User Reviews

A Very Brady Christmas (1988)

** (out of 4)

Instead of going on a vacation to Greece, Carol and Mike Brady (Florence Henderson, Robert Reed) decide to instead invite the six kids and their families to a Christmas dinner. What the parents don't fully know is that all six are facing certain issues that will come out over the holiday. A VERY BRADY Christmas is a pretty silly and pretty stupid little picture but fans of the original TV show should still find it entertaining. I remember watching the show as a kid and enjoying it even though it certainly didn't represent any sort of real life that I knew. This film once again offers up the basic idea of the series, which is that everyone faces a problem but at the end the father will give a speech that makes everyone see things the correct way. I think the biggest thing working against the movie is that they just have so much to do in such little time and this makes for some pacing issues. We basically see Mike and Carol. We then are introduced to the six kids and their problems. Everyone comes together and one by one the problems are solved. There's certainly nothing ground-breaking here but it was still a fun way to get the original cast members to return (with the exception of Cindy) and fans should enjoy seeing them together. Both Henderson and Reed haven't missed a beat in their parts and the kids all do fine as well. Ann B. Davis, on the other hand, is pretty annoying here but this is certainly the fault of the screenplay more than anything else. A VERY BRADY Christmas isn't good enough to watch on a regular basis but it's still got enough bad charm that makes it worth watching just to see the cast members back in action.

All right folks, like Howard Beale said in Network, I am mad as hell and want to speak my mind. WHAT DO SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE AGAINST THE BRADY BUNCH!!!!! I have never in my life seen a tv show so unjustly maligned and ridiculed. All right, it didn't show life the way it was...but it showed life the way we wished it could be. Haven't all of us wished that we could be like the Bradys? Haven't all of us wished that we could live in a better world where families were warm and loving and kind to each other and stuck together and solved their problems thru the power of love? Haven't all of us wished in today's troubled times that there was a better world beyond this one? Where the worst problems were Marcia hogging the bathroom or Greg's hair turning green or Jan worrying her braces made her look silly. When this tv film came out in the Christmas of 1988, a tv guide reviewer said that it was a good reason to spend Christmas overseas! You SOB how dare you say that! I say thank God for The Brady Bunch. I watched that wonderful show as a child and I say with no shame whatsoever that I still enjoy it as an adult! Its like watching old friends! This is a wonderful film that is as fine as Its A Wonderful Life to me. I love seeing them all together again and I enjoyed when they used clips of the old show. It brought back so many wonderful memories as I am sure it did for so many.

No one ever claimed that the Brady's are award winning material, and that's fine with me. We don't watch the Bradys for mental stimulation, we watch them to make us feel like a kid again. Sure the plot is corny, the script is weak and the acting is as cheesy as ever, but isn't that what makes the Bradys special? No one can tell me that "Don't be sorry, just be Wally" isn't one of the greatest lines in Brady history. Those of you who choose to bash the Bradys should maybe chill out a little and realize that the Bradys have been around for over thirty years because loyal fans like me can appreciate the whole corny thing. I will continue to watch it every Christmas and I invite everyone else to as well. Long live the Bradys

I'm a real Brady Bunch fan & I love this sappy cute holiday movie. It's all 1980s nostalgia with a Brady twist. I love it. If you're not a Brady fan & you don't like 80s made-for-tv-Movies this is not for you; but if you're like me & enjoy the campy cheesy Brady Bunch tv shows and movies then you'll love this!!

I haven't seen it in a couple of years, but I still love it. Cheesy and shmaltzy, yes, but I have always loved the post "Bunch" stuff. (This and "The Bradys".) Good job by Jennifer Runyon filling in for Susan Olsen. Still the very, very best reunion movie of all time.

A Very Brady Christmas (1988) was a made-for-t.v. reunion special for America's most wholesome t.v. family The Bradys. The gang is reunited (sans Sue Olsen) to celebrate Christmas together, Despite all of the distance between the family members, they all take some time out of their lives to have a nice holiday with each other. But the whole thing is filled with the usual holiday movie clichés and tedium. This movie is only for die-hard fans.

