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WHEN WE RISE
Dustin Lance Black, who won an Oscar for his screenplay for the 2008 film, Milk, is the creative force behind When We Rise, an ambitious mini-series that premiered on ABC, chronicling the history of the struggle for gay rights beginning with the Stonewall riots in 1969 through the battle for the right to same sex marriage.
This is another case of a project that if all was important were its intentions, this mini-series definitely hit a bullseye; sadly, this story suffers from an overly intricate and very preachy screenplay. Normally, a degree of preachiness can be forgiven on this subject...I forgave it with Philadelphia and The Normal Heart because those were two-hour movies. However, we're talking about a four-part mini series that ran approximately eight hours and as sincere as the intentions might be, the preachiness has a sledgehammer-like effect that made getting through this mini-series a real chore, and as a gay man, there is some degree of shame in that, but this review is about the entertainment value of this production not its intentions.
This story is told through the eyes of four separate real life characters. Cleve Jones is a gay male whose struggle with his sexual identity began by the initial rejection of who he was by his father, who wanted to send Cleve to therapy in order to "cure" him. Diane and Roma are a lesbian couple who met in South Africa, were separated, but were reunited as Roma became in involved with NOW (National Organization of Women). We also meet Ken Jones, a black gay man who was in the navy and had his first lover there, which resulted in him being discreetly transferred to San Francisco and eventually found another lover who died of AIDS. The death of Ken's lover actually initiated a mental breakdown for Ken from which religion seemed to be his only escape.
The story presented here is important and it's lovely that it was finally given a voice here, but what made this production so troubling was its reveal of the infighting between people who should have been working together. I was shocked to see the infighting that existed between the lesbian movement and NOW but what was brought to light here more than anything was the war between gay men and gay women, something that was really news to me. It would seem that these people would have been working together, but this infighting almost tore the movement apart. It was troubling to watch lesbians refuse to support Harvey Milk because they had a lesbian candidate they wanted to support. Watching this surprising opposition between people who should be working together actually had me understanding the intensity of this fight and how could we expect support from the heterosexual community when there was such fighting among ourselves? And, of course, the story takes an ugly turn with the advent of AIDS.
There was a lot of money poured into this production and it features an impressive all-star cast, but, sadly, the production suffers here too...a lot of the performances are over-the-top and unconvincing, not to mention some problematic casting. There were a lot of openly gay actors who clearly wanted to be involved in this project in some way and a lot of them were miscast...most notably, David Hyde Pierce, completely unbelievable as Cleve's homophobic father. Rachel Griffiths and Mary Louise Parker were convincing as Diane and Roma, but Guy Pearce was a little much as Cleve and Michael Kenneth Williams, a powerhouse actor whose work I've admired for years, turns in one of the worst performances of his career here as Ken. TR Knight, Phylicia Rachad, William Sadler, Rob Reiner, Whoopi Goldberg, Dylan Walsh, Henry Czerny, Mary McCormack, Melora Hardin, and Balthazar Getty offer contributions to the story, but what should have been a compelling look at some important issues becomes an overblown production that offers some education but not enough entertainment value to sustain eight hours of television, especially for heterosexual audiences.
Dustin Lance Black, who won an Oscar for his screenplay for the 2008 film, Milk, is the creative force behind When We Rise, an ambitious mini-series that premiered on ABC, chronicling the history of the struggle for gay rights beginning with the Stonewall riots in 1969 through the battle for the right to same sex marriage.
This is another case of a project that if all was important were its intentions, this mini-series definitely hit a bullseye; sadly, this story suffers from an overly intricate and very preachy screenplay. Normally, a degree of preachiness can be forgiven on this subject...I forgave it with Philadelphia and The Normal Heart because those were two-hour movies. However, we're talking about a four-part mini series that ran approximately eight hours and as sincere as the intentions might be, the preachiness has a sledgehammer-like effect that made getting through this mini-series a real chore, and as a gay man, there is some degree of shame in that, but this review is about the entertainment value of this production not its intentions.
