WeAreAwake.org

Lemon got me thinking of the movie Brian's Song

For all the LIT lovers here, I would HIGHLY recommend this movie. It shows a development of a REAL freindship that transcended the racial tensions of the times - always through Brian's humor. How he pushed Gale Sayers to rehab his injured knee "so when I take your job away next season, I can say I beat you fair and square". But really Brian knew that everything came easy for Sayers up to then, and so he really needed osmeone to be there to motivate him.

The movie is very real life and pretty accurate from what Gale and Joy said. The "non-PC" exchanges they had would not be shown now - and in fact the remake took them all out. For example - as Brian tried to get Gale to do a few more reps on his leg machine:

Brian: "N*gg*r!
Gale: "What?"
Brian: "You heard me -you're just a lazy n*gg*r!
Gale breaks out laughing as his wife Linda comes downstairs.
Linda - "what's so funny?"
Gale - laughing so hard he is barely able to say it: "Brian TRIED to call me a n*gg*r!"
Brian - laughing hard as well - "Well, what was I supposed to call you - a W*p?"
Gale - "Now THAT would have made me mad!"


Later, as Brian lay dying, Gale gets the most courageous player of the year award. Gale accepted it with a very moving speech - which I can almost repeat word for word from the day it was printed in the newspaper. The movie has it word for word as well. I dare ANYONE to watch this scene and not start to tear up:

Gale, accepting the George S. Halas award: I'd like to tell you about a guy I know, a friend of mine. His name is Brian Piccolo. And he has the heart of a giant, and that rare form of courage that allows him to kid himself and his opponent, cancer. He has a mental attitude that makes me proud to have a friend who spells out the world 'courage,' 24 hours a day, every day of his life. Now you honor me by giving me this award. But I say to you here now Brian Piccolo is the man who deserves the George S. Halas award. It is mine tonight... and Brian Piccolo's tomorrow.
[Theme "Brian's Song" begins to play]
Gale Sayers: I love Brian Piccolo. And I'd like all of you to love him too. And so tonight, when you hit your knees, please ask God to love him.

A BEAUTIFUL movie.

"[quote:4d8d6a3bea="52FM"]Brian: "N*gg*r!
Gale: "What?"
Brian: "You heard me -you're just a lazy n*gg*r!
Gale breaks out laughing as his wife Linda comes downstairs.
Linda - "what's so funny?"
Gale - laughing so hard he is barely able to say it: "Brian TRIED to call me a n*gg*r!"
Brian - laughing hard as well - "Well, what was I supposed to call you - a W*p?"
Gale - "Now THAT would have made me mad!"[/quote:4d8d6a3bea]
Well there's a movie my grouchy a** will never see."

In your opinion, Is the remake worth watching? I'm not truly one for remakes and tend to avoid them.

I remember seeing the original when i was a kid on TV....with James Caan i think....

The remake is a different movie - it goes more into the suffering that Piccolo wnet through and really less on the friendship he and Gale developed. A lot of that was lost by making a movie set in the mid-late 60s sound like it was contemporary. That was its mistake.

But the original has its detractors, as I saw on the IMDB site. It looks "cheesy" today - and that's a valid point. The dialogue is still in parts, a lot seems contrived, the sets are cheap (and Gale Sayers house I learned is the same one used in Bewitched!)

I think it's very hard for people to really understand the racial tensions that existed in America in the "burn, baby, burn" era. I went to a racially mixed Catholic HS in the late 60s and the tension was there at times - especially after King was shot. I can relate to Pic trying to diffuse it with humor. I don't think I'd have had the guts to use the n-word that way - but the point was Brian "couldn't" call Gale that because Gale knew it was not at all sincere.

However I do recall once going on a trip to another HS for some reason with just a few guys. We took a city bus, and several of us were all in a rock & soul band togther. So we all knew each other very well. We all got on the bus and headed to the back, where there were seats. After we all settled in, I looked around and said "I don't know what you guys are complaining about - it's not so bad back here." Everyone broke up laughing (as the people on the bus stared in horror - apparently fearing that some sort of race riot was about to start.)

Today of course that's not remotely funny, but the context is different. Back then it was "why can't we all get along". By now, that's a question that shouldn't even have to be asked.

I thought that house looked familiar! I can't name all the Presidents in order, but i do know what China pattern Oliver & Lisa have on Green Acres, and what pattern of Pyrex the Bunkers use.
Back to the topic.
I haven't seen Brian's Song in years, so it's time for a re-viewing. I had to read the book for school many moons ago. I'd like to see the remake as well, as it shows a few things the original didn't.
I like James Caan. Everytime i see him, my brain goes Jonathan Jonathan!

Picked up this bit of trivia - linking the two movies:

Norman Jewison said he cast James Caan as Jonathan E, the champion Rollerball player in ROLLERBALL (1975), after seeing him play Brian Piccolo, the real-life Chicago Bears running back in BRIAN'S SONG (1971)

Have you ever seen Rollerball?

Yes - in the theater when it first came out (70s sometime?) The concept was great and the ending was very satisfying.