Customer Reviews

And the Beat Goes On - The Sonny and Cher Story

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This TV movie about the career of Sonny & Cher was based on Sonny Bono's autobiography. As a fan I found it enjoyable and well cast, but it's obviously Sonny's side of their story. It would be interesting to hear how Cher remembers it.

Still, the two lead actors do a credible job and their resemblance to their subjects is excellent. The story has to condense over thirty-five years of the duo's ups and downs into less than two hours, so a lot of events are telescoped and by necessity the film is very superficial.

Don't expect depth, but it's lot of fun to watch and to hear their hit songs. It's definitely worth checking out if you're a Sonny & Cher fan.

The actors look and sound very much like the REAL Sonny and Cher (especially the 60's version--although the actor portraying Sonny is probably a little better looking than the real Sonny Bono was). I was disturbed with the obvious prosthetic nose that the actor portraying Sonny was wearing though. Cher comes off as a total witch. Although at least one of Sonny's indiscretions was portrayed, Cher is the one who appears to drive him in this direction. Cher is incapable of happiness in this movie. She's somber, dark and unhappy throughout their relationship. I have trouble believing this when Cher herself has stated that their live's together were actually full of a lot of fun and laughs, despite some financial problems and 4 miscarriages. The early story of their initial meeting and Sonny's determination to make Cher a star is interesting, but overall this movie is very skewed to one point of view (which was a tad hurtful). I hope they come out with Cher's "Sonny and Me" show which was broadcast on television shortly after his death. I think this is a more accurate description of their relationship and Cher's obvious love and respect for the man comes through.

The actress who portrays Cher is uncanny! All of Cher's mannerisms, vocal inflections and snarky attitude were marvelously captured. The actor who portrays Sonny did not fare as well, though. Perhaps it is the obviously fake nose, but even the voice seems more cartoonish than the real Sonny. The film follows their lives from when they first meet to superstardom to divorce to reconciliation on the Letterman show. Better than your average TV movie.

This movie is amazing. I've watched it hundreds of times, and I am still in love with it. It's a comfort movie, a movie that is relaxing, and not too emotionally draining. Sonny and Cher's story is very very interesting, and this movie does a fine job telling it. The acting is wonderful - and little miss Cher has the part down pat. The only complaint I have is that the actors in the movie don't do their own singing - instead we hear the real Sonny's voice coming out of the actor playing Sonny, and the same with Cher. That is a little klunky at times, but if you can ignore that, you will not be disappointed in this.

I saw this docu film of the twosome on vh1 when it was first air sometime after sonny bono's death. I still think it is a great story I really enjoyed it as much as the temptations story. I am glad to find this product purchase came on time and in excellent condition. Thank you.

I really loved this movie. I thought the actors did a great job. The actress playing Cher really had her movements down pat and she REALLY looked like her! Enjoyed the music and just seeing how their "hits" came to be. Just wish it was longer!

My husband and I were huge fans of the old Sonny and Cher show and really enjoyed this biographical depiction of their lives. We felt the casting of the roles was very appropriate and they really looked like the originals and did a great job with their music also.

I thought this was a great bio movie. Sonny and Cher showed what can happen when you try hard enough. They kept at it and attained the fame that they have today.

I really liked this video. I thought they did a great job of tell the story of Sonny & Cher and the music was great too!

As television movies go, this one is fairly entertaining. Based on Sonny's 1991 memoir "The Beat Goes On" it tells the story of Sonny and Cher from their initial meeting through their 1975 divorce and their subsequent reunion on the Letterman show in 1987. The actress who plays Cher in this is uncanny. She has Cher's voice and all of her mannerisms down.

I definitely think this movie is worth watching if you are a Sonny & Cher fan. Be warned though, for the most part Cher is portrayed as an ungrateful witch, who basically uses Sonny to get her career going and then coldly dumps him as she is exasperated with his failings and never satisfied with their level of stardom. I read Sonny's book on which this movie is based, and I have to say that even in the book Sonny did not portray Cher as badly as she comes across in the movie. I'm sure some of the negative portrayal is true to a degree, but there's no way I believe that Cher was as horrible as she seems here. If she was, these two could not have stayed together for as long as they did, nor would their natural chemistry and affection for each other have come across as strongly as it always did on television.

I believe that Sonny and Cher did truly love each other, and unfortunately the movie shows a minimal amount of that affection. It almost feels like you are getting bombarded with the worst aspects of their relationship, which seems like only half of the story. In fact, it is hard to believe (from this portrayal) why Sonny would even LIKE Cher, much less love her. Yes, they had problems, yes, Sonny was a workaholic, yes, they both cheated on each other, and yes, ultimately, the fame ruined their ability to stay together as husband and wife -- BUT there were good times too, as both of them have attested to over the years. In my opinion, there should be more balance in the movie - there just aren't enough "good" moments between them which there HAD to have been in real life. One example is a moment that Sonny describes in the book but which is left out of the movie altogether -- their infamous "bathroom" wedding in 1964 where the two "married" themselves in their bathroom, exchanging silver bands with their names engraved - rings which they wore for years afterward. Instead of showing this sweet, romantic event, Cher just throws out a line prior to their 1969 Vegas Wedding stating that "everyone already thinks we've been married for years." None of the four miscarriages that Cher claims she had prior to Chastity's birth are ever mentioned at all.

Despite it's problems, I do think the movie is worth watching, and the music (sung by really good vocal impersonators) will put a smile on your face and bring back great memories.