Brian’s Song

Year: 1971

Grade: B+

Country: USA

Director: Kulik

Review

it really is too bad that this had to be a made-for-tv movie because it has some really good elements. the tv production values and the direction are the only big detractors of the film. it’s well-written and acted (at least by the leads), it has a good balance of comedy and drama, and has the “based on a true story” element going for it. the centerpiece of the film is the relationship between gale sayers (billy dee williams) and brian piccolo (james caan) who were teammates on the chicago bears in the mid to late 1960s. caan and williams do a great job of establishing an onscreen chemistry that feels genuine and pure, this is aided by the economical storytelling and a good dose of comedy. it’s a damn fine film that could have been truly classic if it had been treated as a feature film instead of a tv movie.