# Bird (1988)

> Clint Eastwood’s immersive portrait of Charlie Parker captures bebop’s exhilarating invention alongside the devastating personal cost of addiction.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/movie/14601

## Facts

- Runtime: 161 min
- Genres: Drama, Music
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- Cast: Forest Whitaker, Diane Venora, Michael Zelniker, Samuel E. Wright, Keith David, Michael McGuire, James Handy, Damon Whitaker
- TMDB rating: 6.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094747/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: slow
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: mild
- Mood: melancholic, intimate, turbulent, jazz listening night, music history deep dive

## Synopsis

A jazz saxophonist's brilliance is overshadowed by his personal demons, leading to a heartbreaking journey of love and addiction.

## Movies like Bird

- [Miles Ahead (2016)](https://ember.film/movie/197251)
- [Maestro (2023)](https://ember.film/movie/363379)
- [Honkytonk Man (1982)](https://ember.film/movie/23794)
- [De-Lovely (2004)](https://ember.film/movie/9086)
- [Permanent Vacation (1981)](https://ember.film/movie/23862)
- [The Cotton Club (1984)](https://ember.film/movie/1488)
- [Mo' Better Blues (1990)](https://ember.film/movie/26856)
- [Blue Moon (2025)](https://ember.film/movie/7322032)
- [The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021)](https://ember.film/movie/395366)
- [Pollock (2000)](https://ember.film/movie/7153)

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