This story is told through the eyes of four separate real life characters. Cleve Jones is a gay male whose struggle with his sexual identity began by the initial rejection of who he was by his father, who wanted to send Cleve to therapy in order to "cure" him. Diane and Roma are a lesbian couple who met in South Africa, were separated, but were reunited as Roma became in involved with NOW (National Organization of Women). We also meet Ken Jones, a black gay man who was in the navy and had his first lover there, which resulted in him being discreetly transferred to San Francisco and eventually found another lover who died of AIDS. The death of Ken's lover actually initiated a mental breakdown for Ken from which religion seemed to be his only escape.
The story presented here is important and it's lovely that it was finally given a voice here, but what made this production so troubling was its reveal of the infighting between people who should have been working together. I was shocked to see the infighting that existed between the lesbian movement and NOW but what was brought to light here more than anything was the war between gay men and gay women, something that was really news to me. It would seem that these people would have been working together, but this infighting almost tore the movement apart. It was troubling to watch lesbians refuse to support Harvey Milk because they had a lesbian candidate they wanted to support. Watching this surprising opposition between people who should be working together actually had me understanding the intensity of this fight and how could we expect support from the heterosexual community when there was such fighting among ourselves? And, of course, the story takes an ugly turn with the advent of AIDS.
There was a lot of money poured into this production and it features an impressive all-star cast, but, sadly, the production suffers here too...a lot of the performances are over-the-top and unconvincing, not to mention some problematic casting. There were a lot of openly gay actors who clearly wanted to be involved in this project in some way and a lot of them were miscast...most notably, David Hyde Pierce, completely unbelievable as Cleve's homophobic father. Rachel Griffiths and Mary Louise Parker were convincing as Diane and Roma, but Guy Pearce was a little much as Cleve and Michael Kenneth Williams, a powerhouse actor whose work I've admired for years, turns in one of the worst performances of his career here as Ken. TR Knight, Phylicia Rachad, William Sadler, Rob Reiner, Whoopi Goldberg, Dylan Walsh, Henry Czerny, Mary McCormack, Melora Hardin, and Balthazar Getty offer contributions to the story, but what should have been a compelling look at some important issues becomes an overblown production that offers some education but not enough entertainment value to sustain eight hours of television, especially for heterosexual audiences.
Last edited by Gideon58; 03-27-17 at 11:07 AM.
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ONCE
Most likely aimed at moviegoers who don't like musicals as a rule, the 2007 film Once is an unremarkable but lovingly crafted look at the singularly unique passion that music can ignite between two people who otherwise would never connect; however, this is sadly a case where the parts are better than the whole.
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Like another film I viewed recently, The Commitments, the setting is contemporary Dublin where our two central characters meet. He works in his father's vacuum cleaner repair shop during the day and at night, hits the streets of Dublin with his guitar and his own angry music. She is a Czech immigrant and single mother who is drawn to his music and is eventually revealed to be a gifted pianist. She takes him to a music store where she has an understanding with the owner and they combine their gifts with the guitar and piano and a love affair is born, even if they don't realize it.
This is another one of those cases where if making a strong cinematic statement was about intentions, this would hit a home run, but there's a very sluggish pacing to this story that really doesn't sustain interest for its very economic running time. Writer and director John Carney has a terrific idea here, creating a realistic movie musical, but when it comes down to it, no matter what kind of musical you're making, it comes down to the music as the sticking point and I just found the music rather uninteresting, even though I liked the fact that it was the singular factor linking the two central characters.
On the positive side, the characters' link through their music is so strong that the characters aren't even assigned names and we don't notice or care. I was intrigued by the fact that most of the music seemed to manifest itself through the two characters damaged romantic pasts, but this made for some music that at some times was hard and a little depressing. I did like that the two leads were clearly musicians first and not actors, which definitely aided in the realism that Carney was going for...it was so refreshing seeing a movie character sit down at a keyboard and the camera not have to move away from the keyboard in order to disguise the fact that the actor isn't really playing. It was obvious that every time this guy fingered that guitar and every time her hands flowed over that keyboard that they were creating the music onscreen for us. I was also impressed that the music that the protagonists create onscreen is pretty much the only music in the movie.
