Bird on a Wire

1990

Bird on a Wire

Critics Consensus

No consensus yet.

32%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 22

40%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 57,312

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Movie Info

The can't-miss teaming of Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn is squandered on a clumsy, illogical romantic melodrama. Running across her old boyfriend Gibson at a Wisconsin gas station, Hawn is astounded that he seems not to recognize her. How could she have known that Gibson was put into the Witness Relocation Program after testifying against a homicidal mob boss (say, don't they usually alter your appearance when they put you in that program?) Curious over Gibson's furtive behavior, Hawn unknowingly sets herself up as a target for the bad guys. The whole affairs culminates in an after-hours showdown at a zoo (a plot device vastly improved upon in the 1996 Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle Eraser). While Bird on a Wire admittedly has its moments of enjoyment, most of the film is on a par with Gibson's embarrassing, homophobic scene with a pair of epicine hairdressers. And whoever heard of the Chinatown section of Racine, Wisconsin?

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Cast

Mel Gibson
as Rick Jarmin
Goldie Hawn
as Marianne Graves
David Carradine
as Eugene Sorenson
Bill Duke
as Albert Diggs
Stephen Tobolowsky
as Joe Weyburn
Joan Severance
as Rachel Varney
Harry Caesar
as Marvin
Jeff Corey
as Lou Baird
Alex Bruhanski
as Raun
John Pyper-Ferguson
as Jamie
Clyde Kusatsu
as Takawaki
Jackson Davies
as Paul Bernard
Lynne Carrow
Florence Paterson
as Molly Baird
Mike Fenton
Tim Healy
as Paul
John Garber
as Knatz, Nikita
Wes Tritter
as Scotty
Lynda Gordon
Lossen Chambers
as Lossen
Ken Camroux
as Neff
Oscar B. Ramos
as Cop at Fire
Wendy Van Riesen
as Secretary
Lesley Ewen
as Night Receptionist
Judy Taylor
Robert Metcalfe
as Dex
Florence Patterson
as Molly Baird
Kevin McNulty
as Brad
Robert Thurston
as Bank Teller
Brian Torpe
as Bank Vice-President
Oscar Goncalves
as Bank Guard
Tim Rose Price
as Beggar
Oscar Ramos
as Cop at Fire
Dan Zale
as Fireman
Blu Mankuma
as Plainclothesman
Doug Judge
as Cop at Cafe
Jon Garber
as Nikita Knatz
Paul Jarrett
as Carl Laemmle
James Kidnie
as Underworld Boss
Kim Kondrashoff
as Guard at Gate
Michel Barbe
as Maitre d'
Maria Leone
as Sales Clerk
Danny Wattley
as Cement Worker
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Critic Reviews for Bird on a Wire

All Critics (22) | Top Critics (3)

View All Critic Reviews (22)

Audience Reviews for Bird on a Wire

  • Aug 30, 2012
    It was a decent movie, with Mel Gibson and his glorious mullet. It was also great to see Stephen Tobolowsky in this type of role. The half star is for all the up-skirt shots of Goldie Hawn's buttocks.
    Jason R Super Reviewer
  • Aug 05, 2011
    bad team up, this film was disappointing for mel gibson
    Brendan N Super Reviewer
  • Jan 10, 2010
    Rick Jarmin is in the witness protection programme after he testified against two drug dealers (David Carradine and Bill Duke) who murdered his friend after a deal went wrong. When an old flame of his recognises him at his gas station work place, he is naturally concerned for his safety. The two then run to avoid the people after him. Cross country chase mayhem ensues. If you like Goldie Hawn or Mel Gibson, this is one not to miss; fun caper romp with charismatic stars. There are some clever touches and Gibson's wisecracks are hilarious! Funny action movies of the 80's.
    Deb S Super Reviewer
  • Feb 17, 2009
    Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn star in this action-packed romantic adventure. Rick Jarmin (Gibson) is a man who has been hiding under the FBI witness relocation program since the 1960s, when he is unexpectantly discovered by an old girlfriend (Hawn) in 1990. Together they lead a wild cross-country scramble when the man he put in jail is released. Happy-go-lucky hairdresser Rick Jarmin (Mel Gibson) did a good turn fifteen years ago when he gave the government a much-needed testimony in a court case that put a dangerous drug dealer behind bars. The Witness Protection Program kept up its side of the bargain, moving him around over the years and hiding his identity. Now they have him working in a Detroit gas station, but his cover is blown when a former girlfriend, Marianne Graves (Goldie Hawn) discovers Rick at about the same time that the now-released, and very angry, drug dealer has caught up to him. A shootout ensues and Rick and his ex barely escape with their lives. Now the former lovers must flee together; on the run, they rediscover their shared past as they desperately try to keep one step ahead of the killers. Set against thrilling backdrops and fantastical settings, director John Badham's film is a funny and heartwarming romantic adventure highlighting the bumbling antics of Goldie Hawn and the action heroics of Mel Gibson.
    Martin D Super Reviewer
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