Growing Up Brady (2000 TV Movie) User Reviews

Here's The Story . . . Or At Least Part of It

[D_Burke · 6/10 · 30 May 2009]

I have to admit that I am a sucker for "The Brady Bunch", although I was not a child of the 70's. I was born in 1982, and I became a fan the same way other people my age did: I caught up with the show on syndication. When I was 12 or 13, I would spend summers waiting in anticipation for 4:00 to roll around, which was when the show would come on TBS. I knew the show was entirely unrealistic and often times cheesy as heck. I still loved watching it, though. It remains a guilty pleasure.

That said, fans of the Brady Bunch like me will love this movie for its familiarity. I can't say the same for people who aren't fans, and who don't know Marsha from Jan, or who wonder why anyone would name a dog Tiger. It's the same as when Siskel & Ebert gave "The Brady Bunch Movie" two thumbs down: it was clear they didn't get the inside jokes of the movie.

"Growing Up Brady" is a behind the scenes expose for lack of a better word. It was a made-for-TV movie based on the book of the same name written by Barry Williams, who stars as himself (older, not younger) and narrates part of the film. As far as made-for-TV movies go, this one is pretty good. It told a great story, and did in fact make me want to know more.

I have not read the book yet, but something gives me the feeling that the book wasn't just about Williams' relationship with Maureen McCormack, who played Marsha on the show. From the beginning of the film, it is implied that Williams gets asked more about whether or not he had sex with McCormack than any other question. It's unfortunate, too, because if I ever met the guy in real life, I would have a lot of other questions for him about the show.

Interestingly enough, the movie seemed to try to make the viewers care about the relationship between Williams and McCormick. Fortunately, that wasn't the only thing the movie covered. I loved the scene where the Brady brothers (or actors playing them) went around the Paramount set playing. It was especially cool when they stole props from the "Star Trek" set (even though the original series was actually canceled by the time "The Brady Bunch" made its debut, but no matter). It really was a relief for me to see that these kids were just as mischievous in real life as I was, and not as picture perfect as the sitcom made you believe.

I also liked how the movie examined the Brady kids' relationship with Sherwood Schwartz, whose name appeared prominently in the credits but who many other Brady Bunch fans don't know too much about. I liked how the show's creator, played very well by Michael Tucker, served as more of a grandfather figure to the kids. I also liked the dichotomy of how Schwartz tried to be reasonable when cast members, particularly Robert "Mike Brady" Reed (played in this movie by Daniel Hugh Kelly) were difficult to work with. If the producers of this movie ditched the Greg-Marsha complex altogether, they still would have had a good movie with Schwartz alone trying to put the show together.

Being a made-for-TV movie, this film was not without its faults. For instance, the kid who played the young Barry Williams (Adam Brody) acted well, but it's almost as if he stayed 13 from season 1 to season 5. Anyone who has seen part of each season knows that all the Brady kids grew up considerably over the five seasons, and virtually every teenager looks more noticeably different at 13 than he or she does at 18. Having different actors come in would have increased the realism, but I can understand if they didn't have the budget to do it.

I also didn't understand the subplot where the young Barry Williams had a crush on Florence Henderson (Rebeccah Bush). I mean, it's understandable when he's 13, but five years later? Really? I read somewhere in a trivia book that Williams did actually go out to dinner with Henderson, which I always assumed was just a friendly gesture. The movie didn't mention the fact that when Henderson was on "The Brady Bunch", she had been married since 1956 (in a marriage that would last until 1985) and had already had four children of her own. The real life Williams had to have known that.

I was also a bit let down by the girl who played Maureen McCormick (Kaley Cuoco). Maybe this is the Brady Bunch fan speaking, but although Cuoco is pretty, she had nothing on the real McCormack in terms of looks. Perhaps I've been spoiled by "The Brady Bunch Movie", where Christine Taylor looked (and still looks) identical to McCormick. Cuoco also wasn't very convincing as an actress, either. During crucial scenes, particularly when young Williams comes very close to sleeping with her, she just sounded bored and not very into her scene. A better McCormick could have been cast, and not just a Marsha lookalike.