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglove have a surprising ease onscreen, in what was clearly their first big screen assignments, but I wish they had been given a little more assistance from the screenplay and director in order to create viable screen entertainment that didn't find me stifling the occasional yawn.
Most likely aimed at moviegoers who don't like musicals as a rule, the 2007 film Once is an unremarkable but lovingly crafted look at the singularly unique passion that music can ignite between two people who otherwise would never connect; however, this is sadly a case where the parts are better than the whole.
Like another film I viewed recently, The Commitments, the setting is contemporary Dublin where our two central characters meet. He works in his father's vacuum cleaner repair shop during the day and at night, hits the streets of Dublin with his guitar and his own angry music. She is a Czech immigrant and single mother who is drawn to his music and is eventually revealed to be a gifted pianist. She takes him to a music store where she has an understanding with the owner and they combine their gifts with the guitar and piano and a love affair is born, even if they don't realize it.
This is another one of those cases where if making a strong cinematic statement was about intentions, this would hit a home run, but there's a very sluggish pacing to this story that really doesn't sustain interest for its very economic running time. Writer and director John Carney has a terrific idea here, creating a realistic movie musical, but when it comes down to it, no matter what kind of musical you're making, it comes down to the music as the sticking point and I just found the music rather uninteresting, even though I liked the fact that it was the singular factor linking the two central characters.
On the positive side, the characters' link through their music is so strong that the characters aren't even assigned names and we don't notice or care. I was intrigued by the fact that most of the music seemed to manifest itself through the two characters damaged romantic pasts, but this made for some music that at some times was hard and a little depressing. I did like that the two leads were clearly musicians first and not actors, which definitely aided in the realism that Carney was going for...it was so refreshing seeing a movie character sit down at a keyboard and the camera not have to move away from the keyboard in order to disguise the fact that the actor isn't really playing. It was obvious that every time this guy fingered that guitar and every time her hands flowed over that keyboard that they were creating the music onscreen for us. I was also impressed that the music that the protagonists create onscreen is pretty much the only music in the movie.
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglove have a surprising ease onscreen, in what was clearly their first big screen assignments, but I wish they had been given a little more assistance from the screenplay and director in order to create viable screen entertainment that didn't find me stifling the occasional yawn.
Last edited by Gideon58; 03-21-17 at 10:38 AM.
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LOVING
A compelling 2016 docudrama that hits all the right notes is 2016's Loving, an effectively crafted look at a facet of racism that has almost been forgotten about because in this day and age it seems to be such a non-issue.
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The setting is 1950's rural Virginia where we meet Richard Loving (Joel Edgerton), a white bricklayer who has just learned that his black girlfriend, Mildred (Ruth Negga) is pregnant with his child. He is thrilled and immediately proposes and he, Mildred, and her father drive to DC where Richard and Mildred are married by a justice of the peace. Upon their return to Virginia, they are arrested for interracial marriage, which was still a crime back then. After one night, Richard is bailed out and we are horrified as he is told he can't bail out his pregnant wife and that her family has to come do it on Monday. Richard and Mildred are arrested again when Mildred insists that her mother-in-law (Sharon Blackwood), an experienced midwife, deliver her baby. They are sentenced to a year in jail, a sentence which is suspended if they agree to leave Virginia for 25 years. Richard and Mildred find peace in another state but Mildred's unassuming letter written to Bobby Kennedy sets off a series of events that lead to the ACLU taking their case to the supreme court.
Director/writer Jeff Nichols has provided an effectively balanced look at a once timely subject that really shouldn't be forgotten. It's such a non-issue in 2017 that this film was a bit of a culture shock, taking place at a time when interracial marriage was actually against the law. Can't argue with the events here, because it's based on real events and I was intrigued by some of the emotions this story stirred in me. At the core of this story were two people who were deeply in love and never wanted to be media darlings, they just wanted to walk in the sun as an interracial couple and that never changes. Their love for each other is evident and we know this because they do have two more children.
It's all of the people in their orbit whose behavior is at times questionable here. I had a bit of a hard time believing that Mildred's family accepted Richard in Mildred's life so unconditionally, even after their arrest. Even the motives of the ACLU don't always appear clear and there are points in this story we just want all these people to go away and just leave the Lovings alone, especially after the road to the supreme court is on the horizon and it seems to be pulling the couple apart.
