THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE
A film review by Eric Grossman
Copyright 1995 LOS ANGELES INDEPENDENT
How would the ideal Seventies family, the Bradys, handle life in a world filled with carjackings, conniving neighbors and date-raping boyfriends? This is the premise behind THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE, an entertaining parody of the famous television show that ran from 1969 to 1974.
While the rest of the world has changed, the Bradys have remained exactly the same. The loud clothes, out-of-control hairstyles, and potato sack races are still the norm in their household.
The screenwriters and director Betty Thomas have remained faithful to the feel of the show while poking fun at it and the result is part spoof, part tribute. There is a plethora of inside jokes that the Brady Bunch cultists (those people who know every line from every episode) will get a tremendous kick out of.
A perfect cast of unknowns (plus the talent of Shelly Long who plays Carol) and plenty of cameos from the original cast are the keys to this film's success. Particularly good is Jan (Jennifer Elise Cox). Her obsessive anger towards her older sister Marsha (Christine Taylor) is the movie's highlight.
The film's look is true to the show. Cinematographer Mac Ahlberg matches the high-key, flat lighting and production designer Steve Jordan remembered all of the details when recreating the sets, right down to the avocado-green phone.
While there are some squandered opportunities to go further with the implicit conflicts and quirks of the characters, THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE delivers many laughs, especially for those who grew up watching the series.
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