Last but not least, the movie's ending seemed too abrupt. I would have liked to have seen more about how Williams coped with having the show being canceled, what kind of contact he has with McCormick today, and what he thinks of the show right now. Was it good for his career, or bad? I mean, this information is probably covered in his book, but it would have been great to see that on film. I felt a bit let down that they left so much out, although it was great to see the real Sherwood Schwartz make a cameo in the end. It was almost as if the filmmakers forgot about the juicy gossip, and made a touching tribute in spite of themselves. I'd like to think so.

An affectionate look back by one of the `Brady Kids'

[Scott-Sound · 7/10 · 5 May 2004]

This is the movie version of Barry (Greg Brady) Williams's book which takes an affectionate look back at the '70s American TV show `The Brady Bunch'. Williams himself narrates and appears in the film which attempts to answer the question - `What was it like to be in The Brady Bunch?'

As a teenager living in the US for most of the seventies, I watched `The Brady Bunch' every Friday Night as it was required viewing (along with `The Partridge Family', `Room 222', `The Odd Couple' and `Love American Style'), and the joy of this film is that it still allows you to wallow in nostalgia when you see the occasional rerun of a Brady Bunch episode - the movie shatters no illusions, and makes comfortable, if unchallenging viewing.

Williams does not set out to denigrate his fellow performers, but I would like to know if Maureen (Marcia Brady) McCormick's recollections are similar to that of her on screen brother's. The film addresses certain rumours of the day (yes, Robert Reed was uncomfortable in his paternal role), it touches on teenage angst that would never have been allowed to be portrayed in the original series, and there is an insight, albeit limited, into what went on behind the scenes.

The movie covers the birth, life and death of `The Brady Bunch' (it lasted 5 seasons) and whilst some of the character portrayals take a while to get used to, Rebeccah Bush (Florence Henderson) and Kaley Cuoco (Maureen McCormick) are excellent, and using Scott Lookinland to play his father, Mike, was an inspired piece of casting as he looks uncannily like Bobby Brady from the original show.

If you were a fan of `The Brady Bunch' in the '70s, you'll enjoy this, but I suspect you'll have to read Barry William's book to get a deeper insight into life chez Brady.

appropriate in a weird way

[DaveZ · 5/10 · 24 May 2000]

Not as hard-hitting and dramatically potent as the original series. However, they did an amazing job of matching the general cheesiness and overall production values. They must have saved a fortune making this, since they were able to film most of it on a totally undisguised Paramount backlot.

Hey - I'm a Brady Bunch fan from the original network days, and I own the book, but I just found this rather embarrassing to all concerned.

Very Brady Interesting

[SajeevaS · 1 October 2004]

Knowing facts about what 'actually' happened behind the scenes, is the most interesting- especially when it comes to the Brady Bunch, where all characters shine on TV, earning them the 'happiest family' tagline.

After watching this, one could easily say.. 'well they were not so happy after all'. Though this movie was through Barry Williams' perspective, it gave all the characters, an equal part. I guess all questions can finally be answered – in this movie, the question on everyone's mind seem to be – did Barry Williams have a fling with Maureen MaCormack? Well the answer to that is all explained in the movie. Another thing which is quite obvious is that no series is complete with a black sheep- and in this movie, we find out who the black sheep of the series was, and all the other flings which happened during

All in all it was a great movie, and a great recommendation to any fan of the TV series.

Have you ever been to a family reunion...(plot elements enclosed)

[ljm0918 · 7/10 · 21 May 2000]

...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...

Possibly the most fun you'll ever have watching a behind-the-scenes gossip flick.

[Ddey65 · 7/10 · 7 April 2024]

There is a lot that can be said, and a lot that has been said about the made for TV version of Barry Williams' autobiography "Growing Up Brady." I'm going to try to cover a few details myself.