This made-for-television-movie was a big ratings winner. They were strong enough to warrant a new t.v. series featuring a grown up version of The Bradys. It was interesting to see the kids all grown up and trying to solve real life problems. But this Christmas episode will satisfy die-hard Brady fans. Others will definitely want to watch something else. Followed by THE BRADYS.

This film was rushed into production in 1988. Hollywood was in the middle of a writers strike. This script however was already completed and ready to shoot. In fact the script was around for 5 years before CBS picked it up. Upon viewing the film you can fully understand why it wasn't made. 5 years earlier. "Its not Very Good".

For fans of the show you will enjoy this reunion. However Cindy Brady Susan Olsen declined participation in this and was replaced by Jennifer Runyon and she is fine but true fans will miss Susan I know I did.

In this film The entire Brady family manages to overcome personal obstacles to spend a happy holiday together. Its the first time in years that the entire family is reunited.

Each Brady Child is going through something and has reservation about the reunion.

I think this reunion film was okay but the final few minutes are worse then a visit from cousin Oliver. There is a scene where Mike Brady is in danger on the family starts "Singing".

Listen I loved "The Brady Bunch". I just did not like this film.

To those who have watched the Brady Bunch...God! I can't believe it's been that long! If you have watched the series and are a full fledged Brady Bunch fan, then you will enjoy A Very Brady Christmas for your holiday movie viewing.

Shot on the original set, ...and with a few decorative updated changes, Mike and Carol are contemplating how to spend the holidays. And how would family oriented parents spend it---by inviting the whole family!! Of course, not all is perfect with Americas lovable family. Work Stress, tough life career decisions, and divorce loom in the air. But in true Brady and television fashion, all crisis are solved by the end of the episode. ....except one last very life threatening situation.

True, it IS a TV movie based on a TV series. The dialog is tin pan and the acting is grade B acting. But remember, A Very Brady Christmas is a Christmas story fantasy like Frosty The Snowman and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. The "miracle" ending is laughable but very heartwarming and memorable.

In other words, take it what it is. A Very Brady Christmas should be loved by fans. The Christmas message is that family is most important and possibly with their help we may fulfill our hopes and dreams.--or as Alice says "It's nice to have family" If you never seen the series, you may be dismayed by the sugary sweetness of the characters.

So take a Very Brady Christmas as it is....a family celebration of togetherness that may be sometime to sweet to take, but it goes down like an enjoyable Christmas pie!

My family used to look forward to "The Brady Bunch" kicking off every Friday night (along with the rest of the ABC lineup; Must See TV, early 70s-style). Hundreds of thousands wished they could be part of this family. Who wouldn't want to be able to neatly solve their problems in 30 minutes with such understanding parents? Not to mention the memorable Hawaiian vacation episodes (a few Hawaii episodes were de rigueur for sitcoms of the era). While series star Robert Reed always chafed at the simplistic comic situations, it did manage to endear itself to the Me generation. After the original show left primetime, there were several abortive attempts to bring them back.

Of the numerous variations on the Brady theme, this reunion was the most true to form. The "Brady Kids" cartoon was too, well, cartoonish, with a magical, talking crow and no parents to be seen. "The Brady Bunch Variety Hour" was a short-lived flop. "The Brady Brides" had its moments, but couldn't capture the spirit of the original, since it didn't include the entire cast. 1990's "The Bradys" became too serious, moving the house, paralyzing Bobby, turning Marcia into an alcoholic and Mike into a politician, not to mention losing Maureen McCormick. Those changes resulted in a 6 episode run, besting the 10 episodes of the Brides and the 8 of the Variety Hour to become the shortest-lived Brady show. The Brady Bunch theatrical films were a travesty, choosing to mock the original clan as inexplicably Munster-ish outcasts blissfully ignorant of their retrofreakishness.

