Side by Side: The True Story of the Osmond Family (1982) (TV)

User Rating:

3.3/10   

Director:

Russ Mayberry

Writers:

Tom Lazarus (story)
Ernie Wallengren (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 April 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Family | Music

Plot:

This is the story of the Osmond Family and is based on the book written by Olive (Mother) Osmond. This film tells of the beginnings of this family and how they got to where they were by the late '70's. |

Plot Keywords:

Large Family

Cast

Joseph Bottoms	...	George Osmond
Marie Osmond	...	Olive Osmond
Karen Alston	...	Belva
Cheryl Hudock	...	Marianne
Scott Wilkinson	...	Lt. Gontz
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Spencer Alston	...	Young Merrill
Anthony Auer	...	Stage Manager
Rollie Bestor	...	Barbershop Quartet Leader
Daryl Bingham	...	Young Alan
Tip Boxell	...	Policeman
Shane Chournos	...	Tom
Coleman Creel	...	Dr. Ward
Anne Cullimore Decker	...	Vera Davis
Todd Dutson	...	Alan
David Eaves	...	Virl
Bob Eric Hart	...	Ring Announcer (as Bob Hart)
Jeremy Haslam	...	Jay
Bruce Hertford	...	Neighbor
Duane Hill	...	Jim Lennon
Vinc Massa	...	Wayne
Amy Osmond	...	Young Marie
George Osmond	...	Himself
Justin Osmond	...	Young Tom
Olive Osmond	...	Herself
Travis Osmond	...	Young Virl
Robert Peterson	...	Picnic Announcer
Brian Poelman	...	Young Wayne
H.E.D. Redford	...	Tom Davis
Jamon Rivera	...	Young Donny
Beverly Rowland	...	Neighbor
Oscar Rowland	...	Howard Corbin
Jason Sanders	...	Young Jay
Shane Wallace	...	Merrill

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Provo, Utah, USA

Company:

Comworld Productions

Trivia:

Marie Osmond played her own mother in this film about her family.

You better really be a fan to watch this...

The "true" story of the Osmonds, based on a book by Olive, Mama Osmond.

By 1982 the "Donny & Marie Show" had been cancelled and they both were struggling to latch onto something else in show biz. Marie would go on to record a few more hits and then do travelling musicals and get on with being a mother. Donny would release a few more floundering LPs and also try to break into stage production. The point is that by 1982 no one much cared to hear the story of the Osmonds, "true" or not. But it was work for Marie, strangely playing her own mother who will will see in a cameo with their father at the very end. It's a TV movie and all the low production values and film quality that go along with that are here. We see the perfect family doing everything just perfect, living their perfect lives and having perfect success. You get the idea that Olive's "True Story" may be a very sanitized version of what really went on. You can read between the lines here and see that their father was a driven person, determined to get his kids on stage and famous. I'm waiting for the Hollywood Babylon version myself. This movie should be watched for only two reasons. One, you are a huge fan and are ready to believe anything the Osmond publicity mills dished out back then or Two, you are in serious mockery mode and are ready to spend some quality time with loved ones making fun of this saccharin family. If you are neither of the above, rent "Mommy Dearest" for a more truthful Hollywood kid story.