The story is told at a leisurely pace but we want to see the ending, as unsurprising as it might be, this story demands that we see it. The film also features lovely cinematography and music and lovely performances from the leads. Edgerton is solid as Richard and Ruth Negga is absolutely luminous in a performance that earned her an Oscar nomination.
Negga's beautifully expressive face helped us understand what Mildred was feeling every second of this compelling story. A very special look at a topic that is not as timely as it should be.
A compelling 2016 docudrama that hits all the right notes is 2016's Loving, an effectively crafted look at a facet of racism that has almost been forgotten about because in this day and age it seems to be such a non-issue.
The setting is 1950's rural Virginia where we meet Richard Loving (Joel Edgerton), a white bricklayer who has just learned that his black girlfriend, Mildred (Ruth Negga) is pregnant with his child. He is thrilled and immediately proposes and he, Mildred, and her father drive to DC where Richard and Mildred are married by a justice of the peace. Upon their return to Virginia, they are arrested for interracial marriage, which was still a crime back then. After one night, Richard is bailed out and we are horrified as he is told he can't bail out his pregnant wife and that her family has to come do it on Monday. Richard and Mildred are arrested again when Mildred insists that her mother-in-law (Sharon Blackwood), an experienced midwife, deliver her baby. They are sentenced to a year in jail, a sentence which is suspended if they agree to leave Virginia for 25 years. Richard and Mildred find peace in another state but Mildred's unassuming letter written to Bobby Kennedy sets off a series of events that lead to the ACLU taking their case to the supreme court.
Director/writer Jeff Nichols has provided an effectively balanced look at a once timely subject that really shouldn't be forgotten. It's such a non-issue in 2017 that this film was a bit of a culture shock, taking place at a time when interracial marriage was actually against the law. Can't argue with the events here, because it's based on real events and I was intrigued by some of the emotions this story stirred in me. At the core of this story were two people who were deeply in love and never wanted to be media darlings, they just wanted to walk in the sun as an interracial couple and that never changes. Their love for each other is evident and we know this because they do have two more children.
It's all of the people in their orbit whose behavior is at times questionable here. I had a bit of a hard time believing that Mildred's family accepted Richard in Mildred's life so unconditionally, even after their arrest. Even the motives of the ACLU don't always appear clear and there are points in this story we just want all these people to go away and just leave the Lovings alone, especially after the road to the supreme court is on the horizon and it seems to be pulling the couple apart.
The story is told at a leisurely pace but we want to see the ending, as unsurprising as it might be, this story demands that we see it. The film also features lovely cinematography and music and lovely performances from the leads. Edgerton is solid as Richard and Ruth Negga is absolutely luminous in a performance that earned her an Oscar nomination.
Negga's beautifully expressive face helped us understand what Mildred was feeling every second of this compelling story. A very special look at a topic that is not as timely as it should be.
Last edited by Gideon58; 02-17-20 at 05:43 PM.
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Glad to see you enjoyed Loving. I felt about the same way you did about the movie. Ruth Negga was the best part. I didn't care for the actors who played the ACLU lawyers, I found them comical, which didn't fit the tone of the movie. How did you view the lawyers?
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Glad to see you enjoyed Loving. I felt about the same way you did about the movie. Ruth Negga was the best part. I didn't care for the actors who played the ACLU lawyers, I found them comical, which didn't fit the tone of the movie. How did you view the lawyers?
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It's funny you should mention the lawyers, because they bothered me too...the first one, Mr. Cohen (Nick Kroll) especially came off like he wasn't taking the matter seriously or as if there was hidden motive for him that we weren't privy to. I don't know if it was the character or Kroll's performance, but Cohen just seemed to be making light of the entire situation and I found it hard to believe anything that came out of his mouth.
I liked the movie so much, I got the documentary about the real Loving case. It's called: The Loving Story (2011) I'll write a review about it once I watched it (which should be real soon).
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Yup, that's exactly what I thought of the two lawyers.
