WARNING: My brief comment on this film may contain a spoiler, so please don't read if you don't want your curiosity to be ruined.
This made-for-TV movie about The Great One was brilliantly done, but I felt that whoever cast Brad Garrett (of "Everybody Loves Raymond" fame) in the role of Jackie Gleason made a poor choice. In my opinion, John Goodman should've been picked for this particular role because he definitely had Gleason's build and look. Don't get me wrong--Garrett did a good job, but Goodman would've carried that role VERY far.
This movie covered Gleason's childhood years in a broken home, his stand-up comedy career, his marriage and his various infidelities, as well as his early days in television up until the time of "The Honeymooners"; but what the film didn't cover (but should have) was his later life beyond "The Honeymooners" and his major Hollywood works, from the tearjerker "Gigot" (one of my all-time favorite films) to the hilarious "Smokey and the Bandit" movies.
This film would have merited a rating a ten from me, but I gave it a seven because of the casting choice of Brad Garrett and the film's failure to show us the complete career of Jackie Gleason, who will always be The Great One in the hearts of his many fans.
This made-for-TV movie about The Great One was brilliantly done, but I felt that whoever cast Brad Garrett (of "Everybody Loves Raymond" fame) in the role of Jackie Gleason made a poor choice. In my opinion, John Goodman should've been picked for this particular role because he definitely had Gleason's build and look. Don't get me wrong--Garrett did a good job, but Goodman would've carried that role VERY far.
This movie covered Gleason's childhood years in a broken home, his stand-up comedy career, his marriage and his various infidelities, as well as his early days in television up until the time of "The Honeymooners"; but what the film didn't cover (but should have) was his later life beyond "The Honeymooners" and his major Hollywood works, from the tearjerker "Gigot" (one of my all-time favorite films) to the hilarious "Smokey and the Bandit" movies.
This film would have merited a rating a ten from me, but I gave it a seven because of the casting choice of Brad Garrett and the film's failure to show us the complete career of Jackie Gleason, who will always be The Great One in the hearts of his many fans.