Story of movie Brian%27s Song : Brian's Song is a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week that recounts the details of the life of Brian Piccolo (played by James Caan), a Wake Forest University football player stricken with terminal cancer after turning pro, told through his friendship with Chicago Bears teammate Gale Sayers (Billy Dee Williams). Piccolo's and Sayers's sharply differing temperaments and racial backgrounds made them unlikely to become as close friends as they did, including becoming the first interracial roommates in the history of the National Football League, and the film chronicles the evolution of their friendship. The production was such a success on ABC that it was later shown in theaters by Columbia Pictures with a major premiere in Chicago; however, it was soon withdrawn due to a lack of business. Critics have called the movie one of the finest telefilms ever made. A 2005 readers poll taken by Entertainment Weekly ranked 'Brian's Song' seventh in its list of the top "guy-cry" films ever made.
| Brian's Song | |
|---|---|
Premiere advertisement from TV Guide | |
| Genre | Biography Drama Sport |
| Based on | I Am Third by Gale Sayers Al Silverman |
| Written by | William Blinn |
| Directed by | Buzz Kulik |
| Starring | James Caan Billy Dee Williams |
| Music by | Michel Legrand |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Paul Junger Witt |
| Cinematography | Joseph F. Biroc |
| Editor(s) | Bud S. Isaacs |
| Running time | 74 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Screen Gems |
| Distributor | Columbia Pictures Sony Pictures Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Original release |
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The movie is based on Sayers' account of his friendship with Piccolo and coping with Piccolo's illness in Sayers' autobiography, I Am Third. The film was written by veteran screenwriter William Blinn, whose script, one Dallas television critic called, "highly restrained, steering clear of any overt sentimentality the genuine affection the two men felt so deeply for each other."
Although based on a true story, the film did include some fictional scenes. One example was when George Halas (played by Jack Warden) told Gale Sayers that he wanted to bench Brian Piccolo when he suspected that there may be a problem affecting his performance. He later learned of Brian's cancer. In reality, Jim Dooley was the head coach at that time, as Halas had retired from the position following the 1967 season.
Screenplay
The movie begins as Chicago Bears running back Gale Sayers (Williams) arrives at team practice as an errant punt is sent to Sayers. Running back Brian Piccolo (Caan) goes to retrieve the ball, and Sayers flips it to him. Before Sayers meets with coach George Halas (Jack Warden) in his office, Piccolo tells him – as a prank – that Halas has a hearing problem, and Sayers acts strangely at the meeting. Sayers pranks him back by placing mashed potatoes on his seat while Piccolo is singing his alma mater's fight song. During practice, Piccolo struggles while Sayers shines. Sayers and Piccolo are placed as roommates, a rarity during the racial strife at the time. Sayers quickly becomes a standout player, but he injures his knee in a game against the San Francisco 49ers. To aid in Sayers' recovery, Piccolo brings a weight machine to his house. In Sayers' place, Piccolo rushes for 160 yards in a 17–16 win over the Los Angeles Rams, and is given the game ball. Piccolo challenges Sayers to a race across the park, where Sayers stumbles but wins. Piccolo is given the starting fullback position, and both he and Sayers excel. But Piccolo starts to lose weight and his performance declines, so he is sent to a hospital for a diagnosis. Soon after, Halas tells Sayers that Piccolo has cancer. In an emotional speech to his teammates, Sayers states that they will give Piccolo the game ball. After a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sayers visits Piccolo's wife, who reveals that Piccolo has to have another surgery for his tumor. After he is awarded the "George S. Halas Most Courageous Player Award", Sayers dedicates his speech to Piccolo, telling the crowd that they had selected the wrong person for the award and saying, "I love Brian Piccolo, and I'd like all of you to love him, too. And tonight, when you hit your knees, please ask God to love him." In a call, Sayers mentions that he gave Piccolo a pint of blood while he was in critical condition. Piccolo dies with his wife by his side. The movie ends with a flashback of Piccolo and Sayers running through the park, while the narrator says that Piccolo died at age 26 and is remembered as he lived, rather than how he died.
- James Caan as Brian Piccolo
- Billy Dee Williams as Gale Sayers
- Jack Warden as Coach George Halas
- Shelley Fabares as Joy Piccolo
- Judy Pace as Linda Sayers
- Bernie Casey as J.C. Caroline
- David Huddleston as Ed McCaskey
- Ron Feinberg as Doug Atkins
- Jack Concannon as Himself
- Abe Gibron as Himself
- Ed O'Bradovich as Himself
- Dick Butkus as Himself
- Chicago Bears as Themselves
The musical theme to Brian's Song, "The Hands of Time", was a popular tune during the early 1970s and has become a standard. The music for the film was by Michel Legrand, with lyrics to the song by Marilyn and Alan Bergman. Legrand's instrumental version of the theme song charted for eight weeks in 1972, peaking at #56. Nashville pianist Floyd Cramer performed a popular version of "The Hands of Time".
The film received acclaim and is often cited as one of the greatest television films ever made, as well as one of the greatest sports films. It holds a 92% "Fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 12 critics, with a consensus stating "Buoyed by standout performances from James Caan and Billy Dee Williams, Brian's Song is a touching tale of friendship whose central relationship transcendeds its standard sports movie moments."
Television critic Matt Zoller Seitz in his 2016 book co-written with Alan Sepinwall titled TV (The Book) named Brian's Song as the fifth greatest American TV-movie of all time, stating that the film was "The dramatic and emotional template for a good number of sports films and male weepies (categories which tend to overlap a bit)", as well as "an influential early example of the interracial buddy movie."
The film won an Emmy Award for Best Dramatic Program (1971–72). William Blinn won an Emmy for his teleplay, and Jack Warden won for his performance as Coach Halas. Caan and Williams were both nominated for best leading actor.
| Award | Category | Winner/Nominee | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eddie Awards | Best Edited Television Program | Brian's Song | Nominated | |
| Directors Guild of America Award | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television | Buzz Kulik | Won | |
| Emmy Award | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for Entertainment Programming – For a Special or Feature Length Program Made for Television | Brian's Song | Won | |
| Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Drama | Jack Warden | Won | ||
| Outstanding Single Program – Drama or Comedy | Brian's Song | Won | ||
| Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama – Adaptation | Brian's Song | Won | ||
| Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing | Brian's Song | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition – For a Special Program | Brian's Song | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama – A Single Program | Buzz Kulik | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | James Caan Billy Dee Williams |
Nominated | ||
| Golden Globe Award | Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film | Brian's Song | Nominated | |
| PGA Awards | PGA Hall of Fame – Television Programs | Brian's Song | Won | |
| Peabody Award | Peabody Award | ABC Television William Blinn |
Won | |
| TV Land Award | Blockbuster Movie of the Week | James Caan Billy Dee Williams |
Won |
Thirty years after its original airing, a remake was aired in 2001 on ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney starring Mekhi Phifer in Billy Dee Williams' original role as Sayers and Sean Maher as Piccolo, the character originally played by James Caan.
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