Wikipedia

The Brady Bunch Movie

The Brady Bunch Movieis a 1995 Americancomedy filmthat parodies the 1969–1974 television seriesThe Brady Bunch(albeit inpostmodern lens).[4][5]The film was directed byBetty Thomas,with a screenplay by Laurice Elehwany,Rick Copp,andBonnie and Terry Turner,and starsShelley Long,Gary Cole,andMichael McKean.It also features cameos fromDavy Jones,Micky Dolenz,Peter Tork,RuPaul,and some of the original cast ofThe Brady Bunchin new roles.

The Brady Bunch Movie
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBetty Thomas
Written by
Based onThe Brady Bunch
bySherwood Schwartz
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMac Ahlberg
Edited byPeter Teschner
Music byGuy Moon
Production
company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • February 17, 1995(1995-02-17)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$10-12 million[1][2]
Box office$54.1 million[3]

The film (likewise with the connected sequels) is an alternateretroactive continuityof the Brady Bunch storyline and lore, based on the kitschy-camp parody musical "Live Brady Bunch" tour in the early 1990s.[6]The film places the original sitcom characters, with their 1970sfashionsense andsitcomfamily morality, in a contemporary 1990s setting. Mike Brady works as a successful architect inLos Angeles.Due to failure to pay property tax, his family's home is at risk for repossession. Mike has to contend with his conman neighbor Larry Dittmeyer, who tries to sabotage the Bradys' effort to save their home. The film features humorous side plots, based around theculture clashbetween the Bradys' quaint conservative lifestyle and their more liberal surroundings.

The Brady Bunch Moviewas released in the United States on February 17, 1995, and grossed $54 million. A sequel titledA Very Brady Sequelwas released on August 23, 1996, and atelevision filmtitledThe Brady Bunch in the White Housewas aired on November 29, 2002.

Plot

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Larry Dittmeyer, an unscrupulous real estate developer, convinces all the families in his neighborhood — except for the Brady family — to sell their property as part of a plan to turn the area into a shopping mall.

The Bradys have their own problems. Jan is jealous of her elder, popular sister Marcia. Cindy is tattling about everything she hears. Greg is dreaming of becoming a singer, but sings pop songs more appropriate to the 1970s. Peter is undergoing puberty, and his voice is starting to break. He is exposed to numerous stimulation through sex education and his very attractive teacher, Miss Linley. He is also trying to win the affection of the girl he loves, Holly, but thinks his shy and awkward personality prevents him from doing so. Bobby is excited about his new role as a hall monitor at school.

Cindy gives Mike and Carol a tax delinquency notice (mistakenly delivered to the Dittmeyers) stating that they face foreclosure on their house if they do not pay $20,000 in back taxes. The two initially ignore the crisis, but when Mike's architectural design (which is exactly the same as their house) is turned down by two potential clients, he tells Carol that they may have to sell the house.

Cindy overhears this and tells her siblings. They look for work to raise money to save the house, but their earnings are nowhere near enough to reach the required sum. Mike sells aJapanesecompany on one of his dated designs, thereby securing the money, only for Larry to sabotage it by claiming that Mike's last building collapsed.

On the night before the Bradys have to move out, Marcia suggests they enter a "Search for the Stars" contest, the prize of which is $20,000. Jan, having initially suggested this and been rejected, runs away from home. Cindy sees her leave and tattles, and the whole family searches for her. They use their car'scitizens' band radio,and their transmission is heard by Schultzy, a long-haul trucker who picks up Jan and convinces her to return home.

The next day, the children join the "Search for the Stars" contest. Peter finally builds the confidence to stand up to Eric Dittmeyer, Peter's tormentor and Holly's boyfriend. This earns him a kiss from Holly, which gives him a deep masculine voice. The children's dated performance receives a poor audience response compared to the more modern performances of other bands. However, the judges —Davy Jones,Micky Dolenz,andPeter TorkofThe Monkees— vote for them, and they win the contest as a result. The tax bill is paid, and their neighbors withdraw their homes from the market, foiling Larry's plan and securing the neighborhood.

Carol's mother arrives and finally convinces Jan to stop being jealous of Marcia, only for Cindy to start feeling envious of Jan.

Cast

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Cameos

Production

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In September 1992, it was announcedSherwood Schwartzand his sonLloyd J. Schwartzhad soldThe Brady Bunch MovietoParamount Pictureswith producerDavid Kirkpatrickset to producer alongside the Schwartz' with the initial intention to have the film set in 1972.[7]In June 1993, it was announcedRick Coppand Laurice Elehwany had been hired to rewrite the first draft by the Schwartz' with the premise described asThe Desperate HoursmeetsThe Brady Bunchand follow the Brady family falling victim to a home invasion by escaped prisoners who then proceed to hold the family hostage while as they hide from the authorities.[8]Copp and Elehwany were reportedly hired to bring aparodyelement to the script which included having the Brady Family act as they did in the 1970s while living in contemporary times.[8]Paramount offered directing duties toPaul Reubenswith Reubens turning them down.[9]Alan Ladd Jr.took on a producer's role on the film after Kirkpatrick left Paramount.[10]Ladd voiced his hopes thatThe Brady Bunch Moviewould be the first in a long running franchise citing his prior success shepherdingThe Omen,Police Academy,andAlienduring his tenure at other studios.[1]

The film was shot almost entirely inLos Angeles, California,with the Brady house being located inSherman Oaks.The school scenes were shot atTaft High SchoolinWoodland Hills.

