The troubled life and career of jazz musician Charlie Parker.The troubled life and career of jazz musician Charlie Parker.The troubled life and career of jazz musician Charlie Parker.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 10 wins & 9 nominations total
Glenn Wright
- Alcoholic Patient
- (as Glenn T. Wright)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaClint Eastwood approached Chan Parker, Charlie Parker's common-law wife on whose memoirs the script was based, for input. She gave Eastwood a collection of lost recordings she'd kept in a bank vault.
- GoofsWhen Charlie Parker goes to Dizzy Gillespie's house in the middle of the night and asks Dizzy to write down a tune, the year is 1953. The tune is "Now's the Time", published and recorded in 1945.
- Quotes
Doctor at Nica's: [while Bird's body is being retired] Charles Christopher Parker, Junior. Preliminary diagnosis: heart attack. Stocky, male, negro. Approximately 65 years of age.
Baroness Nica: [with a sad look] He was 34.
- Crazy creditsPre-titles card: "There are no second acts in American lives." - F. Scott Fitzgerald
- SoundtracksMary Land, My Maryland
Performed by Lennie Niehaus
Featured review
"Bird" traces the life of Charlie Parker, a 1940's soloist jazz great whose improvisation abilities led him to become one of the most acclaimed figure in his own lifetime
However, his self-destructive behavior and association with drugs and alcohol caused him to die before he could fully comprehend the public appreciation of his genius
Eastwood worked with a cast of relative unknown stars, and managed to create an entire period piece on the relatively low budget show
Sensitively acted, visually designed, this dramatic story of the troubled life of a man of tremendous warmth and compassion, Eastwood delivers a compelling portrait of an artist with an ambitious presentation of love including a magnificent score, and stunning sound (The film's sound captured an Oscar.)
Whitaker gives an excellent performance, with an especially inevitable death scene at the age of 34 Diane Venora is impressive as the wife of this great jazz musician Their last conversation by phone presented the legend Parker's with his conscientious of his near-death, his lost effort, his feeling of loneliness, but also his kindness, his love, and his care to his entire family A great scene not to be missed!
Eastwood worked with a cast of relative unknown stars, and managed to create an entire period piece on the relatively low budget show
Sensitively acted, visually designed, this dramatic story of the troubled life of a man of tremendous warmth and compassion, Eastwood delivers a compelling portrait of an artist with an ambitious presentation of love including a magnificent score, and stunning sound (The film's sound captured an Oscar.)
Whitaker gives an excellent performance, with an especially inevitable death scene at the age of 34 Diane Venora is impressive as the wife of this great jazz musician Their last conversation by phone presented the legend Parker's with his conscientious of his near-death, his lost effort, his feeling of loneliness, but also his kindness, his love, and his care to his entire family A great scene not to be missed!
- Nazi_Fighter_David
- Dec 31, 2007
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- How long is Bird?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $9,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $2,181,286
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $27,116
- Oct 2, 1988
- Gross worldwide
- $2,181,474
- Runtime2 hours 41 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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