of Parker improvising on stage, lit with the neon and cigarette smoke of vintage jazz clubs.
Director
Clint Eastwood
Producer
Clint Eastwood
Screenwriter
Joel Oliansky
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Warner Brothers, The Malpaso Company
Rating
R
Genre
Biography, History, Drama, Music
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 30, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.5M
Runtime
2h 41m
Sound Mix
Surround, Stereo
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