Brian 's Song - wikipedia Brian 's Song This article is about the original 1971 television film. For the remake, see Brian 's Song ( 2001 film ). For the Family Guy episode, see Movin ' Out ( Brian 's Song ). Brian 's Song Premiere advertisement from TV Guide Genre Biography Drama Sport Based on I Am Third by Gale Sayers Al Silverman Written by William Blinn Directed by Buzz Kulik Starring James Caan Billy Dee Williams Music by Michel Legrand Country of origin United States Original language ( s ) English Production Producer ( s ) Paul Junger Witt Cinematography Joseph F. Biroc Editor ( s ) Bud S. Isaacs Running time 74 minutes Production company ( s ) Screen Gems Distributor Columbia Pictures Sony Pictures Television Release Original network ABC Original release November 30, 1971 ( 1971 - 11 - 30 ) Brian 's Song is a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week that recounts the details of the life of Brian Piccolo ( played by James Caan ), a Wake Forest University football player stricken with terminal cancer after turning pro, told through his friendship with Chicago Bears teammate Gale Sayers ( Billy Dee Williams ). Piccolo 's and Sayers 's sharply differing temperaments and racial backgrounds made them unlikely to become as close friends as they did, including becoming the first interracial roommates in the history of the National Football League, and the film chronicles the evolution of their friendship. The production was such a success on ABC that it was later shown in theaters by Columbia Pictures with a major premiere in Chicago ; however, it was soon withdrawn due to a lack of business. Critics have called the movie one of the finest telefilms ever made. A 2005 readers poll taken by Entertainment Weekly ranked ' Brian 's Song ' seventh in its list of the top `` guy - cry '' films ever made. The movie is based on Sayers ' account of his friendship with Piccolo and coping with Piccolo 's illness in Sayers ' autobiography, I Am Third. The film was written by veteran screenwriter William Blinn, whose script, one Dallas television critic called, `` highly restrained, steering clear of any overt sentimentality ( yet conveying ) the genuine affection the two men felt so deeply for each other. '' Although based on a true story, the film did include some fictional scenes. One example was when George Halas ( played by Jack Warden ) told Gale Sayers that he wanted to bench Brian Piccolo when he suspected that there may be a problem affecting his performance. He later learned of Brian 's cancer. In reality, Jim Dooley was the head coach at that time, as Halas had retired from the position following the 1967 season. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Music 4 Reception 5 Accolades 6 Remake 7 References 8 External links Plot The movie begins as Chicago Bears running back Gale Sayers ( Williams ) arrives at team practice as an errant punt is sent to Sayers. Running back Brian Piccolo ( Caan ) goes to retrieve the ball, and Sayers flips it to him. Before Sayers meets with coach George Halas ( Jack Warden ) in his office, Piccolo tells him -- as a prank -- that Halas has a hearing problem, and Sayers acts strangely at the meeting. Sayers pranks him back by placing mashed potatoes on his seat while Piccolo is singing his alma mater 's fight song. During practice, Piccolo struggles while Sayers shines. Sayers and Piccolo are placed as roommates, a rarity during the racial strife at the time. Sayers quickly becomes a standout player, but he injures his knee in a game against the San Francisco 49ers. To aid in Sayers ' recovery, Piccolo brings a weight machine to his house. In Sayers ' place, Piccolo rushes for 160 yards in a 17 -- 16 win over the Los Angeles Rams, and is given the game ball. Piccolo challenges Sayers to a race across the park, where Sayers stumbles but wins. Piccolo is given the starting fullback position, and both he and Sayers excel. But Piccolo starts to lose weight and his performance declines, so he is sent to a hospital for a diagnosis. Soon after, Halas tells Sayers that Piccolo has cancer. In an emotional speech to his teammates, Sayers states that they will give Piccolo the game ball. After a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sayers visits Piccolo 's wife, who reveals that Piccolo has to have another surgery for his tumor. After he is awarded the `` George S. Halas Most Courageous Player Award '', Sayers dedicates his speech to Piccolo, telling the crowd that they had selected the wrong person for the award and saying, `` I love Brian Piccolo, and I 'd like all of you to love him, too. And tonight, when you hit your knees, please ask God to love him. '' In a call, Sayers mentions that he gave Piccolo a pint of blood while he was in critical condition. Piccolo