Daydream Believers: The Monkees' Story (TV 2000)

The story of the Pre-Fab Four and their fight to be taken seriously as musicians.

Director:

Neill Fearnley

Writer:

Ron McGee (teleplay)

Stars:

George Stanchev, L.B. Fisher, Jeff Geddis

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Stanchev	...	Davy Jones
L.B. Fisher	...	Peter Tork
Jeff Geddis	...	Mike Nesmith
Aaron Lohr	...	Micky Dolenz
Colin Ferguson	...	Van Foreman
Wallace Langham	...	Don Kirshner
Stephen Bogaert	...	Harris Green
Polly Shannon	...	Phyllis Nesmith
Jim Thorburn	...	Derek
Sarah Lafleur	...	Carla (as Sarah LaFleur)
Toby Proctor	...	Auditioner #1
Balázs Koós	...	Beatnik Friend (as Balasz Kooks)
Jeffrey R. Smith	...	Auditioner #2 (as Jeff Smith)
Joe Matheson	...	Drunk Businessman
Charlotte Leonard	...	Young Girlfriend #1

Storyline

In 1966, producers Bert Schneider and Bob Rafaelson come up with the idea of creating a TV show that would feature the American answer to the Beatles, The Monkees. Eventually, four young men are chosen for the roles, Mickey Dolenz the former child TV star, the stage actor Davey Jones and the musicians, Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork. With the aid of a successful music producer and able TV promotion, the Monkees become a sensation. However, that success is tainted, to the chagrin of the band, as they find themselves labeled as talentless phonies. This film covers the band's frustrating struggle to prove their detractors wrong as they struggle to earn some artist legitimacy. Whether it's by learning to excel as a band or experimenting with wild ideas for their show and film, Head, nothing seems to work. Meanwhile the band have their internal tensions as various members struggle to decide what is really important to them, simple material success, or having real artistic respect for their ...

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Plot Keywords:

musician | the monkees | television network | entertainment industry | 1960s | 

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Taglines:

They achieved worldwide fame but, what they wanted... was respect.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for drug content

Details

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 June 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cazadores de sueños

Filming Locations:

Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC), Chum Television, Government of Ontario: Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit Program

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One scene shows a person using Liquid Paper to correct sheet music. Liquid Paper was invented by Michael Nesmith's mother.

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Goofs

The Monkees did not wear white in the real video for "Daydream Believer".

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Quotes

Harris Green: You're crazy, you know that? Do you have any idea what you have just given up?
Peter Tork: You can never move forward standing in the same place, Harris.
Harris Green: Yeah, well, let's see how many records you can sell when you're not in people's living room.

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Connections

References Ally McBeal (1997)

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Soundtracks

" (All In The) All In All"
Written by Doug Fieger & Oliver Leiber
Published by Doug Fieger Music and Tatoons, Inc.
Performed by The Knack
Courtesy of Rhino Entertainment Company

User Reviews

Fair biopic sacrifices historical accuracy

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.