Brian's Song (2001)
The story of professional football players Gale Sayes and Brian Piccolo, and how their friendship on and off the field was affected when Piccolo contracted a fatal disease
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Reviews
Truly Dreadful Film
Touches You
A Masterpiece!
While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.
There was absolutely no reason for Disney to remake this movie. They should just re-air the original every year. I am sure the actors in the latter version were good, but the '71 version is classic.It's unfortunate that Disney did not want to air a film that had some racial overtones, but guess what?? There was a lot of that in the '60s. Brian's Song will always be James Caan and Billy D.I wish filmmakers would stop re-making classics and just stay with the originals.People should know that this is not a sports movie. It is a movie with sports as a backdrop.
It takes a lot to make me cry - I'm one of those people who can sit through a sob story with barely more than a lump in her throat and then shrug it off a few seconds later. Not with this movie though, because even though I finished watching it about half an hour ago, the thought of it brings tears straight back to my eyes. This is such a brilliant film about courage I think, more than the friendship by itself, and how that courage sustained a friendship most people wouldn't have through such an ordeal that simply didn't seem like it would ever get better.Sean Maher, is, without a doubt, brilliant in this film. In the beginning of the film I thought "yay, hot guy to tide me over in case this film is crap" but as it progressed, I was steadily becoming more aware of him as a character - a wholly believable character and by the end of the film I was crying for him, for his friendship, and for life in general. He had me so convinced that I can't help but be amazed. Although I knew what was coming by the time the film reached it's climax, it still shocked me because I was so distraught.I recommend this film to EVERYBODY, no matter what your film choices are. You just can't help but be touched by this film, and it's characters. It's not hard to believe that these characters are based on real people, and that the situations they face are real too.
The original was the best football movie ever. It also was the one movie that made it all right for guys to get weepy (just TRY not to sniffle during the "I love Brian Piccolo" speech) and it featured actual game footage of Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo. The new version adds nothing.
More than 30 years ago, the original Brian's Song not only brought James Caan and Billy Dee Williams into the forefront of their careers, it became the standard by which all disease-of-the-week tearjerkers are measured. It was an entertaining film worthy of all awards bestowed upon it. To this day, my heart and soul melt over the talents not only the Messrs. Caan and Williams, but also of Michel Legrand for composing a memorable theme song.This remake, albeit a little more explanatory, does not, I repeat, does not match the quality of the movie that was first telecast that fall day in 1971.There's only one Brian's Song for me, and that one stars James Caan and Billy Dee Williams.Maybe there should be a movie about remake-itis.