I liked the movie so much, I got the documentary about the real Loving case. It's called: The Loving Story (2011) I'll write a review about it once I watched it (which should be real soon).
I liked the movie so much, I got the documentary about the real Loving case. It's called: The Loving Story (2011) I'll write a review about it once I watched it (which should be real soon).
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Yeah, SilentVamp told me about that one, it's on my watch list. Have you seen it? She really liked it.
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Yeah, SilentVamp told me about that one, it's on my watch list. Have you seen it? She really liked it.
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I'm going to watch it and I will post on my review thread about it. It might not be for a week or two though.
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FOLLOW THE FLEET
Hollywood's greatest dance team collaborated for the fifth time in 1936's Follow the Fleet, another entertaining confection that provides just enough plot that we actually have a story that we don't mind being interrupted by the occasional musical highlight.
Fred Astaire plays Bake Baker (terrible character name), a sailor on leave with his ship mate Bilge Smith (Randolph Scott), who attempts to rekindle his romance with Sherry Martin (Ginger Rogers), who he had an act with before joining the navy while Bilge finds himself involved with Sherry's Plain-Jane sister, Connie (Harriet Hilliard).
Director Mark Sandrich provides a breeziness to Dwight Taylor and Allen Scott's screenplay that not only plays up the stars' talent on the dance floor but their comic timing as well, which is given a healthy display here. Rogers already impressed me with her gift for comedy in Top Hat and Swing Time, but Astaire gets some really funny moments here too. I was especially amused by the scene where Bake decides to give dance lessons to his fellow sailors on the ship. We also get something here that is rare in an Astaire-Rogers musical...a Rogers dance solo and she makes the most of the opportunity.
Music is key with Astaire and Rogers and Irving Berlin has provided a clever blend of romance and patter with songs like "We Join the Navy", "Let Yourself Go", "Get Thee Behind Thee, Satan", "But Where are You", and, of course, "Let's Face the Music and Dance".
Randolph Scott surprises with his light comic touch as Bilge and Harriet Hilliard gives a star-making turn as Connie. A couple of decades later, Hilliard would become a TV icon after marrying a guy named Ozzie Nelson and starring on a sitcom with him called The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. And if you don't blink, you'll also catch a couple of early film appearances by Betty Grable and Lucille Ball. It's no Top Hat, but an entertaining diversion nonetheless.
Hollywood's greatest dance team collaborated for the fifth time in 1936's Follow the Fleet, another entertaining confection that provides just enough plot that we actually have a story that we don't mind being interrupted by the occasional musical highlight.
Fred Astaire plays Bake Baker (terrible character name), a sailor on leave with his ship mate Bilge Smith (Randolph Scott), who attempts to rekindle his romance with Sherry Martin (Ginger Rogers), who he had an act with before joining the navy while Bilge finds himself involved with Sherry's Plain-Jane sister, Connie (Harriet Hilliard).
Director Mark Sandrich provides a breeziness to Dwight Taylor and Allen Scott's screenplay that not only plays up the stars' talent on the dance floor but their comic timing as well, which is given a healthy display here. Rogers already impressed me with her gift for comedy in Top Hat and Swing Time, but Astaire gets some really funny moments here too. I was especially amused by the scene where Bake decides to give dance lessons to his fellow sailors on the ship. We also get something here that is rare in an Astaire-Rogers musical...a Rogers dance solo and she makes the most of the opportunity.
Music is key with Astaire and Rogers and Irving Berlin has provided a clever blend of romance and patter with songs like "We Join the Navy", "Let Yourself Go", "Get Thee Behind Thee, Satan", "But Where are You", and, of course, "Let's Face the Music and Dance".
Randolph Scott surprises with his light comic touch as Bilge and Harriet Hilliard gives a star-making turn as Connie. A couple of decades later, Hilliard would become a TV icon after marrying a guy named Ozzie Nelson and starring on a sitcom with him called The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. And if you don't blink, you'll also catch a couple of early film appearances by Betty Grable and Lucille Ball. It's no Top Hat, but an entertaining diversion nonetheless.
