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DAYDREAM BELIEVERS: THE MONKEES' STORY

Aspect ratio: 1.33:1

Sound format: Stereo

The rise and fall of a manufactured pop group - America's answer to The Beatles - who struggled to be taken seriously as bona fide musicians.

Appropriately for a band as airbrushed and stage-managed as The Monkees, Neill Fearnley's entertaining biopic is equally airbrushed and stage-managed, dispensing with unpleasant reality (for the most part) in favor of feel-good party tricks. Ron McGee's innocuous teleplay (based on Harold Bronson's book 'Hey Hey We're the Monkees') sketches the group's history in broad narrative strokes, from the audition which brought Davy (George Stanchev), Micky (Aaron Lohr), Peter (L.B.Fisher) and Mike (Jeff Geddis) together, to the international success of their madcap TV show (used as little more than a marketing tool) and their subsequent disillusionment, sparked by management's refusal to allow them greater creative input. Events are depicted in pastel shades, rather like the TV show, but without the laughs. Peter is shown smoking pot, and the guys' bickering descends into chaos as the band falls apart (they disbanded in 1970), but the script refuses to take risks, which means viewers are short-changed by a lack of historical accuracy: For example, there's no mention of the resentment caused when Peter Tork became the first to jump ship in 1969, only a bittersweet ending which barely mentions their break-up at all.

Fans will be astonished by the physical resemblance of the actors to their real-life counterparts (except for Lohr, whose similarity to Micky Dolenz is superficial at best), and their impersonations are equally remarkable, especially during the lengthy musical interludes (including a meticulous recreation of the famous 'Daydream Believer' promo, and the opening montage of the TV show), all realized with startling accuracy. If nothing else, however, "Daydream Believers..." reminds us that The Monkees produced some of the most enduring pop songs of the 1960's (including 'Last Train to Clarksville', 'I'm a Believer' and the excellent 'All of Your Toys'), reproduced here in their entirety (the actors mime to original recordings). Devotees will either be outraged or enthralled.

NB. 'Jack Nicholson' and 'John Lennon' turn up in brief cameos, both played by uncredited actors.

This movie was an enjoyable watch; missed it the first time but caught it on Netflix recently. The resemblance of the actors to the real Monkees is amazing, particularly Davy (George Stanchev, although much taller than the real Davy) and Peter (L.B. Fisher). Although Mike Nesmith (Jeff Geddis) and Micky Dolenz (Aaron Lohr) were not exact lookalikes,they gave stunning portrayals. For example, Geddis' mannerisms and Texan accent were spot on. And Lohr's portrayal of Dolenz' over-the-top on-stage performances and his crazy facial expressions, mimicry, etc. brought back fond memories. All of the actors took great care in portraying each of The Monkees' individual personalities. Even their voices were soundalikes (although British viewers say that Stanchev's accent was not an authentic Manchester accent). Although the television show was depicted accurately, the writing for the entire movie was very poor; something was missing. SPOILER: For example, the Beatles threw a party for the Monkees when they were touring in London. This entire scene (which should have been exciting) was boring. All in all, this was a fond tribute to The Monkees but it could have been exceptional.

