Growing Up Brady (2000)

best movie i've ever seen.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Hats off to Barry Williams, for displaying humor and inside details on TV's most (in)famous family, in the book and now the TV flick. Mind you, quite a few details have been changed in the movie (in the book, Robert Reed took the kids on a cruise, not New York; likewise Barry and Maureen's first kiss was in Hawaii, not in a car at a drive-in), but for budget considerations, I can see why those details would be changed. None of the people portrayed here are fleshed out very well, personality wise. I liked some of the casting, though: The real-life Bobby's son plays his father here, and Carly Schroeder of Port Charles plays Susan Olsen. And the girl who plays Maureen looks uncannily like the real Maureen.Speaking of Maureen, like a previous user commented here, I wonder what HER opinion on this film was. Most recently she was seen on NBC's Passions. And her 1995 country CD was great!My favorite scene was the one where the kids are in the multi-colored fringed jumpsuits singing "Time To Change". I liked this movie but of course it's nowhere near as enjoyable as the actual Brady series and movies.

Anyone old enough to remember the series has heard the stories. We know about "the date" and we know of Robert Reed's "secret" and of Barry's first love. To be effective, Growing Up Brady had to stick to what we know but not make it a weak, years-later rerun. And the creators succeeded. The first half-hour was terrific -- good lines, quick cuts, the use of Brady Bunch-like look and sound, a lot of innocent comedy and good fun but packed with nostalgia. The cut-ups by the boys on the sound stage, the one-on-ones between cast members. I concur with those who praise Michael Tucker and Daniel Hugh Kelly: A-1 acting jobs and in very tough roles. The kids were more wooden and Florence Henderson's role seemed to be for photographic but not plot purposes; we got no feel for her as a person. This movie could have been a real bomb job, either a weak bio or a rip of the show or the personalties; somehow, both were avoided. The creative forces here did their homework and turned out a winner, though I would add that the Greg-Marcia romance got a bit old.

Oh my...this sucker was laughably bad. I grew up with the Bunch on Reruns as did just about everyone else on the planet. Were those kids really that stupid? (I'm afraid the answer was yes...) Were their Parents really thick enough to hook them up with that slimeball manager? Did 'serious thespian' Robert Reed *really* not know what he was getting into with a sitcom directed by Sherwood 'Gilligan's Island' Schwartz? Barry comes off looking like a goffy little doofus (And I'm not sure this was intentional either), and he and Maureen have all the romantic spark of a plate of cold overcooked spaghetti. But, it was fairly true to the facts as I've heard 'em--and is an interesting tale of how a great show can shoot itself in the foot. Watch it just to watch some poor american sod who's way too tall mangle Davy Jones' accent while hitting on Maureen, as Barry glowers in the background. This alone is worth the price of admission!

...and heard uncle Joe tell the same story for the hundredth time, well at this outing it's not uncle Joe, but Barry Williams (AKA Greg Brady) sharing his intimate behind the scenes details from the Brady Bunch, including but not limited to, his on again/off again romance with Maureen (Mo) McCormick, his lone "studly" date (and subsequent kiss) with Florence Henderson), and the constant off screen battles between Robert Reed, and Sherwood Schwarz.To it's credit, the movie version stayed true (virtually verbatim) to the book, which was originally released in 1992. I also liked most of the casting choices.Daniel-Hugh Kelly was terrific as Robert Reed, as was Michael Tucker in the role of Sherwood Schwarz. A few of the kids were a bit out of sync, but the original Brady kids ARE a tough act to follow. Another plus were the appearances by Michael Lookinland (Bobby in the original series), and Barry himself.There were a few things that didn't quite sit right with me. I could have missed Mike Lookinland's son Scott being cast as the young Mike/Bobby. It seemed to be they chose him merely for the resemblance (and the publicity of it couldn't have hurt either). Also, at the end was a "commercial" offer to purchase the book itself for $19.95, and with the book you also receive a copy of Barry's new CD "The Return of Johnny Bravo", that was almost shameless, and ruined the last two minutes prior which showed Barry leaving the old Paramount soundstage with the real Sherwood Schwarz.I don't mean to sound cynical, I'm one of the Bunches biggest fans. I loved the book in it's original edition, and I can even fess up to owning the just released new edition (with added chapters)which was signed by Barry, and included yes, that dreadful CD. It just seemed to me that this movie was thrown together as an extended infomercial to sell the book, and it pains me to think that Barry would sell us all out to make a buck after all those friday nights we spent together all those years ago...