First, and this should be no surprise, Williams fell hard for Maureen McCormick. Granted, neither of them were newcomers to the business, and McCormick's career was longer, so one can assume they could have seen each other before on screen. Nevertheless as he tells it, he was hit by Cupid's arrow the moment he saw her along with the rest of the cast. I'll try not to repeat what every other reviewer posted here, and focus on some dialogue for emphasis instead. During a scene in the Paramount commissary, Williams tells McCormick that all his friends are jealous of him. She minimizes his revelation claiming they're only jealous because they're on television, but he replies that it's because he's on television specifically with her. That means of all the people Williams could've worked with before the Brady Bunch; Raquel Welch, Jayne Mansfield, Sandy Dennis, Sandy Duncan, Audrey Hepburn, Goldie Hawn, Teri Garr, and Marlo Thomas (who he actually did work with), it was Maureen McCormick who was the source of their envy for Willams.

Speaking of Marcia Brady, yes Kaley Cuoco was certainly attractive playing McCormick, but Christine Taylor from "The Brady Bunch Movie" and "A Very Brady Sequel" looked much more like Marcia. Somewhere I read that another person claimed Cuoco looked more like Eve Plumb, but I don't think she looked like her either. On the flip side, Shelley Long did make an impressive and attractive Carol Brady in the 1990's Brady movies, but Rebecca Bush was the most realistic Florence Henderson.

Then there's the scenes of Robert Reed (Daniel Hugh-Kelly) struggling with his closeted homosexuality, and how it affects incidents where he has to kiss Florence Henderson. We see him getting arrogant over the content of the show, and in some cases getting drunk, and more so with each progressing season. I could swear that during the original broadcast there was a scene where he gets plastered and tries to suggest that Mike Brady should come out of the closet and claim he's having a relationship with one of the other male characters. If we didn't know what we knew about him now, it might be hard to have any sympathy for the man. He also was right about the fact that the reason for the show's success was the presence of six adorable kids, and despite how much he hated the show, he not only tried to protect them, but even gave Barry some legitimate advice at times.

Another segment involves the photoshoots between seasons 1 and 2, and the revealation about the death of the dog who played Tiger. All the girls were undestandably in tears over this, and knowing how much of an animal lover Kaley Cuoco is, that scene is much more believable. The drastic failure to get a substitute for the beloved pooch is also easy to believe.

During the scene when the cast and crew prepare to shoot the episode with Davy Jones as a guest star, Kaley Cuoco was obviously standing on a soapbox in order to emphasize the diminutive stature of Jones, played by Paul Greenberg. Cuoco stands at 5'6", while Greenberg stands at 5'11". Both McCormick and Jones is/was 5'3".

Again, I have to bring up the attempted kissing scenes between Robert Reed and Florence Henderson. Reed could've used some advice from Rock Hudson in "Pretty Maids All in a Row," if that hadn't come out three years later. Henderson actually wanted to suggest to Sherwood Schwartz that they French kiss, and his reply was that they could do so, just not on television. Boy, if they only knew what could be shown on TV in less than a decade, let alone what almost happened between Williams and McCormick in this movie, they'd either revel in their artistic freedom or defecate in their collective drawers!

As we all know, the chances of love blossoming among the boys and girls wasn't just limited to Barry and Maureen. You had Eve Plumb (Kaitlin Cullum) and Chris Knight (Raviv Ullman) falling for each other a little more gradually, and you even had Mike Lookinland trying to put the moves on a nearly terrified Susan Olsen. I love Maureen and Eve's reactions to the two of them together. It even makes me wonder what Scott Lookinland was thinking, knowing what he knows about his aunt. As for Knight and Plumb, despite Chris' claim that Eve was in tears when they got caught making out in that old car on the set, in this movie she just looks annoyed over getting caught.

Aside from the tawdry love affairs, and the hostility between Robert Reed and Sherwood Schwatz (Michael Tucker), there are other interesting scenes, like the time the cast was waiting for Reed to arrive on the set, and made their own insulting parody of the theme song. And did I see Eve Plumb and Susan Olsen themselves, playing their mothers at one point?