Being a true Monkees buff, I'd have to say that, after one gets over the inaccuracies in the script, the filmmakers couldn't have done a better job. Unmentioned in previous reviews is the all-consuming egomania displayed by Colgems music president Don Kirshner, who made so much money during his 9-10 months in charge that his casual dismissal of the four individual Monkees is nothing less than petty (to the end of his life, he always insisted on total credit for their success). The script manages to incorporate just about all the most famous names associated with the group: songwriters (Neil Sedaka, Neil Diamond, Carole King, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart), and performers (The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Jack Nicholson). The four actors were all praiseworthy, particularly L. B. Fisher's Tork, who conveys that inner essence the show rarely allowed. The three others basically played extensions of themselves, but Peter had to play a kind of 'Harpo Marx/Stan Laurel' composite, not so much 'the dummy,' as he himself described it, but simply the trusting, naïve innocent, which of course he definitely was not. George Stanchev really nails Davy's moves, and probably bears the strongest physical resemblance to his namesake (amazingly, neither of these two actors worked beyond 2003). Jeff Geddis gets the full portrait of Nesmith, who wasn't as volatile as this suggests, nor apologetic, simply an ambitious young man who saw the TV series as a means to an end. Of course, he had the most experience in the studio (both as a writer and producer), and did encourage the others to compose their own songs. Aaron Lohr's Micky isn't as good as the others, but to be fair it appears he had less to work with, scriptwise; Micky Dolenz was such an enormous talent in front and behind the camera, that to this day his remains one of the most recognized voices of the 1960s. Rather than carp on what's missing, consider how the existence of this modest little biopic shot in Canada is not just a boon for The Monkees themselves, but a nice introduction for younger viewers unfamiliar with the phenomenon (forget 1987's The New Monkees). Actual Monkees recordings used: "(Theme from) The Monkees," "Last Train to Clarksville," "I'm a Believer," "Daydream Believer," "I Wanna Be Free," and "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," the latter two actual live performances from the band's 1967 summer tour (heck, the only essential one missing really is "Pleasant Valley Sunday"). "All of Your Toys" was a Bill Martin composition that earned the distinction of being their very first studio recording as a band (Jan 16 1967), but due to it not being a Screen Gems copyright remained in the can until 1987's MISSING LINKS release. As an added bonus, used during their meeting with The Beatles, is "(All in the) All in All," from the 1998 disc RE-ZOOM by The Knack, a group that was ballyhooed in 1979 ("My Sharona," "Good Girls Don't") as being 'Beatlesque,' and once you hear it you'll understand why.

Uncanny physical and vocal resemblances by the young cast to the actual Monkees highlight this VH1 film about the fictional TV show band who wanted to be a real rock group. Being shown on television followed by a Behind the Music profile of the actual band, the audience is thoroughly convinced that the Monkees we see in this TV film are indeed the same Monkees we saw in the 1966 - 1968 TV series. Sometimes this type of impressionist casting can be distracting, but in this case each actor seems to be the madcap Mickey Dolenz, the down home Mike Nesmith, the spiritual Peter Tork, and the prim and corny Davy Jones. In fact so convincing, sometimes it seems we are watching a feature length version of the TV show. When we are introduced to Mike Nesmith he really is wearing a wool hat and driving a red convertible. In other words, what we were seeing was closer to their actual lives than we may have originally thought.

The film begins with an idea by the producers of the TV show to create a fictional band (complete with actual albums released in record stores) and show their personal life on television in a slap stick comedy format not too different than the The Beatles film efforts. The music would be produced using the best studio musicians and songwriters (Boyce and Hart, Neil Diamond, Jeff Barry, Paul Williams, Stephen Stills) and featuring the vocal talents of the four young actors (two of whom can actually play instruments). The music is a smash busting the charts both as singles and albums. Not satisfied with their success they strive to become a real band (lead singer Mickey Dolenz learning to play the drums, Mike Nesmith rising as the behind the scenes leader of the band) and set off to prove their critics wrong by playing live concerts to packed arenas. The film is mostly light comedy with a happy ending which in itself sets it apart from most stories of destruction we see in other efforts made about the lives of Karen Carpenter and The Beach Boys or end with a fatal air crash such as The Buddy Holly Story. This film actually ends with all the performers alive, well, and happy. In the Behind the Music profile that follows, we see that decades later they are still alive, well, and happy.

Some parts of the film are not as successful. The meeting between the Beatles and the Monkees just doesn't work. Short segments that show Davy Jones talking to his dad and being told how unhappy he really is or Mike Nesmith talking to his wife seemed tagged on. The actor portraying Jack Nicholson (he scripted the Monkees movie "Head") seemed to be doing Jim Carrey doing Jack Nicholson. But the movie is very enjoyable, as fluffy as a TV sitcom, and the pre-fab four are just four guys who are given their shot and make the most of it while trying to keep their pride and dignity. A band of Pinnochio daydream believers who for a short while merge fantasy with reality and become a real band.

I don't know why there is so much criticism of this film. While I was watching it someone walked in and thought that it was actually 'The Monkees', that shows what a great job all the lead actors did. Aaron Lohr was quite convincing as Micky Dolenz which isn't easy as Mr Dolenz has a very unique look. Jeff Geddis was a very convincing Mike. George Stanchev did a fine job of Davy Jones in my opinion, I thought his accent was pretty good and the look was spot on. LB Fisher was a very convincing Peter Tork. They not only looked like 'The Monkees' they talked and moved like them. What more do you want from a Biopic? You will never get every detail right as you cannot cram several years into a couple of hours without some artistic license. The only film that really got it all right was Ray! The characterisations of other famous people in the film didn't quite live up to it, especially Jimmy Hendricks and The Beatles, but the Jack Nicholson was pretty good I'd say. Could they have done things better in this film? Yes of course they could, but over all it was a pretty good and convincing portrayal. My only criticism is the ending could have been better and in fact the film itself could have been a bit longer to show more about the split of the group etc. But I would still wholeheartedly recommend this film to anyone with an interest in music, the 60s or The Monkees themselves.

