Bird (A Film by Clint Eastwood) | Full Movie | Movies Anywhere

Name: Bird (A Film by Clint Eastwood)
Released: 1988-9-30
Cast: Forest Whitaker

Bird (A Film by Clint Eastwood)

R
2h 41m
1988

77%

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Forest Whitaker stars as brilliant jazz saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker in Academy Award-winning director Clint Eastwood's homage to Bird's life and genius. Charlie Parker pushes the boundaries of jazz, always ahead of the musical sensibilities of his time--and never willing to compromise his artistry. Wrestling with his twin demons, alcohol and drug abuse, he struggles to gain acceptance for his music. But neither his talent nor the love of his devoted wife, Chan, is enough to save Bird from a tragically untimely death at the age of 34.

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Producer:

R. Paul Miller, David Valdes

Writer:

Joel Oliansky

Cast:

Forest Whitaker

Rotten Tomatoes® Score

TOMATOMETER®

77%

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.

Reviews

The Crisis

Herb Boyd

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.

November 14, 2023

FULL REVIEW

Southern Voice (Atlanta)

Terry Francis

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.

People who don't like jazz often complain it's overlong, complicated, noodling, and meandering. These criticisms can all be leveled at director Clint Eastwood's Bird, who, unlike a jazz master, doesn't back up his work with any inventive flair.

December 1, 2021

FULL REVIEW

TheIndependentCritic.com

Richard Propes

It is only thanks to Whitaker's performance, which won him a Golden Globe, that we are truly able to bond with Bird and truly care about his lifelong challenges.

September 3, 2020

FULL REVIEW

The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

Charles Mudede

Eastwood directed Bird in much the same way he plays jazz piano-not with caution, not with precision, but with a love that is supreme.

February 12, 2020

FULL REVIEW