The producers had sought to film the original house that had been used for exterior shots during the originalBrady Bunchseries, but its appearance had been seriously altered since 1969. The filmmakers instead erected a façade around a house in nearbyEncinoand filmed scenes in thefront yard.[11]

Release

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The Brady Bunch Moviewas released in theaters on February 17, 1995. The film opened atnumber 1 at the US box officewith $14.8 million in its opening four-day weekend and went on to gross $46.6 million in the U.S. and Canada.[12]Internationally, it only grossed $7.5 million for a worldwide total of $54.1 million.[3]The Brady Bunch Moviewas released onDVDJune 10, 2003 and re-released on April 25, 2017.[13]The film has also been released digitally onGoogle Play.[14]

Reception and legacy

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On thereview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoes,64% of 44 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "Though lightweight and silly,The Brady Bunch Moviestill charms as homage to the 70s sitcom. "[15]Metacritic,which uses aweighted average,assigned the film a score of 54 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[16]Audiences surveyed byCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "B+" on a scale of A+ to F.[17]

Leonard Klady ofVarietywrote, "For five years back in the early 1970s, U.S. TV homes were in the thrall ofThe Brady Bunch.Two decades after their small-screen demise, the clean-cut crew is back in mythic form asThe Brady Bunch Movie.Part homage, part spoof, the deft balancing act is a clever adaptation—albeit culled from less than pedigreed source material. "[18]

Roger Ebertof theChicago Sun-Timeswrote: "The film establishes a bland, reassuring, comforting Brady reality – a certain muted tone that works just fine but needs, I think, a bleaker contrast from outside to fully exploit the humor.The Brady Bunch Movieis rated PG-13, which is a compromise: The Bradys themselves live in a PG universe, and the movie would have been funnier if when they ventured outside it was obviouslyWayne's World."[19]He andGene Siskelalso agreed that the film offers charmingly bright and silly set decoration but fails to deliver genuine laughs.[20]

Common Sense Mediasaid that "for those who grew up watching the TV show,The Brady Bunch Movieis deeply satisfying and the best part is its nostalgia. Sure, it's fun to see the Bradys treated as freaks. But the heart of the film is a campy, affectionate interpretation of the TV show. "[21]

Sequels

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A Very Brady Sequel

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Main article:A Very Brady Sequel

A Very Brady Sequel,directed byArlene Sanford,was released theatrically on August 23, 1996. It sees the family routine thrown into disarray when a man claiming to be Carol's long-lost first husband arrives on their doorstep. The family must then follow Carol to Hawaii in order to set things straight. The entire main cast reprised their roles.

The Brady Bunch in the White House

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Main article:The Brady Bunch in the White House

The second sequel,The Brady Bunch in the White House,sees a convoluted series of mishaps end with Mike and Carol Brady elected as President and Vice President of the United States. Despite innocent efforts to improve the country, the Brady family is beset on all sides by controversy and imagined scandals which threaten to tear them apart. Although the original actors for Mike and Carol return, the children and Alice are all recast for this film, which was released as a filmed-for-television movie.

References

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  1. ^ab"Ladd hopes for many 'Brady' returns".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on January 10, 2025.RetrievedJanuary 9,2025.
  2. ^"H'wood Tries To Think Small".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on January 10, 2025.RetrievedJanuary 9,2025.
  3. ^abKlady, Leonard (February 19, 1996). "B.O. with a vengeance: $9.1 billion worldwide".Variety.p. 1.
  4. ^The Brady Bunch Movie Review|Empire
  5. ^'The Brady Bunch Movie'|Decider
  6. ^"LA Times".latimes.com.21 April 1992.Archivedfrom the original on 2024-01-18.Retrieved2024-01-18.
  7. ^"Schwartzes' 'Gilligan' still at sea".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on September 18, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 9,2025.
  8. ^ab"New team to rewrite 'Brady'".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on October 22, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 9,2025.
  9. ^"Yetnikoff trumpets new film".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on January 10, 2025.RetrievedJanuary 9,2025.
  10. ^"Eight's too much: 'Flintstones' scribes left in rubble".Variety.RetrievedJanuary 9,2025.{{cite news}}:CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^Cagle, Jess (September 30, 1994)."'The Brady Bunch Movie': Mike & Carol & Kids & Alice ".Entertainment Weekly.Archivedfrom the original on February 22, 2018.RetrievedFebruary 21,2018.
  12. ^"The Brady Bunch Movie".Box Office Mojo.Archivedfrom the original on November 21, 2011.RetrievedFebruary 21,2018.
  13. ^"The Brady Bunch Movie".Amazon.com.10 June 2003.Retrieved30 January2017.
  14. ^"The Brady Bunch Movie".Google Play.Archivedfrom the original on 2 February 2017.Retrieved30 January2017.
  15. ^"The Brady Bunch Movie".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango Media.RetrievedApril 13,2024.
  16. ^"The Brady Bunch Movie".Metacritic.Fandom, Inc.RetrievedOctober 19,2023.
  17. ^"BRADY BUNCH MOVIE, THE (1995) B+".CinemaScore.Archived fromthe originalon 2018-12-20.
  18. ^Klady, Leonard (17 February 1995)."Review: 'The Brady Bunch Movie'".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on 2 February 2017.Retrieved30 January2017.
  19. ^Ebert, Roger."The Brady Bunch Movie Review (1995)".Chicago Sun-Times.Archivedfrom the original on 2 February 2017.Retrieved30 January2017.
  20. ^"The Brady Bunch Movie, Just Cause, Billy Madison, Mr. Payback, 1995".Siskel and Ebert Movie Reviews.Retrieved28 July2019.Event occurs at 7:00-9:20.
  21. ^"The Brady Bunch Movie Review".Common Sense Media.Archivedfrom the original on 2 February 2017.Retrieved30 January2017.
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