In my household, watching this is a holiday season tradition, the way "Miracle on 34th Street," "It's a Wonderful Life," "A Christmas Story" or "Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer" is for others. After all, Christmas is the warm and fuzzy season and the Brady Bunch was nothing if not warm and fuzzy. When this was first broadcast, it was like seeing old friends again after a very long time, not unlike Schwartz' first successful TV show reunion, "Rescue from Gilligan's Island." Everybody had grown older, but nothing had really changed. Greg had married offscreen and both he and Marcia had kids, but that's about it. The house with its cavernous interior was thoroughly familiar and painstakingly recreated and updated. Only the driveway and backyard was missing. And the situations were classic. With roughly 100 minutes to fill, everybody got to have their own secrets and problems. True, the reunion sometimes verged on mawkishness, especially with the caroling, but that's part of the Brady charm. Only in the last 15 minutes did it drag, with Mike trapped in a construction site collapse.

All of the original cast members were at just the right age. Robert Reed never seemed more paternal. The kids were still young, but no longer the cloying youngsters of endless reruns. The production also teemed with pretty ladies. Aside from Marcia, Marcia, Marcia, there was Greg's wife Nora, Peter's girlfriend Valerie, and Jennifer Runyon as a prettier, if blander, Cindy. Susan Olsen, the original Cindy, was on her honeymoon (she should have done the reunion, since that marriage ended in divorce). Also missing was Allan Melvin, the original Sam the butcher. Only Florence Henderson was a distraction, with almost Tammy Fay Bakkerish makeup and overplucked eyebrows.

Now Schwartz is working on yet another Brady project where Mike is elected President. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Thanks, but I'll stick with this, the last vestige of old school Brady.

This is a movie that is really only going to be tolerated by true "Brady" fans. We never really took them seriously as a family, but we loved watching them. The Brady's are, in deed, a non-existent family, but that makes them even more fun to watch- Escapism !!

And now, the whole family (minus the original Cindy) is back together again in a less-groovy, updated surroundings, for a Christmas gathering, in Brady fashion. The whole house is full of Brady's and more Brady's (they've multiplied). Alice doesn't live here anymore, but she's got problems of her own and shows up at just the right moment- to help with Christmas dinner.

A Very Brady Christmas is less than average t.v. fare if you were not a Brady fan. To those who watched faithfully every Friday night, you're gonna love seeing 'em in all their unbelievable camp, once again.

Christmastime just isn't complete for me without watching this movie. The Brady family reuniting for the holidays always produces warm fuzzies for me. The original show was cheesy and so is this reunion movie, but it is also surprisingly well acted by every member of the ensemble cast and hits upon some real truths about family togetherness. Jennifer Runyon seamlessly fills the shoes of Susan Olsen in this yuletide gathering, Maureen McCormick is as beautiful as ever, and Florence Henderson is still the sunniest and most perky television mom around. A TV movie can get away with being sappy if it's focused around Christmas, and this movie succeeds on every level as a feel-good holiday reunion film.

This is an excellent reunion movie.It has a great storyline,some wonderful writing,and situations that alternate between comedy and drama.No other reunion movie has ever stayed more true to the original charachter conceptions while allowing them to grow.An excellent movie,part of my christmas tradition.

I just watched this awful awful movie again last night. The dysfunctionality of the clan, which was somewhat hidden, was in full force for viewing (dis)pleasure.

Marcia's husband lost his job, and she just ignored his pain, and talked up her family christmas plans. Jan was a cruel bitch to her husband. Marcia's kid tormented Greg's kid, calling him the "slug". Greg not only allowed it, but didn't correct the brat. Jan and her husband reconcile in a cheesy way, with Carol Brady present, and she encourages them to be late for breakfast to have sex.

Greg's wife works with him as his nurse.(how creepy is that by the way? A gynecologist who works with his wife as he examines women's privates is pretty ummm odd). Greg has shlepped to her family's house for christmas several years straight, but she refuses to go with him, so he and the kid go with out her.

The classic moment in this movie is the Christmas tree scene. The "men" walk into the house carrying the tree, singing the first few lines of "Deck the Halls", the women, pick up in harmony, in time, and they perform a male/female duet. Even Peter's girlfriend, who had never been there before, knew when it was her turn to sing.

To sum up, the writer has some deep seated issues with women. They are pretty much all terrible. At the end, Sam, who had been cheating around, offers a quick apology to Alice, she accepts, and 2 seconds later, Carol doesn't allow them time to reconnect, because it's time for another sing a long.

This is a very very very bad movie. I watch it every year. I recommend it!

