La Cage aux Folles

Based on the hit French stage play by Jean Poiret, La Cage aux Folles became a surprise hit with mainstream American audience when it debuted in 1978, and was for a time the highest grossing foreign-language film in the States. It's easy to see why, as this farcical satire (or is it a satirical farce?) about a long-term gay couple coming to terms with their son's heterosexuality is just as incisive, and possibly more timely, now than it was on it's initial release. Although some aspects of the film have not aged well, including some depictions of gay characters that might seem overly stereotypical to modern audiences, it's still a subversive and fun comedy with remarkable pacing and a genuine sense of sympathy for its protagonists. Vastly superior to the 1996 Robin Williams remake, the original garnered multiple Oscar nods and stands as a landmark film in the history of queer cinema.