The troubled life and career of jazz musician Charlie "Bird" Parker.The troubled life and career of jazz musician Charlie "Bird" Parker.The troubled life and career of jazz musician Charlie "Bird" 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 "Bird" 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
Great, sensitive, revealing biopic
The life of jazz great Charlie "Bird" Parker.
Clint Eastwood's homage to Charlie Parker. A great, sensitive biopic. I am not a fan of jazz music, and know very little about it, but you don't have to be a jazz aficionado to enjoy this movie.
Eastwood, a great fan of jazz and very knowledgeable on the subject, gives a great insight into Charlie Parker, especially his drives and personal demons. It could easily have become a very dry, paint-by-numbers, examination of Parker's life but Eastwood gives his character great depth and shows him warts and all. A very sensitive yet revealing portrayal.
Excellent performance by Forest Whitaker as Charlie Parker. Good supporting performances, especially by Diane Venora as Parker's wife, Chan.
Clint Eastwood's homage to Charlie Parker. A great, sensitive biopic. I am not a fan of jazz music, and know very little about it, but you don't have to be a jazz aficionado to enjoy this movie.
Eastwood, a great fan of jazz and very knowledgeable on the subject, gives a great insight into Charlie Parker, especially his drives and personal demons. It could easily have become a very dry, paint-by-numbers, examination of Parker's life but Eastwood gives his character great depth and shows him warts and all. A very sensitive yet revealing portrayal.
Excellent performance by Forest Whitaker as Charlie Parker. Good supporting performances, especially by Diane Venora as Parker's wife, Chan.
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- Apr 7, 2019
- 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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