This is definitely a movie for either the first-timer who knows nothing about the Monkees, or the person who liked them when young and wants a quick trip down memory lane.

For the die-hard fan (like myself) it will probably be a waste of time. I did not necessarily consider it such; it was entertaining and contained quite a bit of accurate information. The actors were spot-on and the portrayals of the real group were eerily accurate--right down to mannerisms! Many people reviewing this movie were grumbling about this and that...whilst watching please remember this is a MOVIE, not a bio-pic. This was (I believe) the main reason for throwing in all the 're-enactments' of the TV shows, movie, videos and concerts.

Not a must-see for die-hards, but entertaining and worth watching!

I am a huge Monkees fan, from the time I was a toddler (I was 1 when the show premiered). I've seen every episode, read books, own box sets--you get the picture. I was excited when I saw that VH1 was going to air this movie, and kept an open mind while watching, knowing that no biopic ever gets it all right, and since I know more about the subject than the average viewer, I didn't want to judge too harshly. This one was definitely a mixed bag, a mostly disappointing one.

The movie wouldn't have been too bad, except for the ending--sooooo goofily bad! And why waste time re-doing segments from the show, particularly the entire "Daydream Believer" video? Plus, combining the creators into one guy was weird. The cast was pretty good, though, especially the actor who played Mike.

It's fine to watch if you're killing time and happen upon it on TV. It's just not one worth making an effort to see.

Okay, I must confess that this movie is more like a fanfiction than a real biography, but it based on "Hey Hey We're The Monkees", by Harold Bronson and the same named Interview Special. The guys who played the Monkees did a very good job (and it was a hard one!) and so did the people who produced the film, although they didn't have much time or money to do the movie. Sure the wigs DO look ridiculous and sure there ARE lots of mistakes in the film, but the feeling of the sixties shines through it. L.B. Fisher was excellent as Peter Tork, Jeff Geddis portrayed Mike Nesmith very good (especially the rage of fury!), George Stanchev must have practiced Davy's dancing very hard and sometimes I thought Aaron Lohr WAS Micky Dolenz. And by the way: These guys are just cute and absolute adorable!

But yes, a lot of good detail was missed. Micky's hair was straight in the first season, and Mike wrote and sang his own songs that year, too. Yes, they wanted to play their own instruments and yes, they wanted to be less goofy. But they realized they were making people happy, and it was clearly demonstrated that these guys gelled as performers together. I'm only surprised it took me 21 years to know that this even exists. I wish for a better one.

I thought that this movie was one of the best made Biopics in that it captured The Monkees perfectly. The likenesses were staggering and although Aaron Lohr is not a spot on likeness for Micky Dolenz (and who could be?) he captures his facial expressions and mannerisms so well that he does a really good portrayal of him. The story although not 100% accurate is close enough and you can forgive the little changes that are made for the sake of moving the story forward.

What was really good was the way it showed their naive enthusiasm on to their becoming very credible musicians themselves and on to the frustrations they faced. Jef Geddis as Mike Nesmith did this particularly well.

All to often when Biopics are made the actors likeness to the star they are portraying is overlooked, (The exception being such films as Ray where Jamie Foxx became Ray Charles perfectly) but not so in this film. Even L.B Fisher as Peter Tork and George Stanchev as Davey Jones are really good.

So I would recommend this movie to any Monkees fan or anyone who enjoys similar types of film. Thoroughly entertaining throughout.

As someone who watched the Monkees as a very little girl with my counter-culture parents, this movie is a pleasant stroll down memory lane. However, though the actors portals of the Monkees are pretty spot on, the truth of it all is very glossed over in a huge way. Watching this 20 yrs after it was made makes is almost more of a commentary about the 90s and how they made biographies, than anything else. I recommend it if you were a fan of the Monkees, otherwise, I'd watch a documentary of them instead.