dies with his wife by his side. The movie ends with a flashback of Piccolo and Sayers running through the park, while the narrator says that Piccolo died at age 26 and is remembered as he lived, rather than how he died. Cast James Caan as Brian Piccolo Billy Dee Williams as Gale Sayers Jack Warden as Coach George Halas Shelley Fabares as Joy Piccolo Judy Pace as Linda Sayers Bernie Casey as J.C. Caroline David Huddleston as Ed McCaskey Ron Feinberg as Doug Atkins Jack Concannon as Himself Abe Gibron as Himself Ed O'Bradovich as Himself Dick Butkus as Himself Chicago Bears as Themselves Music The musical theme to Brian 's Song, `` The Hands of Time '', was a popular tune during the early 1970s and has become a standard. The music for the film was by Michel Legrand, with lyrics to the song by Marilyn and Alan Bergman. LeGrand 's instrumental version of the theme song charted for eight weeks in 1972, peaking at # 56. Nashville pianist Floyd Cramer performed a popular version of `` The Hands of Time ''. Reception The film received acclaim and is often cited as one of the greatest television films ever made, as well as one of the greatest sports films. It holds a 92 % `` Fresh '' score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 12 critics, with a consensus stating `` Buoyed by standout performances from James Caan and Billy Dee Williams, Brian 's Song is a touching tale of friendship whose central relationship transcendeds its standard sports movie moments. '' Television critic Matt Zoller Seitz in his 2016 book co-written with Alan Sepinwall titled TV ( The Book ) named Brian 's Song as the fifth greatest American TV - movie of all time, stating that the film was `` The dramatic and emotional template for a good number of sports films and male weepies ( categories which tend to overlap a bit ) '', as well as `` an influential early example of the interracial buddy movie. '' Accolades The film won an Emmy Award for Best Dramatic Program ( 1971 -- 72 ). William Blinn won an Emmy for his teleplay, and Jack Warden won for his performance as Coach Halas. Caan and Williams were both nominated for best leading actor. Award Winner / Nominee Result Ref Eddie Awards Best Edited Television Program Brian 's Song Nominated Directors Guild of America Award Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television Buzz Kulik Won Emmy Award Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for Entertainment Programming -- For a Special or Feature Length Program Made for Television Brian 's Song Won Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Drama Jack Warden Won Outstanding Single Program -- Drama or Comedy Brian 's Song Won Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama -- Adaptation Brian 's Song Won Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing Brian 's Song Nominated Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition -- For a Special Program Brian 's Song Nominated Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama -- A Single Program Buzz Kulik Nominated Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role James Caan Billy Dee Williams Nominated Golden Globe Award Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film Brian 's Song Nominated PGA Awards PGA Hall of Fame -- Television Programs Brian 's Song Won Peabody Award Peabody Award ABC Television William Blinn Won TV Land Award Blockbuster Movie of the Week James Caan Billy Dee Williams Won Remake Main article : Brian 's Song ( 2001 film ) Thirty years after its original airing, a remake was aired in 2001 on ABC 's The Wonderful World of Disney starring Mekhi Phifer in Billy Dee Williams ' original role as Sayers and Sean Maher as Piccolo, the character originally played by James Caan. References ^ Jump up to : Marill, Alvin H. ( 1987 ). Movies Made For Television : The Telefeature and the Mini-series, 1964 -- 1986. New York : Baseline / New York Zoetrope. pp. 53 -- 4. ISBN 0 - 918432 - 85 - 5. Jump up ^ Lerner, Barron H. ( November 29, 2011 ). `` '' Brian 's Song `` : What Really Happened ''. History News Network. Retrieved January 23, 2017. Jump up ^ Thomas, Bob ( then - parent and future corporate sibling of the movie 's production company, Screen Gems ). `` TV ' Brian 's Song ' on movie screens '', The Dallas Morning News, April 29, 1972, page 2. ^ Jump up to : Harry Bowman. `` Broadcast Beat ( TV column ) : ' Brian 's Song ' superior film '', The Dallas Morning News, November 27, 1971, page 7A. Jump up ^ Sayers, Gayle ; Silverman, Al ( 1970 ). I am Third. New York City : Viking Press. ISBN 978 - 0670389773. Jump up ^ `` Brian 's Song ''. Turner Classic Movies. United States : Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved March 5, 2018. