I just saw this movie on DVD and thought it was great! i love that connection between Brian and Gale, however when I watched the special features with an interview with Gale Sayers it seemed as if he didn't actually have that sort of connection with Brian. He said he hadn't even ever worked out with him. Anyone notice this? It kind of took away from the story seeing that the actual true story was much much less appealing. Maybe it's just Gale Sayers boring personality
shareI've met Mr. Sayers, and he's not boring. He's just a very soft-spoken person, very thoughtful and doesn't speak loud or fast, keeps his personal feelings to himself. He lives around here and attends festivals and signs books and throws footballs with the kids. He's a very nice man. The interview isn't indicative of his whole personality, and certainly not of his whole relationship with Brian. I think he was just pointing out some differences between real life and the way Hollywood makes real life look; whether or not they went to the gym together probably wouldn't much affect the depth of their friendship. Don't let a minute or two on camera influence you too much.
shareI met Gale when I was a kid, and hes one of the nicest stars I have ever met. I didnt find him boring, but Hollywood probably did embelish the story a bit. I am going to have to check out the DVD now. I just always think of these two together as like best friends. But I guess thats also James Cann and Billy Dee Williams, and they are pretty good actors. But Gale is a really nice guy.
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For what it's worth, Gale Sayers did pay tribute to Brian Piccolo when Sayers got inducted into the Bears ring of honor during a Monday night game five or ten years ago. I think the friendship was pretty authentic.
sharein the dvd he says that they wasnt that close, but the story had the approval from him and from Joy Piccolo.
sharejames caan mentioned there were three friends, gale, brian and another person on the team who, for story purposes, wasnt mentioned in the story so they doubled the relationship on brian and gale, plus it is killing two birds with one stone: a story about a dying brian piccolo and a groundbreaking player gale sayers who recooped from a bad injury and broke records: added to that the racial issue... make that three birds
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Joy Piccolo said a few years ago, "Brian meant more to Gale than Gale meant to Brian. Ralph Kurek was truly Brian's best friend." I think she said that around the time the re-make came out in 2001. Perhaps Kurek was actually the third person. Who really helped Gale get his knee back into shape were his old buddies Tommy Dare and Dick Woit.
As Brian was dying, Gale put a chapter of his friendship with Pic in his book "I Am Third" and Brian said he wanted to write a book too. Jeannie Morris, Brian's teammate Johnny Morris' wife, recorded her conversations with Pic and turned it into the book "A Short Season." Not much is mentioned about Gale either in that book.
I think in 1971 people needed to watch something like "Brian's Song." Granted, Caan did not look like Pic at all, only that Italian attitude but not the dark-hair, but the movie was definitely something of its time. Like "Eric" was in 1972(about soccer athlete Eric Lund's battle with leukemia).
I was sad to know, though, that Gale Sayers and his first wife got divorced not long after Brian's death when Gale retired from football. Nonetheless, the story of Gale, Linda, Brian and Joy will always remain in its time, frozen in memory as Brian himself would remember it to be.
If a movie is based on a book or real life, it usually is not 100% true to the story it's based on. Hollywood changed and adds things for dramatic license and to make the story more powerful. It is interesting to find out the differences between the movie and the story it's based on.
shareI recently heard that the late Walter Payton and Matt Suhey were much closer than Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo ever were. "Brian's Song" was still a great movie.