Admittedly, I wanted more. Specifically, I wanted to find out about his time on "That Girl" when he played a young autograph seeker along with some girl who was his age, and also seeking autographs. Having said that, I don't want to make it seem like I'm trashing the movie, because I'm not. There's just too much fun seeing the behind-the-scenes activities in this movie, and not just for Brady Bunch fans either. It's also for "Big Bang Theory" and "8 Simple Rules" fans because of Kaley Cuoco, "Phil of the Future" fans for Raviv Ullman, and "Lizzie McGuire" fans because of Carly Schroeder, among other. I was going to add a list of highlights from the movie, but I've already covered enough as it is. Overall, it's just too much fun not to watch.

The Naked Truth

[irishgirl · 7/10 · 22 May 2000]

If you LOVED the Brady Bunch then maybe you don't want to see this movie. What everyone thinks the Brady Bunch was like wasn't like that at all in real life. Barry Williams shows you what it's really like to grow up a "Brady". Overall, it was a good movie and made you say at the end: "So that's what really happened after the camera's stopped rolling!"

Hilarious (not in a good way...)

[Camille9847 · 3/10 · 12 June 2000]

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!

Delightful and surprisingly good

[spteos · 9/10 · 22 June 2000]

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.

Awesome.

[rebeccascherer · 10/10 · 24 August 2000]

This was a great movie. I really enjoyed this one. I would like to see it again. I hope it goes on sale. It was nice to know about the people we grew up loving. Barry Williams did a great job describing the loves and hates of the people he grew up with.

They may not be on Gilligan's island, but they're still here for a long, long time.

[Victor Field · 29 June 2003]

It's funny how the biggest ratings successes aren't always the most enduring shows; in England, for instance, "The Army Game" was a big, big hit whereas "Fawlty Towers" was a bit of a flop when it first aired, but only one of them is still remembered widely today. (Guess which.) Similarly, during its five-year run in America "The Brady Bunch" wasn't really a Nielsen champion the way something like "Family Affair" was, but one of them spawned one animated spinoff, a variety show, two dramatic TV shows, record albums, two big-screen movies (both of them among the better examples of TV-to-cinema transfers), tours, and now three TV movies. It may leave UK audiences bemused, but I suppose US audiences would wonder why snooker is so popular on British TV.

Which brings us to "Growing Up Brady," based on Barry "Greg" Williams and Chris Kreski's book about the former's experiences on the show. I suspect the book would be more interesting to read than this movie is to watch - a bit too much emphasis is put on whether or not he and Maureen "Marcia" McCormack did the deed of darkness for my liking, although the upside (other than a hilarious round of fluffed takes for a bedroom scene - not that kind) is that we do get to see a pre-"8 Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter" Kaley Cuoco in fetching skimpy swimwear. (Well, that's an upside for lesbians and straight men, anyway.)

The movie's more interesting when it focuses on nearly every other aspect of the show not involving Barry's love life - Daniel Hugh Kelly and Michael Tucker come off well as the late Robert Reed and the still-with-us-at-the-time-of-writing Sherwood Schwartz, and the sight of Reed expressing his distaste at the stuff he has to do in the name of comedy (Reed's previous series had been "The Defenders," so going from that to this must be like going from performing Faulkner to doing Jackie Collins) gives the movie some real edge, a reminder of how harder it is to do this stuff than it looks. But as well as providing a bit of behind-the-scenes-after-the-fact information, it also furnishes some actual entertainment, not least with the kids being encouraged to sing and dance on the show and on tour (shoot me, but I liked "Time To Change").

Some of the casting is a problem - the woman who's supposed to be Ann B. Davis doesn't come close - and as I said I suspect the book will be better, but can you imagine any comedies today having the potential to lead to a TV movie like this? And the feeling of axe-grinding is mercifully absent, making "Growing Up Brady" worth a look for fans of the series, and of US TV shows in general... plus, this is arguably better written than the show that spawned it in the first place.

(P.S.: Why IS snooker so popular on British TV?)

Excellent!!!

[rebeccascherer · 10/10 · 2 June 2000]

This Movie was awesome. I loved it so much I ordered the book and cd offered by NBC. I hope they replay this movie. I was able to get closer to my niece because she was able to understand why her mom and I loved the brady bunch. She liked the show before, but she loves it now. Just like her mother and I do.

Nicely done!!!

