Search - Bird [Widescreen] on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Adult Language, Profanity Movie Release: 1988 DVD Release: 01/30/2001 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 2 hrs 40 mins Studio: Warner Home Video Members Wishing: 5 Genres: Drama, Musical Drama, Biopic [feature], Showbiz Drama See Also: Bird [Special Edition][Bonus Soundtrack CD]

Forest Whitaker stars as the brilliant jazz saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker in this elegiac biopic. Director Clint Eastwood pays full homage to Parker's musical genius, but also devotes ample time to the musician's twin demons--drugs and alcohol-which accelerated his death at the age of 34. In his struggles to gain widespread acceptance for his music, "Bird" is forever stymied by his own self-destructiveness, and forever bailed out by the love of his life, Chan Richardson Parker (Diane Venora). The film bemoans the decline of the brand of jazz fathered by Parker, which came to be replaced by more conventional material -- as illustrated by the "descent" into the mainstream of Parker's mentor Buster Franklin. Also starring in Bird is Samuel E. Wright as Dizzy Gillespie. That's the real Charlie "Bird" Parker on the film's soundtrack, though most of the background music has been re-orchestrated. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Forest Whitaker - Charlie "Yardbird" Parker
Diane Venora - Chan Richardson Parker
Michael Zelniker - Red Rodney
Sam Wright - Dizzy Gillespie
Keith David - Buster Franklin

Clint Eastwood's biopic of jazz great Charlie Parker, Bird comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. A closed-captioned English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1, while a French soundtrack has been recorded in Dolby Digital Surround. English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include an audio-only track, and the theatrical trailer. This is a great-looking and sounding disc that can be recommended even if it does lack any compelling extras. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide