# The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart

The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart is a 2020 American documentary film, directed by Frank Marshall. It follows the life and career of the Bee Gees.
The film had a limited theatrical release in the U.K., Australia and New Zealand on December 3, 2020 with its worldwide release on December 12, 2020, through HBO Max. It received positive reviews and has been nominated for six Emmy Awards, including the Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.

## Synopsis

The film follows the life and career of brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb, the Bee Gees. It includes interviews with Barry, alongside archival interviews with Robin and Maurice, plus new interviews with Vince Melouney (former Bee Gees' guitarist during the mid-to-late 1960s) and former touring members Alan Kendall and Blue Weaver.
It also features interviews with other musicians and individuals in the Bee Gees' orbit, including Lulu, Yvonne Gibb, and archival interviews with the Bee Gees' younger brother Andy Gibb.
Other musicians and individuals (outside of the Bee Gees' orbit) interviewed include Justin Timberlake, Noel Gallagher, Nick Jonas, Chris Martin, Eric Clapton, Mark Ronson, and Bill Oakes.

## Production

The film is directed by Emmy-nominated director Frank Marshall, and written by Mark Monroe, with Barry Gibb participating for interviews with HBO for the documentary.

## Release

The film was given a limited theatrical release by Universal Pictures in the U.K., Australia and New Zealand on December 3, 2020 with a release worldwide on HBO Max on December 12, 2020, in association with Polygram Entertainment.
The film was first released on DVD, digital and Blu-ray disc in the United Kingdom by Universal Pictures on December 14, 2020. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released it on disc in the United States on November 16, 2021 with two deleted Scenes - Meeting the Bee Gees and Bands of Brothers.

## Reception
### Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 52 critics and assessed 52 as positive and 2 as negative for a 96% rating. Among the reviews, it determined an average rating of 7.7/10. The critics consensus reads "Blessed with the Bee Gees' discography and director Frank Marshall's concise thesis, How Can You Mend a Broken Heart is a poignant documentary that persuasively argues the trio's importance in music history."

### Accolades

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| 2021 | American Cinema Editors Awards | Best Edited Documentary (Non-Theatrical) | Derek Boonstra and Robert A. Martinez | Nominated |
| 2021 | Cinema Audio Society Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Motion Picture – Documentary | Gary A. Rizzo and Jeff King | Won |
| 2021 | Golden Reel Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Feature Documentary | Jonathan Greber and Pascal Garneau | Nominated |
| 2021 | Philadelphia Film Festival | Best Documentary (Audience Award) | Frank Marshall | Won |
| 2021 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special | David Blackman, Nicholas Ferrall, Jody Gerson, Jeanne Elfant Festa, Mark Monroe, Frank Marshall and Aly Parker | Nominated |
| 2021 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program | Frank Marshall | Nominated |
| 2021 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Programming | Mark Monroe | Nominated |
| 2021 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming | Derek Boonstra and Robert A. Martinez | Nominated |
| 2021 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program (Single or Multi-Camera) | Jonathan Greber and Pascal Garneau | Won |
| 2021 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program (Single or Multi-Camera) | Gary A. Rizzo, Jeff King and John Rampey | Nominated |