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2000 ). Top Pop Singles 1955 -- 1999. Record Research ( Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin ). p. 371. ISBN 0 - 89820 - 139 - X Jump up ^ Sepinwall, Alan ; Seitz, Matt Zoller ( September 2016 ). TV ( The Book ) : Two Experts Pick the Greatest American Shows of All Time ( 1st ed. ). New York, NY : Grand Central Publishing. p. 375. ISBN 9781455588190. Jump up ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068315/awards Jump up ^ Bud Talley ( 2 December 2001 ). `` Brian 's Song ( TV Movie 2001 ) ''. IMDb. Retrieved 24 September 2015. External links Brian 's Song on IMDb Brian 's Song at the TCM Movie Database Brian 's Song at AllMovie Brian 's Song at Rotten Tomatoes Primetime Emmy Award for Program of the Year Operation Undersea ( 1954 ) Peter Pan ( 1955 ) Requiem for a Heavyweight ( 1956 ) The Comedian ( 1957 ) An Evening with Fred Astaire ( 1958 ) Macbeth ( 1961 ) Victoria Regina ( 1962 ) The Tunnel ( 1963 ) The Making of the President, 1960 ( 1964 ) The Ages of Man ( 1966 ) Death of a Salesman ( 1967 ) Elizabeth the Queen ( 1968 ) Teacher, Teacher, ( 1969 ) A Storm In Summer ( 1970 ) The Andersonville Trial ( 1971 ) Brian 's Song ( 1972 ) A War of Children ( 1973 ) Films directed by Buzz Kulik The Explosive Generation ( 1961 ) The Yellow Canary ( 1963 ) Warning Shot ( 1967 ) Sergeant Ryker ( 1968 ) Villa Rides ( 1968 ) Riot ( 1969 ) Brian 's Song ( 1971 ) To Find a Man ( 1972 ) Shamus ( 1973 ) Bad Ronald ( 1974 ) Cage Without a Key ( 1975 ) The Hunter ( 1980 ) George Washington ( 1984 ) Women of Valor ( 1986 ) Too Young the Hero ( 1988 ) Chicago Bears Founded in 1919 Formerly the Decatur Staleys ( 1919 -- 20 ) and the Chicago Staleys ( 1921 ) Based in Chicago, Illinois Headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois Franchise History Coaches Seasons Current season Records Records and statistics Franchise records All - time record versus NFL Team awards and honors Players Head coaches Pro Football Hall of Famers First - round draft picks Starting quarterbacks Stadiums Staley Field Wrigley Field Soldier Field Memorial Stadium Soldier Field II Lore Staley Swindle 1932 Playoff Game First NFL Championship Game `` The Sneakers Game '' 73 -- 0 15 -- 1 46 defense Super Bowl XX Fog Bowl 75th Anniversary League Team NFL All - Time Team Cardiac Kids 2006 game vs. Arizona Cardinals Monsters of the Midway T formation George S. Halas Trophy Brian Piccolo Award Culture Brian 's Song 1971 2001 `` Bear Down, Chicago Bears '' `` The Super Bowl Shuffle '' Bill Swerski 's Superfans Chuck Swirsky Staley Da Bear Logos and uniforms Halas Hall A.E. Staley Jack Brickhouse Papa Bear Da Coach Roosevelt / Wabash 85386 Payton Chicago Honey Bears Jim Cornelison Rivalries Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings Retired numbers 5 7 28 34 40 41 42 51 56 61 66 77 89 Key personnel Chairman : George McCaskey President / CEO : Ted Phillips General Manager : Ryan Pace Head Coach : Matt Nagy Division championships ( 18 ) 1933 1934 1937 1940 1941 1942 1943 1946 1984 1985 1986 1988 1990 2001 2005 2006 Conference championships ( 4 ) 1956 1963 1985 2006 League championships ( 9 ) 1921 1932 1933 1940 1941 1943 1946 1963 1985 ( XX ) Media Broadcasters Radio : WBBM ( AM ) WCFS - FM ( FM simulcast of WBBM ) Personnel : Jeff Joniak ( play - by - play ) Tom Thayer ( analyst ) Zach Zaidman ( sideline reporter and radio coach 's show host ) Television : WFLD ( pre-season and most regular season games through Fox, official pre-game and post-game ) NBC Sports Chicago ( in - season team programming ) Personnel : Lou Canellis ( gameday television host, pre-season sideline reporter ) Sam Rosen ( pre-season play - by - play ) Jim Miller ( pre-season analyst ) Current league affiliations League : National Football League Conference : National Football Conference Division : North Division Seasons ( 98 ) 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1990 1991 2001 2017 Championship seasons in bold Book : Chicago Bears : Category : Chicago Bears WikiProject Chicago Bears Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brian%27s_Song&oldid=838704685 '' Categories : 1971 television films American football films American films ABC Movie of the Week Biographical films about sportspeople Chicago Bears Sports films based on actual events Films based on biographies Columbia Pictures films Films directed by Buzz Kulik Films about cancer Peabody Award - winning broadcasts Hidden categories : Pages using infobox television with editor parameter Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Deutsch Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Edit links This page was last edited on 28 April 2018, at 19 : 43. 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Question: who played gale sayers in brian's song
Answer: Billy Dee Williams