Brian's Song (2001) (Dts) | Mekhi Phifer, Sean Maher | The New Version Will Make You Cry.

Brian's Song (2001) (Dts) | Mekhi Phifer, Sean Maher | RE-MAKE IS EQUAL TO THE ORIGINAL: UNLESS YOU ARE MADE OF STONE, YOU WILL CRY!!!

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Brian's Song (2001...

	Brian's Song (2001) (Dts) Mekhi Phifer, Sean Maher Sony Pictures, 2002 average customer review:based on 20 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The New Version Will Make You Cry.

I first seen the remake of Brian's Song on ABC's Wonderful World Of Disney broadcast and at the ending of the film,I was reminded of the death of Walter Payton, another Chicago Bears legend. I am surprised this made-for-TV movie had not won an Emmy for best TV film. I would recommend this film to all Bears fans. For those who would prefer the original version starring Billy Dee Williams and James Caan, that is okay as well.

RE-MAKE IS EQUAL TO THE ORIGINAL: UNLESS YOU ARE MADE OF STONE, YOU WILL CRY!!!

Audiences, quite understandably, have deep affection for, and an emotional connection to, the original 1971 "Brian's Song" starring James Caan and Billy Dee Williams. The TV film was so successful it was subsequently shown in motion picture theatres.
While taking nothing away from the emotional power of the 1971 original film, this 2001 Remake is that rare exception that proves to be the equal, at least, to the original. The film dramatizes the unlikely friendship and bond between soft-spoken, shy Gayle Sayers (his football team-mates initially considered Sayers aloof and "uppity") and the cocky, joking, smiling, vibrant Brian Piccolo. Mekhi Phifer and Sean Maher give superb performances.
When Sayers badly injures his knee and thinks his football career is over, Piccolo insists he undergo a rigorous routine of training/physical therapy and never give up. Shortly afterward, Piccolo is tragically stricken with cancer. John Gray directs with restraint and an admirable lack of sentimentality. This remake offers a much more graphic depiction of the physical toll that cancer took on Piccolo. Cancer may have destroyed Piccolo physically, but it never destroyed his ambition or spirit. The movie earns our tears honestly and naturally. And, unless you are made of stone, you will cry buckets over this 90 minute movie. My eyes were red and swollen with tears long before the end. I started out laughing and smiling, and then I just couldn't stop crying; so I do recommend plentiful amounts of Kleenex. "Brian's Song" is a poignant reminder of the power of friendship and how precious and short life really is. The 2001 re-make honestly earns a place on the DVD shelf next to the 1971 Original version.

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Pretty Darned Good for a Remake

I have seen both the 1971 and the 2001 versions of Brian's Song and I believe that each movie has its strengths and weaknesses. Certainly, a few of the strenghts of the 1971 version include the remarkable musical score, the obvious chemistry between Billy Dee Williams and James Caan, and the use of real footage of Piccolo and Sayers playing football. The original's weaknesses include the simplistic and inaccurate portrayal of Piccolo's illness and the fact that Pic and Sayers' wives are little more than "window dressing" and have very little depth to them.

As far as the remake is concerned, I will admit, the chemistry between Maher (who plays Piccolo) and Phifer (who plays Sayers) is nowhere near as good as in the original. I never felt as if these characters were really comfortable with one another. Also, the football scenes are pretty contrived, but considering this is meant to be a movie about guys who happen to play football, rather than a football movie, I let that one slide.

What makes this movie worth seeing above all else is the relationship between Piccolo and his wife Joy and the very realistic way they portray his illness. I remember when this remake first came out watching the scene where the Dr. tells Brian and Joy that they have to perform a mastectomy. I thought back to the original version and I said to myself, "A mastectomy? I thought he had his right lung removed. . ." Little did I realize then that the remake stays very true-to-life regarding the particulars of Brian's cancer. The real Brian did indeed have a mastectomy as well as two other major surgeries in addition to chemotherapy. The man suffered greatly and the new version portrays Brian's illness much more realistically than the first--even calling the cancer by its right name: "embryonal cell carcinoma".

In addition, the remake shows us how important family was to Brian. Maher and Paula Cale, who plays Joy, have excellent chemistry and I appreciated being able to see some of Brian's story through Joy's eyes. The most powerful scene in the movie takes place when Brian, who suspects his cancer has returned, tucks his little girls into bed. This scene is made all the more powerful when we realize just how young Piccolo really was. In the original, both Caan and Williams were in their 30's (and looked it). Here, Maher is about 26 years old--literally the same age as the real Piccolo was when his cancer appeared. His youth and the tragedy of his illness really hit home when he's tucking his girls into bed.

Overall, this is a great remake. I wish the friendship between Piccolo and Sayers had been more believable, but other than that, it is an excellent made for TV-type film.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4

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