Daydream Believers: The Monkees' Story

Uncanny physical and vocal resemblances by the young cast to the actual Monkees highlight this VH1 film about the fictional TV show band who wanted to be a real rock group. Being shown on television followed by a Behind the Music profile of the actual band, the audience is thoroughly convinced that the Monkees we see in this TV film are indeed the same Monkees we saw in the 1966 - 1968 TV series. Sometimes this type of impressionist casting can be distracting, but in this case each actor seems to be the madcap Mickey Dolenz, the down home Mike Nesmith, the spiritual Peter Tork, and the prim and corny Davy Jones. In fact so convincing, sometimes it seems we are watching a feature length version of the TV show. When we are introduced to Mike Nesmith he really is wearing a wool hat and driving a red convertible. In other words, what we were seeing was closer to their actual lives than we may have originally thought.

The film begins with an idea by the producers of the TV show to create a fictional band (complete with actual albums released in record stores) and show their personal life on television in a slap stick comedy format not too different than the The Beatles film efforts. The music would be produced using the best studio musicians and songwriters (Boyce and Hart, Neil Diamond, Jeff Barry, Paul Williams, Stephen Stills) and featuring the vocal talents of the four young actors (two of whom can actually play instruments). The music is a smash busting the charts both as singles and albums. Not satisfied with their success they strive to become a real band (lead singer Mickey Dolenz learning to play the drums, Mike Nesmith rising as the behind the scenes leader of the band) and set off to prove their critics wrong by playing live concerts to packed arenas. The film is mostly light comedy with a happy ending which in itself sets it apart from most stories of destruction we see in other efforts made about the lives of Karen Carpenter and The Beach Boys or end with a fatal air crash such as The Buddy Holly Story. This film actually ends with all the performers alive, well, and happy. In the Behind the Music profile that follows, we see that decades later they are still alive, well, and happy.

Some parts of the film are not as successful. The meeting between the Beatles and the Monkees just doesn't work. Short segments that show Davy Jones talking to his dad and being told how unhappy he really is or Mike Nesmith talking to his wife seemed tagged on. The actor portraying Jack Nicholson (he scripted the Monkees movie "Head") seemed to be doing Jim Carrey doing Jack Nicholson. But the movie is very enjoyable, as fluffy as a TV sitcom, and the pre-fab four are just four guys who are given their shot and make the most of it while trying to keep their pride and dignity. A band of Pinnochio daydream believers who for a short while merge fantasy with reality and become a real band.

I didn't really know what to expect when I tuned into VH1 for their latest BioPic. After spending a day with Monkees episodes and then the Behind the Music, I was curious what it would be like to have "fake-Monkees" on the screen. What I found was an interesting film. The individual performances were 75% acceptable... I was actually awe-struck while watching L.B. Fisher portray Peter Tork. I think just about everyone has to admit that he certainly nailed his role. Aaron Lohr pulled Micky off alright. His hair was a little too curly, but that's forgivable, right? Jeff Geddis was a convincing Mike. Especially during the audition scenes. I actually believe he had the timing and the movements exactly correct, or at least very nearly. Now, for the not-so-pleasantly-reviewed-actor. George Stanchev may be a fine actor, but I don't think he was well suited for Davy. For one, he was too tall; Two, the accent.. ouch; and thirdly the cleft in his chin grabbed more attention than his acting. Agree? Disagree? Oh well. Did anyone else notice the green sign that read "Davy is Groovy" in *every* concert sequence? I found that kind of endearing, actually, the budget really must have been quite low, but I can deal with that.

Save the Texas Prairie Chicken!

