BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)
Darkly comic flights of fancy and reality — for adults only.
Should You Watch It?
If you are a discerning adult, BIRDMAN offers an unusually rich moviegoing experience. Its dark comedy examines acting, celebrity, and tabloid-media culture through a strange, compelling story about a former star trying to reclaim his reputation. Michael Keaton gives a remarkable performance, and the rest of the cast brings the material fully to life.
The cost is substantial. The film contains at least 110 obscenities and profanities, including many “f” words and some GDs. It also includes lewd moments, strong violence, suicide themes, substance abuse references, nudity, and bizarre moments that go unexplained. Its worldview is driven by a protagonist determined to regain stardom at all costs.
So, adults who can thoughtfully engage those concerns may find it worth seeing. Families with children or young teens should choose something else.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESRiggan, a former blockbuster movie star, is attempting a comeback as the director and star of a Broadway play. Three days before opening night, he struggles with a troubled relationship with his daughter, a demanding new actor, a threatening critic, and the voices of Birdman, his former superhero movie alter ego.
As rehearsals unravel, Riggan’s fight to regain his reputation becomes tangled with a more personal battle for his sanity.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means BIRDMAN is a highly accomplished and compelling film. Michael Keaton’s performance is unique, fascinating, and remarkably willing to satirize the odd behavior surrounding his character. The rest of the star-studded cast gives rich, fun, full-bodied performances.
The movie is also a constantly fascinating look at acting, celebrity, and tabloid-media culture. Its dark comedy gives director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu an opportunity to lighten up from his earlier extremely dark and dramatic movies. The story may not have much plot, but its battles for sanity and reputation remain engaging.
The Worldview
BIRDMAN presents a strong Romantic worldview through Riggan’s self-obsessed determination to rise to stardom again at all costs. Fame and reputation become measures of personal worth, while his mental instability, anger, and fantasies further blur the difference between reality and performance.
The film’s view of the acting and celebrity worlds is sharply satirical. Agents, actors, critics, and tabloid media are shown as driven by ego, attention, and career pressure. Yet the movie also includes a redemptive, moral scene of forgiveness between a man and his ex-wife.
That moment points toward a better answer than self-exaltation. Scripture calls people away from selfish ambition and toward humility: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong Romantic worldview driven by its lead character’s self-obsessed determination to rise to stardom again at all costs, plus a redemptive, moral scene of forgiveness between man and his ex-wife; at least 110 obscenities and profanities (including many “f” words and some GDs); strong violence includes fantasy scene with character fighting off things that are exploding and shooting at him, slaps, a silly fight between two men rolling around on the floor, gun goes off onstage, and themes of suicide; strong sexual content includes crude comments, man in underwear gets aroused on stage, woman says she’s pregnant out of wedlock, and actor tries to convince actress onstage to have real sex under bedcovers but she refuses so he pretends to do so; rear and upper male nudity; alcohol use and implied abuse; smoking and brief marijuana use; and, arrogance, some characters are self-centered with huge egos, actor acts like a diva, protagonist is often surly and mad at the world, and critic says she plans to trash a play even without seeing it.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Riggan measures himself by fame and reputation. What happens when we make recognition more important than humility and love?
Philippians 2:3–4 · Mark 8:36The film includes a moral scene of forgiveness between a man and his ex-wife. What makes forgiveness difficult, and what does Christ command us to do?
Ephesians 4:32 · Colossians 3:13Riggan struggles against himself and faces troubling thoughts and voices. How should we respond when our minds are troubled, and whom can we ask for help?
Psalm 34:18 · Philippians 4:6–7The story satirizes celebrity and tabloid-media culture. How can we pursue excellence without letting public approval become our identity?
Galatians 1:10 · 1 Corinthians 10:31The Final Word
BIRDMAN is a superbly performed, intricately crafted dark comedy with a fascinating view of acting, celebrity, and the hunger for recognition. Its heavy content and self-obsessed worldview make it unsuitable for children and young teens. For discerning adults, the answer is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY. For other options, see.
