Gleason Summary
Director: Howard Deutch
Genres: Drama
Everybody_Loves_Raymond co-star Brad_Garrett brings "The Great One" to life in this made-for-TV biography of video icon Jackie_Gleason. The product of a fractious Brooklyn childhood, capped by the abrupt desertion of his ne'er-do-well father, Gleason launches his show business career with the motto "Never depend on anyone." Yet because of his multitude of insecurities, he demands total loyalty and 100-percent devotion from everyone around him. Trouble is, he has no loyalty or devotion to give in return: Dedicated to his career, his drinking, and his womanizing (not always in that order), Jackie neglects his wife Gen (Gretchen_Egolf) and his children, tyrannizes his associates in general and his faithful agent George "Bullets" Durgom (Saul_Rubinek) in particular, and shamelessly steals other people's ideas and comedy material, claiming it exclusively as his own. For all his bluster and bullying, Gleason remains likable and arguably even lovable -- just like his most famous TV character, Brooklyn bus driver Ralph Kramden (indeed, the script suggests that Gleason was Kramden and Kramden was Gleason -- and that Jackie was envious of Ralph's ability to "make things up" to his long-suffering wife Alice at the end of each Honeymooners sketch). The film is at its best in its re-creations of Gleason's stage and TV triumphs, though one could nitpick about the hazy and often downright inaccurate chronology of events. As the title character, Brad_Garrett offers an uncannily on-target portrayal, despite the fact that the 6'8" actor was nearly a foot taller than the real Gleason (this discrepancy was amply compensated for by the clever camera angles of cinematographer Neil_Roach, not to mention the elevator shoes worn by practically every other member of the cast). Of the supporting players, Gretchen_Egolf and Terry_Farrell are superb as Jackie's first and second wives respectively, while Michael_Chieffo's portrayal of Art_Carney is eerily perfect. Co-written by Michael_Preminger and Rick_Podell, the same team responsible for Jackie_Gleason's final theatrical feature Nothing in Common, Gleason made its CBS network debut on October 13, 2002. Hal Erickson, Rovi
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