[jaws3-d · 10/10 · 21 May 2000]

I should start by saying that I usually don't have a very strong opinion of these type of "made-for-tv biopics". However, I found that I not only enjoyed this film, but was even somewhat touched by it's depiction of such innocence.

What made this film work? Perhaps it was the fact that Barry Williams himself told the story from an honest and sincere point of view. We got to see what it was really like from the eyes of a child coping with stardom in the 70's. An honest portrayal of such an experience proved to be interesting and enjoyable.

We get to see first hand how greed and misplaced anger ended a successful show far too early. I am a firm believer that people create their own problems. This film solidifies that notion with Sherwood Schwartz trying desperately to keep everyone happy and eventually drowning in a pool of despair. Robert Reed wanted more meaningful scripts, the kids wanted a list of impractical demands, and the network wanted the exact same stories repeated each season. Lack of interest didn't kill the Bradys, the Bradys killed the Bradys! Tragic.

In conclusion, I urge anyone with an interest in The Brady Bunch to see this film. It seems like all I hear these days is that the Brady Bunch wasn't real life. I can attest to that, and I thought maybe that's what made the show so interesting, but after seeing the backstage goings on, I realized that no matter what the Brady's were doing on or off screen, it was always entertaining to watch. This biopic will definitely back that statement up!

I enjoyed this very much....

[Ed in MO · 26 May 2000]

This was a well-done special. I'm always a sucker for these kind of shows....I love to see the process behind what makes something work. Naturally these guys weren't creating Shakespeare at the Paramount Studios--much to the consternation of Robert Reed--but the Brady Bunch series they put out was sweet and lighthearted, and made us forget our problems for a half-hour or so. One thing I didn't understand....why did the real Barry meet the real Maureen McCormick at the Paramount Studios at the end, only to deny that she was who she was? Did Maureen insist that she get no credit for appearing on this show? But otherwise, a very good way to remember a very happy series.

Much better than I expected

[steve-575 · 8/10 · 20 February 2024]

When I watched this TV movie, I had very low expectations. I've seen a few of these retrospective movies based on sitcoms (i.e. Diff'rent Strokes, Three's Company) and they are mostly train wrecks: bad acting, corny dialogue, characters that look/act nothing like the original actor they are portraying, hatchet jobs based on long standing grudges, a slightly exaggerated version of what really happened. Except for the latter, this movie did not fall into any of those traps.

This movie showcases the "Brady Bunch" years from the perspective of Barry Williams who played eldest son, Greg. The first thing that I noticed was the Brady kids were very believable as the original actors that they were portraying. Kaley Cuoco, who would go on to greater fame, was a dead ringer for a young Maureen McCormick. Adam Brody was also perfectly cast and very charismatic as Barry Williams.

The adults (Robert Reed, Florence Henderson and Sherwood Schwartz) were also very well represented. Reed (Daniel Hugh Kelly) was portrayed as a very complex person. On one hand, he resented being stuck on a simplistic sitcom as "The Brady Bunch" and frequently let Sherwood Schwartz know that in no uncertain terms. However on the other hand, he was very supportive of the kids and treated them like family, even offering career advice to Williams.

Schwartz (Michael Tucker) who frequently was on the receiving end of Reed's criticism came across as somewhat of a father figure to the children who seemed to have the patience of a saint. He had no misconceptions that the show was nothing more than a simple family sitcom, which was the norm at that time.

I was most surprised by Rebeccah Bush's portrayal of Henderson. It was apparent that she really prepared well for the role. At times, I thought that she really was Florence Henderson.

Although there were a few minor inconsistencies with William's book, the movie was well-paced, did not resort to cheap revelations and was satisfying in the end.

Sweet story...leaves you wanting more!

[velcrohead · 10/10 · 8 April 2008]

I picked this title up at the local Big Lots. I've heard about the book, was curious to read it, but figured I'd pick up the DVD for the "cliff's notes" version of it. Well, I'm happy to say that what I intended for cheap entertainment actually turned out to be one of the more engaging movies I've seen in quite a while.

