Product Details

• Actors: Gary Busey, Don Stroud, Charles Martin Smith, Conrad Janis, William Jordan
• Directors: Steve Rash
• Writers: Alan Swyer, John Goldrosen, Robert Gittler
• Producers: Edward H. Cohen, Frances Avrut-Bauer, Fred Bauer, Fred T. Kuehnert
• Format: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• VHS Release Date: June 23, 1994
• Run Time: 114 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 630280096X
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #127,288 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gary Busey brings Buddy Holly to life!, July 17, 2004

By 

Dave (Tennessee United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Buddy Holly Story (DVD)

I'm a huge fan of Gary Busey, who may not be a "star" but is nevertheless a great actor. This is by far his best performance, & I feel he deserved the best actor oscar more than Jon Voight (who won for Coming Home). Few people know that Busey was a musician before he was an actor, so in this awesome musical biography of Buddy Holly we get to see just how talented he is. The film is mostly factual, although some screen characters are actually composites of two or more people. The energy in Busey's performance is what makes this a winner. Not only did he sing, he did it while being filmed live! That's what gives this such a realistic look to it & it's why this stands out among the other musical biographies as one of the best. There was also a lot of unscripted dialogue that makes this even more entertaining. The best thing about the dvd is the hilarious & very informative commentary from the director Steve Rash & Gary Busey, which is almost as good as the film itself! This is an excellent tribute to a lengendary rock & roll icon & it won an oscar for best score adaptation. Do yourself a favor, add this great film to your collection!

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A simple but well done biography, January 18, 2004

By 

J. Buettner "Jaws Fan" (Folsom, Ca) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Buddy Holly Story (DVD)

This is not a huge hollywood production with slick lighting and camera work but rather a small production that almost has the feel of a cross between a home movie and a TV movie (in a good way). What this movie does so well is celebrate life, and simply follows a character with passion and drive. It's inspiring to see someone follow their dreams relentlessly and that is what the filmmakers have tapped into here. We all know how Buddy Holly's life ends (so if you don't know don't read on), but the movie never even shows a shot of the plane because that is not what it's about. Top this movie off with Gary Busy's performance which is even more impressive when one learns he did all the singing in this film live (he did not lip sync any of it!).

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Welcome to the world of Buddy Holly, November 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Buddy Holly Story [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The Buddy Holly Story starring Gary Busey should not be taken as a historical document. Nor do I believe it ever set out to be. What has been created is a film which gives the feel and atmosphere of Buddy Holly, his music and the USA of the day. To have been completely factual would have most probably killed the film with legal challenges and suppression. The Crickets leaving Buddy to side with Norman Petty in the split leading to the final tour and the bitter disappointment this must have caused Buddy, the actual split itself with Petty and the resultant financial complications, these happenings are really not the sort of thing to air in a movie to celebrate the life and music of one of the founders of Rock.

Instead Gary Busey has strapped on a Fender and in effect becomes Buddy Holly. The rhythm and beat, the frantic excitement, the sheer enjoyment of the music, it is all there. We actually get to experience a timeslice of a period some of us recall fondly and others would like to share. A wonderful reminder of good music for us oldies or a enjoyable introduction to a legend for others, a Rock'n'Roll legend quoted by The Beatles and a number of other major musical identities as a major influence in their music.