This engrossing psychological drama features powerful performances from Nicolas Cage and Matthew Modine as lifelong friends who are both scarred by the trauma of fighting in the Vietnam War - one has physical injuries, the other is confined to a mental hospital. Director Alan Parker, probably better known for such films as The Commitments, Mississippi Burning and Evita, shows his versatility here by adapting William Wharton's complex novel with sensitivity and skill, while Modine is exceptional as the boy who believes he's a bird. The movie also has a terrific score from Peter Gabriel and breathtaking cinematography from Michael Seresin. It deservedly won the Special Grand Jury Prize at the 1985 Cannes film festival.

Two young men are seriously affected by the Vietnam War. One of them has always been obsessed with birds - but now believes he really is a bird, and has been sent to a mental hospital. Can his friend help him pull through?