sddavis63
The 1970's gave rise to the "made for TV" movie on a regular basis, and a lot of them were pretty disappointing, with weak stories and poor acting. But then there's "Brian's Song" - which 40 years later still has to rank as one of the best (if not the best) TV movies ever made. It's a "football" movie to an extent, but it's far more than a football movie. It's a story about a friendship that known no bounds and that overcomes a lot of odds. In 1965, Gayle Sayers and Brian Piccolo were rookie running backs for the Chicago Bears. The should have been rivals and not friends. They were competing for starting positions; Sayers was black and Piccolo was white. There should have been too many divides for them to cross to build a friendship, and yet they did build a friendship.Billy Dee Williams and James Caan were wonderful in these title roles. For I would say two thirds of its short run time (minus TV commercials, it comes in at a little under an hour and a quarter) this is essentially a football movie. The friendship is well developed, but there's a heavy emphasis on training shots and a lot of really good real football footage, mostly of some spectacular runs by Sayers. The movie really takes off though once Sayers suffers a knee injury that knocks him out of the lineup. Piccolo takes his place, and Piccolo wants him back and helps him get back into game shape. For a while they share the backfield, and then the movie becomes a powerful tearjerker, as Piccolo is diagnosed with cancer, and Sayers sees him through his final illness.Yes, this is a made for TV movie. It's not flashy, but it's good - very good. And it's very moving. You can't help but feel sad as it comes to an end. Let's face it. 26 years olds (football players or not) shouldn't die, but they sometimes do - and it's very sad. But sad though it is, in the end you have to feel uplifted by this movie about the power of a friendship that overcomes all the odds against it. The movie also features a pretty strong performance from Jack Warden as the legendary Chicago bears coach George Halas. You can't ask for much more than this. (9/10)
knucklebreather
Yeah, this movie's pretty good. However, it is kind of limited by the conventions and budgets of the television movie. While some of the introductory scenes are quite good and engrossing, the second act flirts all too closely with melodrama. Yes, it's melodrama that's written, directed and acted well, but it's still melodrama.The film, as is to be expected of a television movie, pales in comparison with a very similar feature film released around the same time, "Bang the Drum Slowly", which tells a similar story, albeit without a racial element, but also without the slightest hint of melodrama."Brian's Song" is somewhat better known, but "Bang the Drum Slowly" is the true masterpiece. Still, "Brian's Song" is a solid film, especially of interest to football fans.
annmason1
It seems unfeeling not to love this movie. I do love the relationship it portrayed. BUT who on earth picked James Caan to play Brian Piccolo? He is Jewish, definitely not twenty six, and not a football player. Who cast this film? Caan would have been better as the guy who owned the Bears. Yes, there was no such part, but he would have played it more believably.Billy Dee Williams is wonderful. The story is wonderful, very tragic, but the warning at the beginning of the movie (Hemmingway's quote that "all good stories end in death") was helpful. I knew the outcome, of course, but I like the upfront approach.I also like the fact this film did not try to make a statement about black/white relations, but kept the story about two men who loved and supported one another. An excellent film, but I would have cast someone like Sylvester Stallone as Brian. He has the ethnicity, the correct age at the time, and the aura of a football player.
waynec50
"Brian's Song", the 1971 version was the rarest of things, an excellent TV movie. Great cast of stars on their way up such as Billy Dee Williams, James Caan and Shelley Fabares, augmented by Jack Warden, Bernie Casey and David Huddleston, with several actual Chicago Bears. This movie is full of actual conversations between the players, who are real people with prejudices and human weaknesses. Yes, those are racial stereotypes and epithets, just like were used in that time, not the sanitized, soulless P C drivel of this day. The story is powerful, the friendship that builds between two men about as different as Americans can be. James Caan is Brian Piccolo, the overachieving, loudmouthed Italian boy. Billy Dee Williams is Gale Sayers, a gifted, shy African-American All-American, high profile running back who is pestered and ridiculed by Brian in the early stages of the story, but who becomes the ideal friend. Jack Warden portrays coach George Halas. Bernie Casey is the savvy and practical veteran player, J. C. Caroline, one of the Bears who mentors young Black players in the NFL/Bears way. As Brian and Gale help each other through training camp, injuries and ultimately death, the actors mesh perfectly, conveying the joy, excitement,camaraderie, practical jokes, triumphs and tragedies of life in the spotlight. Don't miss this movie, it has humor, sports, romance, dedication, vintage football clips and an inspiring message. Don't confuse this 1971 version with the weak remake. An unquestionable 10 that will be enjoyed by just about everyone, football fan or not. An added bonus is the great score. Buzz Kulik did a great job directing this movie, getting fine performances out of not only the real actors, but also the real Bears players and coaches.
AD