"Monkees: Daydream Believers" was a major disappointment. The beginning scene, presumably set in the late 90's or 2000, was weak and added no interest to the show. The best part of the movie was in the early scenes when they were casting the show. It went downhill from there. While it purported to portray the Monkees' story, the plot was weak or nonexistent. The movie didn't go anywhere. The Beatle segment was interesting, one of the few bright spots in an otherwise drab film. There was no real sense of place or time, no sense of the 60's, and it did not accurately portray the sheer hysteria that surrounded the group. I sat through it once because I lived in that era, but it is not worth a second showing.

Wow. This really was not that great.

The producers did a great job with casting, the actors all LOOKED like the Monkees, and for the most part sounded like them, too. (Fake Davy could use some work, and Fake Mike went a little soft on the drawl)

It was in the writing that the Daydream was un-Believeable. TWO guys created the show, Bob Rafelson and Bert Schnider, NOT one guy named Van. And the Monkees didn't meet on a beach and discuss the obvious after Head, that was just cheesy. In fact, the entire ending was cheesy. Also, many scenes were just so ridiculously historically inaccurate that it was both sad & funny at once! (Thanks, VH1, for Popping it up today and pointing out things I missed) It seemed like the writers were more concerned with pinpointing certain specific moments than with presenting the real story.

Awesome soundtrack, though. :)

I thought this behind-the-scenes dramatization of the '60 TV show was kind of fun. It certainly wasn't a great movie, but it was very nostalgic. I found myself singing along to most of the songs. The actors playing The Monkees did a good job portraying their respective characters (I guess thats what actors are supposed to do, right?), and I liked the scenes with other celebrities of the era. I was disappointed that they didn't have the MonkeeMobile in the movie, but other than that, the only part that I thought was useless was the opening scene. What was the point of it???

If you have never seen, or did not like the TV show, don't bother watching this movie. It will mean nothing to you. But if you liked the show, and are looking to kill 90 minutes, this will bring back some fun memories.

If you take into consideration the lack of time given to the movie and the lack of time given to the actors to study their characters, I would have to say they did a very good job. When I heard that this movie was being made, I didn't expect it to be accurate! I didn't expect it to be anything but "Hollywood". I mean, hardly anyone ever gets it right anyways. No matter how many times it's published in good books, no matter how many times the Monkees themselves do interviews, barely anyone ever gets it right.

So in light of all that, I would say that they did a great job on this "Hollywood" movie. It was a fun film. It had it's funny parts, it had it's sad parts, and it had it's shocking parts (well, shocking to those who didn't know).

And the young actors who were chosen for the parts did excellent jobs, considering they weren't given very long to study their parts!! Aaron Lohr, for instance, had one weekend! George Stanchev got Davy's moves down, even if he didn't have his accent. Who could copy Davy's anyways? His was always a mix of Manchester, Liverpool and anything else he decided to throw in. Jeff Geddis also did a great job as Nez (Mike). And LB Fisher had Peter pretty much down! Was LB perhaps a fan as a child??

All in all in all, it was an enjoyable movie, despite the fact that it left out so much, chopped up so much, and ended so "Hollywood".

This movie could have been even better. There were several mistakes that shouldn't have happened... The bands, Backstreet Boys and N Sync were mentioned but they weren't around until the mid nineties. Micky Dolenz's hairstyle wasn't accurate and, considering how well they did with the actors they chose to play the members of The Monkees, they could have done much better with Jimi Hendrix. The actors they chose for Davy Jones, Peter Tork, Mike Nesmith and Micky Dolenz were brilliant!! George Stanchev, who played Davy Jones, was incredible. It was wonderful to hear all their songs again and to relive those awesome days of The Monkees. Some of the hairstyles and fashions worn by some of the support cast could have been more representative of that era but on the whole they did pretty well and they were absolutely spot on on for all the main characters. Loved the little tribute to Mike Nesmith's mum, in the scene where they show Mike using some correction fluid on his manuscript paper! (She invented the first correction fluid about 10 years earlier, in her own kitchen!) I felt the pacing of the story a little erratic, with some parts not given as much detail as there could have been compared with other scenes that were given a lot more time and the ending was quite abrupt. I wish the story could have been continued a little longer. Overall, it was a nice step into the past, to those happy days thanks greatly to the lovely band, The Monkees, who spread joy, laughter and their awesome music!!!