I was a Brady Bunch fan as a kid. Of course the show was canceled a couple of years before I was born, but it was (and still is) hard to miss reruns of Sherwood Schwartz shows like "Gilligan's Island" and "The Brady Bunch." Like Barry, I was hot for Maureen McCormick (even though Cindy would've probably been more age-appropriate for me at the time.) I enjoyed each episode, even though some small part of my juvenile mind still knew that each plot was overly simplistic and...well...cheesy.

Adam Brody does a decent job of playing Barry Williams here. He's extremely likable, though I suppose there wasn't much chance of seeing his bad side, since Barry wrote the novel on which this film is based. It's incredibly easy to empathize with him, and what red-blooded American male can't identify with the stars in Barry's eyes when he first lays eyes on gorgeous Maureen (played brilliantly by Kaley Cuoco)? It's important to remember that the story is told from Barry's perspective. People who are curious about the point of view of, say, Florence Henderson aren't going to get very much out of the film. Still, there's a great deal of peripheral information about the show that I learned from this movie that I didn't realize before, such as Bob Reed's distaste for the show in general, Eve and Chris's hook-up, and Barry's date with Florence. I appreciated that they explained the disappearance of Tiger, though I have heard different versions of the event. Watching the Brady boys running wild around the Paramount lot with the blessing of Sherwood Schwartz was priceless. (I hope they saved those Star Trek props!) It was also interesting to see the Brady set completely rebuilt to perfection (even including the horse statue at the foot of the stairs.) It was equally spooky to see the empty sound stage at the end of the movie where Barry meets "fake Maureen." (I've seen this mistake here more than once. Though she looks like Maureen, it's not really her, as you can tell by looking at the credits. Shame, that. It would've been refreshing to see the real one.) The best thing about the whole movie is the love story between two teenagers who were never destined to be together. The unrequited love between them is so palpable that it almost hurts to watch. One really has to marvel at the fact that so few people are able to distinguish actor from character and fact from fiction, such that Barry and Maureen--who are not actually brother and sister--couldn't publicly carry on a relationship without it making the tabloids. (Though, curiously, nobody seemed to care much when he took his mom--Florence--out to a swanky Hollywood watering hole.) Barry and Maureen are both cute and sweet together, but their maddening inability to "seal the deal" keeps the romantic tension at a fever pitch. And that final moment after season 5 when Maureen backs out of sleeping with Barry left me aching just as much as Barry. I found myself hearkening back to my own personal days of heartbreak while watching Barry's sorrow-filled pity party, even while he clumsily tried to score a pity-screw from Florence.

After watching this movie, I was moved to learn more about each of the Bradys. It's inspiring to look around the internet and know that every one of these actors hold nothing but fond memories of the show and maintain close relationships with their co-stars. And while I know it hasn't happened yet--and isn't likely to, as both of them have married others--but I truly hope that someday, even if it's in an old-folks home, Barry and Maureen will still come full circle on their romance.

Till then, I'll just have to wait. And we'll just have to see what Maureen's side of the story is when her tell-all is published later on this year.

Good TV flick

[Monika-5 · 18 August 2000]

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.

Some awesome performances, some missed opportunities

[wadeboi · 9/10 · 23 September 2005]

I suspect you're not going to get much out of this unless you're a serious Brady fan. That said, this is a Brady lover's fantasy come true...finally getting to have the camera swing around to the lives of the real kids. One wonders if the real kids didn't have far more interesting and provocative lives than the scripted ones. But I guess in the early 70s that kind of Real World would have been too real. Even today, you probably couldn't do a Real World about kids under 18.

If this movie had been only about Sherwood Schwartz I would have given it a 10 because Michael Tucker is just mesmerizing to watch. Although he has a fairly small part, he steals every scene.

Rebeccah Bush as Florence Henderson is possibly better than the original. She radiates elegance and glamor. Since this story is told through Barry Williams eyes, the provocative performance may be dramatic license. It's hard to imagine the real Florence Henderson wanting to french kiss in 1969 on a stage full of kids.

Adam Brody as Barry Williams gets most of the screen time. He never quite nails Barry for me. Christopher Barnes, as I recall from the first Brady Bunch Movie feature film, had a more realistic performance. But you soon look beyond this defect and start to view this movie as if it were the same show in an alternate universe. The other key characters are also a little off the mark, but quite passable after a brief period of adjustment.

