The Buddy Holly Story

Rating:
Summary: The Music May Have Died, but Buddy Holly LIVES!
Review: A first-rate, realistic film biography of the legendary Rockabilly composer/musician who introduced such 1950s hits as "Peggy Sue", "That'll Be The Day" and "Maybe Baby". Lanky (and toothy) Gary Busey in the title role lights up the screen with his energetic performance.

The story follows Holly's career from his small beginnings as a roller rink musician in Texas to his death at 22 in the infamous plane crash (in which also The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens were killed). Best of all is the way the film captures the joy and enthusiasm of early Rock & Roll and its effect on the youth of America and the World. All of the leads do their own singing and playing! The film won the Oscar for best score adaptation. A MUST SEE for fans of the Rock & Roll Legend Buddy Holly!*****

Rating:
Summary: Inaccurate but the "energy" is there
Review: Amazon's review of the film pretty much says it all. I would just echo my personal sentiments that, although a lot of the facts were wrong, the overall "energy" of Holly and his music is not lost and makes the video well-worth buying, keeping, and watching over and over again.

Rating:
Summary: A good bio-drama but....
Review: Buddy Hollly. Probably no one artist in Rock & Roll history has garnished as much deserving respect and admiration than this musical pioneer from Lubbock, Texas. However, while there's so much to like about this film, there's also a lot to be disgrunteled at. Gone are the real names of Crickets members Jerry Allison and Joe B. Mauldin, and Holly is never shown recording his first hits in New Mexico with Norman Petty. Holly never sang "Maybe Baby" during his 2 spots on the Ed Sullivan Show, he never toured with Sam Cooke, nor was there an orchestra with King Curtis on that fateful winter tour in 1959. Busey's Buddy doesn't even use his legendary trademark Fender Stratocaster model guitar until the last scene! My mother saw Buddy perform when she was younger at the old Paramount Theaters in NYC and Brooklyn and on TV - he was always sharply dressed, like a classical pianist, and never the gawky "white socked" nerd Busey portrays him as. The films best moments are when Busey interacts as Holly with his wife and others and the music! Historically it's hardly the real Buddy Holly Story, but it's fun never the less.

Rating:
Summary: A good bio-drama but....
Review: Buddy Hollly. Probably no one artist in Rock & Roll history has garnished as much deserving respect and admiration than this musical pioneer from Lubbock, Texas. However, while there's so much to like about this film, there's also a lot to be disgrunteled at. Gone are the real names of Crickets members Jerry Allison and Joe B. Mauldin, and Holly is never shown recording his first hits in New Mexico with Norman Petty. Holly never sang "Maybe Baby" during his 2 spots on the Ed Sullivan Show, he never toured with Sam Cooke, nor was there an orchestra with King Curtis on that fateful winter tour in 1959. Busey's Buddy doesn't even use his legendary trademark Fender Stratocaster model guitar until the last scene! My mother saw Buddy perform when she was younger at the old Paramount Theaters in NYC and Brooklyn and on TV - he was always sharply dressed, like a classical pianist, and never the gawky "white socked" nerd Busey portrays him as. The films best moments are when Busey interacts as Holly with his wife and others and the music! Historically it's hardly the real Buddy Holly Story, but it's fun never the less.

Rating:
Summary: Buddy Holly is smiling..not spinning in his grave!
Review: First of all, this movie captures the feeling of early rock and roll as good as any I've seen. Certainly it takes a few romantic liberties, but do you want a story or a documentary? Busey should have won the Oscar (he was nominated) for his poignant portrayal of the good, honest southwestern rocker. It covers the early redneck prejudices of rock and roll, the struggles to the top, the fresh new excitement of a budding American art form. The entire music business as it seemed around 1957-59. I was 12 to 14 years old around that time and the feeling is right on the mark. The most important thing is the music. The film has a surreal atmosphere about it that will leave you emotionally drained and a bit sad when its over. His early Decca releases in 1956, however aren't as bad as the movie portrays. Holly had to be the boss, and in 1957 when he was allowed the freedom with his own band, he made it big. Great entertainment for any rock and roll fan! Buddy is smiling, not spinning in his grave. He should be proud of his legacy.

Rating:
Summary: the buddy holly story
Review: gary busey did a fantastic job of portraying buddy holly in this some what inaccurate biography of the lubbock texas rocker who died on february 3, 1959 along with the big bopper, richie valens and the pilot. joe b mauldin and jerry allison were replaced by two fictional characters named jesse and ray bob. regardless what names were used for the crickets, this was still a very well made movie. then again, a lot of biography movies contain much errors. just look at kurt russel's elvis biography, yet even through all the errors, it was kurt russell's portrayl of elvis and ronnie mcdowell's voice of elvis that made that one great as well. i was 15 years old at the time when i saw this movie, went to the movie theatre dressed like buddy with a strat slung around my back. for buddy holly fans, i recommend this movie very highly.

Rating:
Summary: Buddy Holly will never fade away.
Review: Gary Busey fantastically portrays Buddy Holly and about his unfortunately short but super-incredible career. Some of the charcter's names and some events have been cahnged, but that's n reason not to enjoy this wonderful story of a rock'n'roll legend.
Busey recreates Holly's greatest hit songs such as "That'll Be The Day, "Rave On", "Rock Around With Ollie Vee", "Peggy Sue", "Oh Boy", "Maybe Baby", "It's So Easy", "Words of Love", and "True Love Ways". The final moments are chilling, but the storytelling is incredible. Buddy Holly is gone, but not forgotten and Gary Busey proves that here in "The Buddy Holly Story."

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: I loved this movie. The music is great and Gary Busy does great as Buddy Holly. My parents took me to see this movie at the theatre and it is the reason I like Buddy Holly's music today. If you like old rock and roll you'll love this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Oh,Boy!!!!
Review: I think the most important thing about "The Buddy Holly Story" is it captures the essence of it's subject, the time it is depicting, and the burgeoning rock'n'roll movement. The most glaring innacuracy is the names of the other Crickets, Jerry Allison and Joe Mauldin, being changed. That quibble aside, this film is simultaneously important, yet thrilling, because it celebrates the artistry of rock's premiere pioneer(sorry, Elvis). Gary Busey doesn't merely portray Buddy Holly, he is possessed by the spirit of the man. Though he doesn't necessarily duplicate the vocals of Holly, he has the essence of them down pat. Credit too has to go to Don Stroud and Charles Martin Smith as the other Crickets. This trio actually feels like a working band. I read some of the other reviews that take issue with the film for it's inaccuracies. The truth of the matter is alot of the fabrications in the film were the result of legal wrangling and not a deliberate attempt to falsify the facts. The most important thing here is the film celebrates the man, his creative processes, and the music. If this film moves the uninitiated they can seek out the true story. In conclusion,"Hail! Hail! Rock'n'Roll!"(Oh, that's Chuck Berry.)

Rating:
Summary: Awesome, Must Have Movie!
Review: I think this is a fantastic movie. Gary Busey did an excellent job portraying Buddy Holly. Though I am aware that not every detail of this movie is 100% factual, it still makes the audience love and care about Buddy and his music. This movie is truly a must for any music fan.