Last edited by Gideon58; 05-09-17 at 09:19 PM.
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THE DEEP END OF THE OCEAN
A powerhouse lead performance from Michelle Pfeiffer is the centerpiece of an affecting drama from 1999 called The Deep End of the Ocean which takes a surprisingly balanced look at what is basically every parents' nightmare, but unlike most films on this subject, this one addresses everyone involved.
It is 1988 in Wisconsin where we meet Beth Cappadora (Pfeiffer), a photographer, wife, and mother of young Vincent, Ben, and baby Kerry. One morning Beth kisses husband Pat (Treat Williams) goodbye and packs the kids in the car as she plans to take them with her to DC for her high school reunion. Upon arrival at the hotel, Beth goes to the registration desk to check in, leaving Vincent and Ben alone. When she returns, Ben is no where to be found. The police are immediately alerted and we are informed that most missing children turn up within five hours. We watch the five hour mark turn into six weeks, not to mention the agony Beth is going through, trying to deal with the reality of what happened without blaming herself and without neglecting the rest of her family.
Flash forward nine years later when Beth answers the door one day and there is a young neighbor there who offers to mow her lawn. It is apparent through Beth's movements that she believes this young man is Ben, who it turns out has been living just a few blocks away for years. The delicate process of returning Ben to his family is initiated but the requisite happy ending is a bumpy and emotionally-charged journey that requires patience and riveted this reviewer to the screen.
Director Ulu Grosbard (Straight Time; True Confessions)lends a sensitive directorial hand to Stephen Schniff's surprisingly balanced screenplay (based on a book by Jacquelyn Mitchard), which offers a family torn apart by what can only be described as a nightmare, but what the Cappadora family doesn't count on is the fact that Ben doesn't remember his life as Cappadora and thats where the real drama unfolds here, not to mention the father who raised Ben who is an innocent victim in this whole thing and Vincent, the older brother who has been seriously wounded by his mother's neglect and his own guilt.
Grosbard pulls an Oscar-worthy performance from Michelle Pfeiffer that makes you completely care about this woman and insist on her happiness, even though we're never quite sure if that's even possible. Pfeiffer gets solid support from Williams as her loving husband and Whoopi Goldberg as a sympathetic police officer. Ryan Merriman has some strong moments as the returned Ben/Sam and there is also a star-making turn from five time Daytime Emmy Award winner Jonathan Jackson as the tortured Vincent. Some lovely photography and a lush musical score are the finishing touches on this beautifully human family drama that, if caught in the right mood, will ignite a tear duct.
A powerhouse lead performance from Michelle Pfeiffer is the centerpiece of an affecting drama from 1999 called The Deep End of the Ocean which takes a surprisingly balanced look at what is basically every parents' nightmare, but unlike most films on this subject, this one addresses everyone involved.
It is 1988 in Wisconsin where we meet Beth Cappadora (Pfeiffer), a photographer, wife, and mother of young Vincent, Ben, and baby Kerry. One morning Beth kisses husband Pat (Treat Williams) goodbye and packs the kids in the car as she plans to take them with her to DC for her high school reunion. Upon arrival at the hotel, Beth goes to the registration desk to check in, leaving Vincent and Ben alone. When she returns, Ben is no where to be found. The police are immediately alerted and we are informed that most missing children turn up within five hours. We watch the five hour mark turn into six weeks, not to mention the agony Beth is going through, trying to deal with the reality of what happened without blaming herself and without neglecting the rest of her family.
Flash forward nine years later when Beth answers the door one day and there is a young neighbor there who offers to mow her lawn. It is apparent through Beth's movements that she believes this young man is Ben, who it turns out has been living just a few blocks away for years. The delicate process of returning Ben to his family is initiated but the requisite happy ending is a bumpy and emotionally-charged journey that requires patience and riveted this reviewer to the screen.
Director Ulu Grosbard (Straight Time; True Confessions)lends a sensitive directorial hand to Stephen Schniff's surprisingly balanced screenplay (based on a book by Jacquelyn Mitchard), which offers a family torn apart by what can only be described as a nightmare, but what the Cappadora family doesn't count on is the fact that Ben doesn't remember his life as Cappadora and thats where the real drama unfolds here, not to mention the father who raised Ben who is an innocent victim in this whole thing and Vincent, the older brother who has been seriously wounded by his mother's neglect and his own guilt.
