Inside the Osmonds

This made-for-TV movie has the look of a mini-series that was perhaps 2-3 nights long originally but at the last minute was only given one night by the networks. So the editors worked furiously chopping it all down to one night. It really shows. This movie will only work for you if you are an Osmond fan and know much about the biographical details of their lives. If you don't know much about the family, prepare to be lost frequently. The brothers look so similar in this movie that it is too easy to get them mixed up. The age progression that suddenly takes place with no word of explanation does not help either, as soon as you have figured out who everyone is, the people playing them are switched on you. This is the story of some Mormon boys who merely wanted to be "the next Led Zeppelin" ( I'm serious! ) and their fathers attempts to keep them true to their Mormon faith and ideals, all the while he is squandering their hard earned money away. That this film was produced by Jimmy Osmond is rather surprising as the Osmonds have always tended to keep hush-hush about anything less than a perfect family image. I thought that father George must have died, which would explain this movie's critical tone in regards to him, but no, at the end, he is trotted out on stage with the family. See this as a second feature with an earlier Osmond produced film called "Side By Side: The True Story Of The Osmond Family", and you will have a 4 hour epic story of the Osmond family...if you want that.

I missed part of the start of Donnie and Maries career because I was overseas in the military in the mid Seventies. But this movie catches you up easily on parts you may have missed. I was always curious about how they lost their money in building the recording studio back in their home state. This movie cleared it up and more. I have read Donnie's autobiography and also Maries. Donnie did not give monetary statistics on how they came close to losing everything. Just that the family threw all their money into one hat and came up losing. This was really heartbreaking to me. The books were very eye opening and such good reading. It shows you how a close, large, and religious family achieved so much with sort of limited resources and a lot of pluck and talent. They would not be where they were today without the father being a guiding hand. Donnie told in his book how the family kept their morals while traveling around the world and in sometimes questionable surroundings (Las Vegas for example). Before anyone knocks this family or this movie they should read the books and examine their own life. The family reached the peak of entertainment success and preserved their families traditions at the same time. I say Bravo to the Osmonds and I wish there were more families that could entertain us all like this!

I just loved this movie! Not just because I am an Osmond fan, but because it's simply a nice movie to see. It's good to see a movie where, yes fame and fortune can go to ones head and spin it around a bit, but it's comforting to see that in the end, to the Osmonds, it always was, is, and will be "family, faith, career in that order." Wonderful acting by all! If you're like me, you may need a couple of hankies for the end of the movie. Don't fear. They will be tears of joy! :-)

I have Inside The Osmonds., and i thoroughly enjoyed it. It's great they are still performing, and have not once lost the talent they started with.

I have been to see them a couple of times now, (time permitting)and have also seen Donny several times. I'm a big fan, and probably always will be. Keep it up lads.

Watching the film, showed the fans some insight to their lives, which was an eye opener, as sometimes you only see the stardom side. I have met Donny and Merrill, and have found them very sincere, and always receive their fans with a genuine nature.

Sprinkled with a fine soundtrack and some very good acting, 'Inside The Osmonds' is a bio-pic that documents the meteoric rise and subsequent fiscal downfall of the Osmond family.

The story's main focus is on the family as they attempt to maintain their popularity while staying committed to each other throughout the turbulent seventies and early eighties.

Each family member is given time to develop, but the film focuses mainly on Donny and Marie. Especially, Donny (Patrick Levis) as he must endure his forced transition from praised musician to a veritable laughing stock on his daily variety show.

Many things are touched upon throughout the film, including the family's devotion to religion and Marie's weight problem which is merely glanced but not truly elaborated upon. One element that was allowed to flourish was the family's manipulation at the hands of television and recording executives.

The family remains consistently close until final scene when they lose all of their savings. Unlike other movies where this might have been a huge tragedy, in this film, the impact is sort of anti-climactic. They haven't really lost anything, they still have each other and to them, at least, that is truly all that matters.

Look for fine performances by Bruce McGill, as the over-protective but loving father George, and Veronica Cartwright, as the comforting Olive. The film will leave a sweet taste in your mouth, especially the final frame where the real Osmonds take center stage, where they belong, singing 'He aint' heavy, He's my brother'. Look for this one!