The most jarring aspect is that in real life the kids aged rather dramatically over the course of five years. Here the same actors play their parts for the duration.

I read the book and knew going in that this was mostly about Barry and Maureen but I was hoping for more of Chris Knight, the kid I most identified with in first run. Apparently Chris hated doing the show almost as much as Robert Reed. Too bad. By the final season, the real Chris was the best actor of all of the kids. The episode of "Peter" trying to land his first job was a refreshing departure from the "Gilligan's Island" slapstick. Both Chris and Robert Reed have a great tag scene together in that one. Here, up and coming star Ricky Ullman (Phil of the Future) plays Chris rather unevenly, but at times he does bear a passing resemblance.

I don't remember Robert Reed coming off as such as spoiled sport in the book. He was certainly a good enough actor not to let it show on screen. Daniel Hugh Kelly tries hard but never really convinces me he's Robert Reed. And that may be more the fault of the script for giving his character too dark an edge for what should have been more of a lightweight documentary rather than a soap opera.

The real life Barry looks terrific. He hasn't changed much. It would have been fun if the real cast had appeared in cameos.

For Fans Of The Brady Bunch

[sddavis63 · 8/10 · 20 January 2018]

Like pretty much every kid of my generation I grew up watching The Brady Bunch. I can't say that it was ever my absolute favourite TV show. I always preferred "Gilligan's Island" and "Hogan's Heroes" - but this was certainly part of my after school fare (it was the early 70's and they were all in syndication by then.) I've heard a lot of the stories about the show - Barry Williams (Greg) and Maureen McCormick (Marcia) hooking up, Robert Reed (dad Mike) being gay and being very uncomfortable showing any affection for Florence Henderson (mom Carol) and also rebelling against what he saw as a silly sitcom that would ruin his career as a dramatic actor, Barry's actual "date" with Florence - but I've never actually read Williams' book. And as a big fan of The Big Bang Theory, I decided I wanted to watch this when I found out that Kaley Cuoco actually played Maureen McCormick in this and was delighted to find out that it was available on You Tube. And it turned out to be a fun and nostalgic made for TV movie.

The cast I thought was superb. With the exception perhaps of Suanne Spoke (who played Ann B. Davis, who played Alice - these kinds of movies can get confusing) all of the cast members looked their parts and played them pretty well. It's interesting watching these child actors work with their parts, struggle with keeping real life separate from their TV lives, and seeing apparently all the kids struggle a bit with hormones - challenging as the attractions were to their TV brothers and sisters, making for some difficulty with some scenes (humourously portrayed as we watch Barry and Maureen try to shoot a scene together without getting carried away!) It is a lot of fun, and it did give a good "behind the scenes" feel. The film (according to its closing credits) was in memory of Robert Reed (who had died in 1992) but it didn't pull any punches in its portrayal of him. He was, as I've heard, fiercely devoted to and protective of his "TV kids" but he also hated the show he co-starred with them in, believing it would destroy his career as a serious actor, and he was a challenge to deal with on the set, demanding continual rewrites and refusing to play certain scenes. Reed's attitude (along with the kids coming to be represented by a sleazeball agent who was more interested in making money off their hoped for singing career than the TV show) ended up being the death of the series after five seasons on the air.

The biggest weakness of the movie (and this is perhaps because it's based on Barry Williams book) is that it probably concentrated a little bit too much on the Williams-McCormick relationship. I can understand the challenge involved. Maureen McCormick was a very pretty girl. I had a crush on her too! If I were Barry Williams I'd have had some of the same problems he had (including one hilarious scene when he had invited Maureen to his parents home for dinner and his parents "interrupted" them, calling them down for dessert and poor Barry had to walk downstairs and to the couch bent over - for obvious and completely understandable reasons.

This is a fun, nostalgic movie. It wouldn't be of interest to anyone other than fans of The Brady Bunch, but if you are a fan of the show and you've never seen this, it will be enjoyable to watch. (8/10)

This was a great way to spend a Sunday night!