Grosbard pulls an Oscar-worthy performance from Michelle Pfeiffer that makes you completely care about this woman and insist on her happiness, even though we're never quite sure if that's even possible. Pfeiffer gets solid support from Williams as her loving husband and Whoopi Goldberg as a sympathetic police officer. Ryan Merriman has some strong moments as the returned Ben/Sam and there is also a star-making turn from five time Daytime Emmy Award winner Jonathan Jackson as the tortured Vincent. Some lovely photography and a lush musical score are the finishing touches on this beautifully human family drama that, if caught in the right mood, will ignite a tear duct.
Last edited by Gideon58; 06-19-17 at 07:46 PM.
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Originally Posted by Gideon58
and Whoopi Goldbeg as a sympathetic police officer
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I guess you could have just told me I left the "r" out of her last name, but then that just wouldn't be you, Sexy.
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The Deep End of the Ocean has been on my watchlist ever since I saw the trailer many years ago. I still haven't gotten around to seeing it, so I'll have to bump it up on my watchlist.
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OPEN FLOOR.
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THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY
Despite some cliched musical biopic plotting, 1978's The Buddy Holly Story is totally winning entertainment, thanks primarily to an amazing marriage of actor and character that absolutely makes this biopic work.
It is Lubbock Texas in 1956 where we meet Charles Hardin "Buddy" Holly, the front man for a three piece rock and roll band who appear on a weekly radio program broadcast from a local roller rink, whose devil-worshiping rock and roll upsets Lubbock residents but attracts the attention of a record producer in Nashville, who likes Buddy's sound, but wants to put a hillbilly beat behind it, which Buddy is not feeling at all. Almost simultaneously, Buddy learns that his roller rink producer sent a tape of his music to a New York record producer who wants to sign Buddy's band and agrees to let Buddy do his music his way.
Director Steve Rash and writer Alan Swyer, who adapted the screenplay from a book by John Goldrosen, have mounted a musical biopic in the most classic sense of the term. providing all the expected scenes that the genre implies...we see Buddy's humble beginnings where he is ridiculed and told that he will never be able to make a living from his passion, which most dismiss as a "hobby" to the initial conflict with bigwigs who want to put their own spin on the sound Buddy hears in his head, to the eventual control of his own career which unfortunately manifests the expected tension between Buddy and his band, when Buddy's fame elevates him to the point where he doesn't really need his drummer and bass player anymore, not to mentioned the obligatory love story with a secretary at the record label. We even get to see a set of theater marquees where we actually witness Buddy's name at the bottom of the marquee at the beginning of the story and inch its way up to the top for his final concert appearance.
I was intrigued by the reveal that most of the attention that Buddy and the Crickets originally received came from the fact that when most people in the music business heard their music, it was assumed that they were black, climaxed by their historical appearance as the first Caucasian band to appear at the Apollo and how the band won the all-black audience over pretty quickly.
The production team brought a real musical authenticity to the story by having the actors record the music live and perform the songs onscreen as they were being filmed and anyone who has ever watched a musical with prerecorded music will immediately be able to tell the difference, giving complete respect to Buddy's music with a realistic sound that really makes the musical segments of the film come alive. And a large chunk of Buddy's most memorable songs are reproduced here, including "That'll be the Day", "Oh Boy" "Maybe Baby" "True Love Ways", and "It Doesn't Matter Anymore."
But most of all, what this movie has is a dazzling starring performance from Gary Busey in the title role, a genuine movie star turn that earned the actor his first and only Oscar nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor. I have never enjoyed Busey onscreen more (with the possible exception of Mr. Joshua) and his vocal work producing the Holly sound was surprisingly impressive. The vocals produced by Busey and Charles Martin Smith (so memorable as Toad in American Graffiti), who plays Ray Bob, Buddy's bass player and back-up singer are on the money and Don Stroud, a bold and intense actor who never had the career he deserved, is properly moody as Buddy's drummer. The relationship between these three guys forms the heart of this movie and it's distressing when Buddy's fame starts to tear them apart, but it is nothing out of the realm of show business reality. Conrad Janis also scores as Buddy's New York producer and there are fun cameos by standup Paul Rooney as Sam Cooke and impressionist Fred Travelena as a manic disc jockey. Fans of musical biopics and of Gary Busey should eat this one up.