The lack of a laugh track on this, even though it's a feature length movie, made it a LOT less enjoyable. As most here, I've seen every episode of the Brady Bunch and loved it! It was nice to see almost the entire cast back in action, but the plot and some characters **cough** Marcia's little butt hole kid, Mickey **cough** left a lot to be desired. Part of what made the Brady Bunch sitcom special was its lighthearted and comical approach to more complex problems in life, but the tone of this movie is kind of a downer. Sure, the ending ties everything together, but it has little of the charm that made the sitcom so enjoyable. I realize that the kids are adults and now have adult problems, but it was a jarring change of style and pace from what we are used to seeing.

Back to the lack of a laugh track; The movie relied heavily on quirky expressions by Alice and one liners from Carol and Mike that would normally result in thunderous laughter from the laugh track. Instead, we are treated with awkward silence and pause from the other cast members. This could be forgiven if it was once or twice, but it happened a lot. Definitely questioning Sherwood Schwarz' decision making on nixing the laugh track and making it so dramatic.

One final complaint. If you are going to make the movie dramatic, at least take the time to roll out the problems and allow for a little conflict to occur to spice it up. The films spends the first 30-45 minutes unloading all the problems of each kid and their respective spouse, which are interesting. The problem is that the problems are quickly and neatly solved with hardly any conflict, which was a bit boring. I think this could have been pretty good as a limited TV series so that the problems could be given a little more depth and character development.

I am more than likely over analyzing a made for TV movie which serves as nothing more than a reunion episode, BUT I really enjoyed the sitcom and was hoping for more from this.

I watched the Brady bunch probably nearly every day after school. I watched this movie the first time when I was 7-10 most likely the year it first aired and watched it every Christmas season after till the network stopped airing it regularly and only airing it one ever two years. I search for it every Christmas season. About 4 years ago switched from cable tv to streaming tv and it was on Hulu watched it a few times, but Hulu has removed it from there lineup and all searches this year came up empty. I fully understand some people can't watch because the Brady Bunch was so unrealistic and corny but now days with the crap on that is inappropriate for children to even be watching but made specifically for them or to entice them to watch classic shows like the Brady Bunch is much better for them to watch for any parent reading this good clean classics that you don't have to worry about are The Waltons, Dr Quinn, Brady Bunch, just to name a few.

OK, I will agree some of the dialogue and situations in this movie are VERY corny. But it's also warm and winning as the Bradys reunite for the holidays. Some of the situations here were continued in the series The Bradys, which followed a year later. Sadly, Susan Olsen wasn't in the film (was on her honeymoon at the time), but the rest of the family is back! A nice little film to enjoy come holiday season. A bit of trivia: Tonya Lee Williams, who plays Cindy's roommate here, went on to play Olivia on the Young and the Restless, a role she's played for the last decade.

I absolutely love the Brady Bunch and so does my daughter now ( she's 14). We love this movie.

It was great seeing the whole Brady clan together- except for the orig Cindy. I've always loved Florence Henderson she still looks beautiful in this movie.

Of course there are some corny scenes and just annoying characters. Marcia's husband Wally is a nerd who doesn't want anyone to know he lost his job. Their son is a bratty red head who's mean to Greg's kid. You seriously want to punch the brat in the face.

When bringing in the tree, the Bradys break out into a cheesy Christmas song which no normal family actually sings.

When Peter and Bobby talk in the middle of the night, Peter is wearing a nightgown. What guy actually wears that?

Look for a big goof decorating the Christmas tree. Some bad audio. Hard to believe that wasn't caught during editing.

Cheesy Christmas fun I watch every holiday.

I watched "A Very Brady Christmas" when it first aired in 1988. I've seen it a quite few times over the years. It's a goofy movie that only fans of the show could love. It's always nice to catch up with the Bradys. Grown-up Jan looks good but, sorry, Marcia looks better. Even better are Peter's girlfriend and a very dreamy "new" Cindy. "A Very Brady Christmas" has a bunch of little dramas that will all work out. This movie has goodwill to spare. If someone has never seen "The Brady Bunch" this movie would not work at all. It barely works for someone who grew up on the show, like me. I'll pretty much watch this movie whenever I catch it on tv. (Dishonorable mention: when Greg greets Marcia at the door by kissing her on the lips.)