Being a true Monkees buff, I'd have to say that, after one gets over the inaccuracies in the script, the filmmakers couldn't have done a better job. Unmentioned in previous reviews is the all-consuming egomania displayed by Colgems music president Don Kirshner, who made so much money during his 9-10 months in charge that his casual dismissal of the four individual Monkees is nothing less than petty (to the end of his life, he always insisted on total credit for their success). The script manages to incorporate just about all the most famous names associated with the group: songwriters (Neil Sedaka, Neil Diamond, Carole King, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart), and performers (The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Jack Nicholson). The four actors were all praiseworthy, particularly L. B. Fisher's Tork, who conveys that inner essence the show rarely allowed. The three others basically played extensions of themselves, but Peter had to play a kind of 'Harpo Marx/Stan Laurel' composite, not so much 'the dummy,' as he himself described it, but simply the trusting, naïve innocent, which of course he definitely was not. George Stanchev really nails Davy's moves, and probably bears the strongest physical resemblance to his namesake (amazingly, neither of these two actors worked beyond 2003). Jeff Geddis gets the full portrait of Nesmith, who wasn't as volatile as this suggests, nor apologetic, simply an ambitious young man who saw the TV series as a means to an end. Of course, he had the most experience in the studio (both as a writer and producer), and did encourage the others to compose their own songs. Aaron Lohr's Micky isn't as good as the others, but to be fair it appears he had less to work with, scriptwise; Micky Dolenz was such an enormous talent in front and behind the camera, that to this day his remains one of the most recognized voices of the 1960s. Rather than carp on what's missing, consider how the existence of this modest little biopic shot in Canada is not just a boon for The Monkees themselves, but a nice introduction for younger viewers unfamiliar with the phenomenon (forget 1987's The New Monkees). Actual Monkees recordings used: "(Theme from) The Monkees," "Last Train to Clarksville," "I'm a Believer," "Daydream Believer," "I Wanna Be Free," and "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," the latter two actual live performances from the band's 1967 summer tour (heck, the only essential one missing really is "Pleasant Valley Sunday"). "All of Your Toys" was a Bill Martin composition that earned the distinction of being their very first studio recording as a band (Jan 16 1967), but due to it not being a Screen Gems copyright remained in the can until 1987's MISSING LINKS release. As an added bonus, used during their meeting with The Beatles, is "(All in the) All in All," from the 1998 disc RE-ZOOM by The Knack, a group that was ballyhooed in 1979 ("My Sharona," "Good Girls Don't") as being 'Beatlesque,' and once you hear it you'll understand why.

DAYDREAM BELIEVERS: THE MONKEES' STORY

Aspect ratio: 1.33:1

Sound format: Stereo

The rise and fall of a manufactured pop group - America's answer to The Beatles - who struggled to be taken seriously as bona fide musicians.

Appropriately for a band as airbrushed and stage-managed as The Monkees, Neill Fearnley's entertaining biopic is equally airbrushed and stage-managed, dispensing with unpleasant reality (for the most part) in favor of feel-good party tricks. Ron McGee's innocuous teleplay (based on Harold Bronson's book 'Hey Hey We're the Monkees') sketches the group's history in broad narrative strokes, from the audition which brought Davy (George Stanchev), Micky (Aaron Lohr), Peter (L.B.Fisher) and Mike (Jeff Geddis) together, to the international success of their madcap TV show (used as little more than a marketing tool) and their subsequent disillusionment, sparked by management's refusal to allow them greater creative input. Events are depicted in pastel shades, rather like the TV show, but without the laughs. Peter is shown smoking pot, and the guys' bickering descends into chaos as the band falls apart (they disbanded in 1970), but the script refuses to take risks, which means viewers are short-changed by a lack of historical accuracy: For example, there's no mention of the resentment caused when Peter Tork became the first to jump ship in 1969, only a bittersweet ending which barely mentions their break-up at all.

Fans will be astonished by the physical resemblance of the actors to their real-life counterparts (except for Lohr, whose similarity to Micky Dolenz is superficial at best), and their impersonations are equally remarkable, especially during the lengthy musical interludes (including a meticulous recreation of the famous 'Daydream Believer' promo, and the opening montage of the TV show), all realized with startling accuracy. If nothing else, however, "Daydream Believers..." reminds us that The Monkees produced some of the most enduring pop songs of the 1960's (including 'Last Train to Clarksville', 'I'm a Believer' and the excellent 'All of Your Toys'), reproduced here in their entirety (the actors mime to original recordings). Devotees will either be outraged or enthralled.

NB. 'Jack Nicholson' and 'John Lennon' turn up in brief cameos, both played by uncredited actors.

I don't know why there is so much criticism of this film. While I was watching it someone walked in and thought that it was actually 'The Monkees', that shows what a great job all the lead actors did. Aaron Lohr was quite convincing as Micky Dolenz which isn't easy as Mr Dolenz has a very unique look. Jeff Geddis was a very convincing Mike. George Stanchev did a fine job of Davy Jones in my opinion, I thought his accent was pretty good and the look was spot on. LB Fisher was a very convincing Peter Tork. They not only looked like 'The Monkees' they talked and moved like them. What more do you want from a Biopic? You will never get every detail right as you cannot cram several years into a couple of hours without some artistic license. The only film that really got it all right was Ray! The characterisations of other famous people in the film didn't quite live up to it, especially Jimmy Hendricks and The Beatles, but the Jack Nicholson was pretty good I'd say. Could they have done things better in this film? Yes of course they could, but over all it was a pretty good and convincing portrayal. My only criticism is the ending could have been better and in fact the film itself could have been a bit longer to show more about the split of the group etc. But I would still wholeheartedly recommend this film to anyone with an interest in music, the 60s or The Monkees themselves.