Despite some cliched musical biopic plotting, 1978's The Buddy Holly Story is totally winning entertainment, thanks primarily to an amazing marriage of actor and character that absolutely makes this biopic work.
It is Lubbock Texas in 1956 where we meet Charles Hardin "Buddy" Holly, the front man for a three piece rock and roll band who appear on a weekly radio program broadcast from a local roller rink, whose devil-worshiping rock and roll upsets Lubbock residents but attracts the attention of a record producer in Nashville, who likes Buddy's sound, but wants to put a hillbilly beat behind it, which Buddy is not feeling at all. Almost simultaneously, Buddy learns that his roller rink producer sent a tape of his music to a New York record producer who wants to sign Buddy's band and agrees to let Buddy do his music his way.
Director Steve Rash and writer Alan Swyer, who adapted the screenplay from a book by John Goldrosen, have mounted a musical biopic in the most classic sense of the term. providing all the expected scenes that the genre implies...we see Buddy's humble beginnings where he is ridiculed and told that he will never be able to make a living from his passion, which most dismiss as a "hobby" to the initial conflict with bigwigs who want to put their own spin on the sound Buddy hears in his head, to the eventual control of his own career which unfortunately manifests the expected tension between Buddy and his band, when Buddy's fame elevates him to the point where he doesn't really need his drummer and bass player anymore, not to mentioned the obligatory love story with a secretary at the record label. We even get to see a set of theater marquees where we actually witness Buddy's name at the bottom of the marquee at the beginning of the story and inch its way up to the top for his final concert appearance.
I was intrigued by the reveal that most of the attention that Buddy and the Crickets originally received came from the fact that when most people in the music business heard their music, it was assumed that they were black, climaxed by their historical appearance as the first Caucasian band to appear at the Apollo and how the band won the all-black audience over pretty quickly.
The production team brought a real musical authenticity to the story by having the actors record the music live and perform the songs onscreen as they were being filmed and anyone who has ever watched a musical with prerecorded music will immediately be able to tell the difference, giving complete respect to Buddy's music with a realistic sound that really makes the musical segments of the film come alive. And a large chunk of Buddy's most memorable songs are reproduced here, including "That'll be the Day", "Oh Boy" "Maybe Baby" "True Love Ways", and "It Doesn't Matter Anymore."
But most of all, what this movie has is a dazzling starring performance from Gary Busey in the title role, a genuine movie star turn that earned the actor his first and only Oscar nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor. I have never enjoyed Busey onscreen more (with the possible exception of Mr. Joshua) and his vocal work producing the Holly sound was surprisingly impressive. The vocals produced by Busey and Charles Martin Smith (so memorable as Toad in American Graffiti), who plays Ray Bob, Buddy's bass player and back-up singer are on the money and Don Stroud, a bold and intense actor who never had the career he deserved, is properly moody as Buddy's drummer. The relationship between these three guys forms the heart of this movie and it's distressing when Buddy's fame starts to tear them apart, but it is nothing out of the realm of show business reality. Conrad Janis also scores as Buddy's New York producer and there are fun cameos by standup Paul Rooney as Sam Cooke and impressionist Fred Travelena as a manic disc jockey. Fans of musical biopics and of Gary Busey should eat this one up.
Last edited by Gideon58; 06-19-17 at 07:55 PM.
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Nice review there Gideon, glad you liked my nom. After watching La Bamba and The Buddy Holly Story....I really want to see a bio-pic on The Big Booper...was such a movie even made?
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I don't think there has been a movie on The Big Bopper...Gailard Sartain was good in this, but a movie about the Big Bopper would require a name and I'm drawing a blank off the top of my head as to who I would cast...any thoughts?
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