The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story

2009 - Walt Disney Pictures
Directed By Gregory Sherman, Jeffrey Sherman


SYNOPSIS

The sons of a famous songwriter, the Sherman Brothers try their hand at it and soon have hit songs on the radio. Then Walt Disney comes calling and the two are writing the music for Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book and The Parent Trap (among others.) Despite the family-friendly nature of their song output, the two have a strained relationship that results in them barely even speaking to each other today.

MY THOUGHTS

The documentary tackles the complex lives of one of the most underrated songwriting partnerships of the 20th Century.

The Boys features copious amounts of the Richard and Robert Sherman's music from their early days (You're 16, You're Beautiful And You're Mine) to their Disney heyday in the 1960s and later works  in the 70s. It's great to see more than just their Disney output (Disney made the film) and the studio ponied up the money to license clips from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Snoopy Come Home, Charlotte's Web (made by other studios.) Many famous faces who sung those classic songs appear to discuss the brothers as well.... giving the film a true 'definitive' telling of their professional history.


But in tackling their lives away from the spotlight, The Boys is far less successful.
The Boys is co-directed by the sons of the Sherman Brothers. This gives the film a greater intimacy than it would have been otherwise, but the sons don't ask any tough questions that really get to the heart of the brothers' main issues with each other. It's mentioned frequently that their personalities and interests are different but it's hard to believe that alone would trump their family bond, their love of music, and the money they were making for their families. The film leaves you thinking: "There had to be something else."

On a side note: as someone who was once stuck on the "It's A Small World After All" ride at Disney World for 5-10 minutes longer than anyone should ever have, I'm glad the film also addresses the obnoxiousness of that song!

The Boys is a great overview of the Sherman Brothers' career, but is far less successful in handling their personal lives.