[MN4EVR · 22 May 2000]

I enjoyed this TV movie. It wasn't a great artistic endeavor, but neither was it's subject. The whole thing felt like a two hour Brady Bunch episode. It gave insight in to how the cast related and felt about the show, but focused mainly on the relationship between Barry and Maureen. Through the whole movie I wondered about two things, 1. What does Maureen McCormick think about this, and 2. Is that Eve Plumb playing Florence Henderson? (it wasn't). I liked this and thought it was a great way to spend a Sunday night.

The reality is there, but where's the drama?

[raisleygordon · 21 May 2012]

At best, "Growing Up Brady" is not a disappointment. But it doesn't hit the bull's-eye, because it feels shallow. Sure, this is based on a true story, but perhaps this might have played better had it been made, say, several years after the show ended, and with more experienced actors. The Robert Reed story is only slightly more satisfying, and I would have preferred to see more of it. I didn't find the Barry Williams/Maureen McCormick story very interesting, because there apparently isn't any chemistry between the actors portraying them. Cameos from more Brady actors would have helped too, especially from Maureen McCormack, who's character of course, is also the star of the movie. It's an interesting film, but not particularly satisfying.

Growing Up Brady was a fun Bio-movie about the Brady Bunch.

[kevden · 25 April 2003]

Growing Up Brady was a fun Bio-movie about the Brady Bunch. It lifts the mystique from the lives of the cast. Especially about Robert Reed. I especially loved the scenes where Barry and Maureen were trying to shoot a brother and sister scene, and their hormones just took over. No doubt those out-takes will never appear on a TV Blunders program. My only disappointment was the choice for Davy Jones of the Monkees. This actor was poor choice. They didn't work very hard in finding a suitable person for the part. And That wig on him was horrible. Chances are when a TV movie is done about the Monkees, Maureen Mcormick will be played by an equally sad actor. My other disappointment is that this movie is not available for sale.

Here's a story...the REAL story

[Tremor · 21 May 2000]

"Growing Up Brady" is an excellent TV-movie written and produced by actor Barry Williams (who played Greg in the series). The movie depicts the backstage and off-screen dramedies of the cast, focusing on the on-again, off-again romance between Williams and Maureen McCormick (who played Marcia), as well as a subplot involving the ongoing animosity between actor Robert Reed (who played Mike Brady) and series producer Sherwood Schwartz over script quality. Reed is portrayed by Daniel Hugh-Kelly, and Schwartz is played by Michael Tucker of "L.A.Law" fame. Both men are excellent, as is Rebeccah Bush, who is right-on target as Florence Henderson, especially during her embarrassing "date" with a then-teenaged Williams (what was she thinking?!). The best aspect of the film is the HOT HOT HOT chemistry between the young actors who portray Williams and McCormick (Adam Brody and Kaley Cuoco). Skip the "Brady Bunch" theatrical movies from the late 90's, and watch this film if/when NBC airs it again. Too bad this could not have been a theatrical release, so that the sexual liaisons could have been steamier, Reed's homosexuality could have been explored (being closeted must have caused some of that angst!), as well as the short-lived porno career of Susan Olsen (who played Cindy). My score: 8 out of 10, which is not bad for a made-for-TV flick. "The Brady Bunch" rules! Memo to Williams: great job! Especially the casting of Mike Lookinland's son to portray Mike/Bobby!

It's a sunshine day...

[treeline1 · 18 September 2009]

The story of "The Brady Bunch" is great fun for fans. It starts with auditions, then the famous wedding/pilot show ("Tiger!!"), and goes through all five seasons with the kids growing up and becoming stars.

Barry Williams' memoir inspired this 2000 TV-movie, so it's no surprise that his alter-ego is the heartthrob and star of the show; his amorous longings for screen-sister Maureen McCormick play heavily in the script as does Robert Reed's distaste for the low comedy.

Young Barry is played by pre-"O.C." Adam Brody who is utterly charming and the only one of the actors who even remotely resembles their famous counterparts. Williams narrates the story and he and producer Sherwood Schwartz appear briefly. The movie is all sugar and spice, a sweet and innocent remembrance of a much-loved TV series. Fans of the show will love it.