Whether you know it or not two men are responsible for some of the greatest songs to grace classic Disney films (and thus your childhood) like Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and The Jungle Book. That’s really just the tip of the iceberg, because the Sherman brothers, known warmly to many as “The Boys”, were the driving force behind many of Disney’s famous musical masterpieces of yesteryear (before the days of Tim Rice and Elton John). Starting as two independently focused brothers that discover they have a knack for songwriting when they pair their talents, Robert (a would-be author) and Richard (a musician through and through) soon caught the ear of Walt Disney and started a career that catapulted them to songwriting fame. Yet despite their joint success, “The Boys” always had fierce independent streaks that proved a wedge at every step and kept their families far apart. The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story is the love letter from the sons of each Sherman brother in an attempt to show their fathers’ legacy and fill the breach their conflicting personalities created through the years.
If you didn’t grow up with the work of the Sherman brothers, then chances are your children, grandchildren, or someone you know did. Even if that’s not the case, the impact their work had on popular culture is undeniable. When Walt Disney needed a song written for the children of the world ride that would debut at the World’s Fair, who did he turn to? Richard and Robert Sherman. Do you know what the final product of that effort was? “It’s a Small World.” Every song in Marry Poppins? The Sherman brothers.
From their teenage years onward, Richard and Robert couldn’t have been more different. Some of the distance came from Robert’s time fighting in World War II, but that only served to widen the gap not make the initial hole. This incredibly detailed and fond recollection of their lives features lots of great archival footage (of varying preservation quality) and interviews with the likes of Mary Poppins stars Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews and current Disney Guru John Lasseter. The perspectives offered come from such a large range of professionals from Disney’s august history that you can’t help but feel that you’re hearing every possible perspective on these two. Granted, you could make the argument that the lens might be slightly rose-colored as it is simultaneously a tribute and reparatory piece designed to simultaneously celebrate the genius the two men exhibited and possibly serve as the bridge that will bring the estranged halves of the Sherman family back together.
The documentary feels fair and even-handed, willingly exposing the fractured family life the brothers created for themselves and how the two never connected in an especially personal way outside of their music. Had this been concocted by anyone besides the sons of each of “The Boys”, we might not have gotten the fair spin that we do here. Their desire to lay the faults out and clear the air so that peace can return to the Sherman family is what made this documentary possible in the first place, and their ability to make it so personal adds a really poignant touch to the proceedings. The Boys offers a rare, in-depth look into the lives of two of entertainment’s most prolific voices in film’s songwriting history, and it’s touching to boot.
The documentary gives a thorough history of a legacy many might just overlook. If you’re looking for a strong documentary or you’re a Disney nut then The Boys is two-hours well-spent.
DVD Bonus Features
The extras come to about 25 minutes of additional interviews and archival footage that offer deeper looks at subjects the documentary already covered quite thoroughly, but it’s worth checking out all the same. The featurettes include pieces on how they got the nickname “The Boys”, a look at Disney Studios in the 1960s, how they decided on the cast of Mary Poppins, how Richard and Robert wrote songs (which is really covered in-depth, yet this is still worth watching), the brothers’ participation in the development of music for theme parks, a retrospective interview with Roy Williams, Roberts post-retirement art, a jukebox featuring the music of the Sherman brothers, and more archive footage of red carpets. For Disneyholics, there’s a collectible music sheet replica from Mary Poppins of Walt’s favorite song (“Tuppence a Bag”).
"The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story" is on sale November 30, 2010 and is rated PG. Documentary. Directed by Jeffrey C Sherman, Gregory V Sherman. Starring Ben Stiller, John Lasseter, Julie Andrews, Robert Sherman, Richard Sherman, Dick Van Dyke.