Well, I mean, just look at my name. I knew from the start that I was going to be a bit picky about this movie, considering I'm a huge Monkees fan. But still, I thought it was terrible! The only good thing about it was the casting, which I was pretty surprised with on accuracy. But otherwise... I didn't think it was a keeper. The dialogue didn't hold interest, the seemingly misplaced beginning sequence was utterly confusing, and there seemed to be so many things that the movie left out. But personally, I believe the very worst part of the whole movie was the ending. Several people disagree with me, but if you ask me, it's almost *too* happy. As many know, the Monkees didn't end Monkee-walking off into the horizon, and never truly became happy with their image. I can see why VH1 would want a happy ending, but I still felt it chopped the story off too quickly and differently than real life. If you're a serious Monkee fan, I suggest you do see this movie once, but probably just to see what you can find that's wrong with it...

I thought "Daydream Believers" was the best movie. I mean I thought the actors looked like and acted like the real Monkees. Jeff Geddis( Mike) acted and sounded like the real Mike Nesmith. George Stanchev (Davy)did a good job with the English accent and was great on the movie. Aaron Lohr(Micky) totally acted like Mickey. He acted crazy just like Micky. I thought L. B. Fisher(Peter) did an awesome job on Peter. He was my favorite and he is soooo cute. (Like his smile) But anyway I loved the movie and the actors and I thought it was a GREAT movie.

I find the movie "Daydream Believers" quite enjoyable. The attenton to detail and using the original songs of The Monkees really puts a very delightful touch to the film. However, some of the performances have plenty to be desired--George Stanchev(Davy Jones) and Jeff Geddis(Mike Nesmith), to be specific. I don't know why, but their performances seemed a bit stiff when I saw them; It was almost as if they're trying too hard to become their characters. On contrast, L.B. Fisher plays a very convincing (and very intelligent)Peter Tork by simply going with the flow. Aaron Lohr (Micky Dolenz) is the obvious standout in the film. He plays the role with such kinetic energy it's impossible not to notice him. Hollywood should take notice of Lohr "poste haste".

I've always enjoyed the Monkees, but this my friends,mind you is a disgrace! It makes me vomit to see how grossly inarcurate it is! Mike was Christian Scientist, what's he doing letting Philyss stay in the hospital, and who could there be two guys, not that ass, Van, and why did they hire a 5'7 Bulgarian with a minturized doughnut surgically put in his chin play Davy? The 1967 Comedy Emmy was presented by a little girl (Buffy from Family Affair), not a full grown woman, and don't get me started on Jimi Hendrix and the ending and lots of other things?

Looking for something to watch I came across this little gem.

Having grown up watching re-runs of The Monkees in the eighties and loving the show, it was really interesting to see the story behind the show.

The casting directors on this film did an extraordinary job. Visually all of the Monkee's actors have enough about them to encapsulate their characters but what gives it edge over any biopic that I've ever seen before is the physicality of the actors. It really is incredible. The actors playing the Monkees have completely embodied their physicality. It takes it the performances to another level.

A really fantastic watch.

I feel like they could've made this film a lot better with only minimal additional effort and no extra cost. So many anachronisms (24 hour ATM across the street before their first meal together, Jimi Hendrix' cheap modern guitar, hairdos, make up, and speech almost half a century out of place, etc) pulled me out of it.

As a movie, <i>Daydream Believers</i> seemed rather hastily put together, especially in terms of the script.  This is, perhaps, not the most informative or accurate bit you'll ever see about the Monkees.  However, the movie succeeds in telling a good story and championing the Monkees for their talent as entertainers <i>and</i> as musicians, as well as explaining with clarity some of the things about the Monkees that are commonly misunderstood.  It receives bonus points for very good casting, and for prominently featuring “All of Your Toys,” one of the Monkees’ great “lost” songs (and among the first the Monkees recorded together as a real band).

Where the movie is good, the DVD is great—not for any spectacular audio/video presentation, but in the extras.  Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork each have their own commentary tracks, on which they discuss various points on Monkee history from their own points-of-view.  These are very revealing and informative, and bless the movie for providing the platform for the Monkees to comment on the types of things that never come up in interviews.  But if you want interviews, the DVD also delivers rather lengthy ones by the three participating Monkees.  New Concorde should be commended for getting Monkee participation on this disc.  It transformed a somewhat inconsequential (albeit entertaining) movie into something really worthwhile.