Well, what can this guy say? Like many, I grew up watching 'The Brady Bunch' and while, yes, it was/is cheesy - as we all know - I loved it.

Many of the reviews posted here say it all. But I'll add my two cents anyhow...

Marcia Brady - 'Sigh' - THE Marcia Brady, gorgeous Brady girl #1 who occupied the upper left hand photo box in the series opening credits. Marcia Brady - cheerleader at both Filmore Junior High and Westdale High, the girl who beat Greg at their Brady organized driving tests, the girl who did the sexy hula dance during the Brady's 3 part Hawaiian vacation. Marica Brady - every guy's dream date, a girl who could flip her alluring Breck shampooed long blonde hair and win any guy.......ended up marrying that loser WALLY??? Puh-LEASE! What in the heck were the writers thinking....or smoking?

Note: Maureen looked HOT in this TV movie.

And then we have...........Jan. Yes, poor neurotic, borderline manic depressive/personality disorder afflicted Jan ("But, Glasses will make me look positively GOOFY!" - Yes, sweety, they did) with the OH SO serious sense of low self esteem (watch any episode of the original series and see this morose gal in action. Remember when, jealous of Marcia, in episodes 1-116, she hid all of Marcia's awards and trophies?) is even MORE so in this movie! Add in frigid, bitchy, and a short cropped hairdo that only amplified her scowling look, and whaddya got? Ya got Jan Brady - 1990's style. And it ain't a pretty sight.

Aye yi yi. BAD TV reunion movie. Two thumbs (my own) down.

Heheheheheh....but I still watch it.

I suppose what I may've liked best about this was the prologue to it of which was seen the 2 times that it was played on CBS & the narrator said"Do you remember those kids?" & then they showed that clip in which Alice had said "They're terrific."Then the narrator said "Well now they're all grown up,so join in on the fun,you're invited to have a Very Brady Christmas."I'm Never taken away by a stand in not of Cindy nor even Sam It's so bad that it's hysterical.It's incredibly dumb but still somewhat enjoyable.I'll admit they're revivals make them look worse each time around but it's a case of you can't live with 'em and you can't live without 'em.They drift away for the same reason that they drift back.Its corny humor gets worse for the same reason the more they stay but for the same reason it's missed when they drift away.The Phone change of scenes similar to that as seen in The Brady Girls Get Married is also similar to the change of reading of the books by both parents when they change places on insistence that the other parents' job is simpler.The flash back footage of the camping trip along with the Santa & Little Cindy & mother Singing in the Church then flashing back to all of the family singing the same song of "Oh come let us adore him Christ The Lord." to give Mike the strength and stamina to reemerge from the rubble is cute.A stand in Sam was less of a thing than a stand in Cindy.As shown when Sam came in the Santa suit And was pleading for Alice to take him back.Among other things Peter and Valerie each do have a question to pop.But everyone in all has something to nearly make the Holiday a flop.This film also happily ends with Alice proclaiming the their dinner to be the best Christmas Dinner in the history of reheated Christmas dinners but would've been better if it had her pies of which just kept asking what happened to them when it was obvious & here is where the cynicism & sarcasm for this "reunion" had more than just gone too far too.

Truthfully, Stephen "Steve" G. Baer a.k.a. "Ste" of Framingham,Ma.USA

I was a big fan of the Brady Bunch show when it was on and I was young and naive. I, just as most who watched it, knew it wasn't realistic. We knew it wasn't how most families interact etc. but we liked it just the same. When I watched this in 1988, I was disappointed. It was very well done but I guess the Brady Bunch, as many shows, was good only in its time so when reunions/updates are done, it does not have much impact - at least that's how I felt about this one. The best part was seeing (hearing) a Brady use the the word "hell!" Christopher Knight, as Peter, tells one of his siblings (I don't recall which) "That's a hell of a way to greet your brother" or something to that effect. Way to go Peter! That added some much needed realism to a show that even the most ardent fans will concede lacked realism. If I see it in my listings during the holiday season, I may check it out again but I did not care for it the first time so I doubt that will change.