Movie Review: Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
A fun movie, especially for fans of the legendary satirist.
Sometime in or around 1996 a local radio station played “Amish Paradise.” That one listen is all it took; I became a “Weird Al” Yankovic fan.
Devotees like myself will enjoy the new biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, directed by Eric Appel and co-written by Appel and Yankovic. Others may enjoy it as well, but I suspect they won’t get many of the jokes.
In fact, the entire premise is a joke. IMDB says the movie, “Explores every facet of Yankovic’s life … to his torrid love affairs and famously depraved lifestyle.”
But fans will know nothing could be further from the truth. As Nick Allen wrote for RogerEbert.com, “The real ‘Weird Al’ does not drink to excess, take hallucinogens, or rip off his Hawaiian shirts on stage to bear a six-pack. This version hilariously does”
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is a biopic that parodies biopics. It utilizes every cliche found in the genre. Yankovic told AVclub:
... the music biopics always hit the same beats over and over. There are all these tropes in every single one. It’s maddeningly familiar. So, we wanted to hit everyone, starting with my parents.
He continues:
My parents in real life were super-supportive, but you never see a music biopic where the artist has a happy childhood and supportive parents, so we had to make my father vehemently opposed to his young child learning the Devil’s squeezebox.
Al’s relationship with his father, Nick (Toby Huss), becomes a major story arc. Unfortunately, Nick gets off to a rocky start. His character is too over-the-top, especially when he beats up the accordion salesman (Thomas Lennon). Yankovic at times has exhibited a violent sense of humor as evidenced by - among other examples - the opening of UHF when his character, George, literally disarms a man. But the beating Huss gives Lennon isn’t funny. It’s just stupid.
The movie hits its stride when Al becomes an adult. This is in large part due to Daniel Radcliffe’s excellent portrayal of Yankovic. The former Harry Potter star nails the role. He becomes Al. He is Al.
Nick Allen described Radcliffe as “perfect,” and Amy Nicholson of The New York Times wrote that he was “winningly guileless in his performance.”
Indeed, all the actors do wonderful jobs. Rainn Wilson of The Office plays Dr. Demento. He hangs out in sleazy bars, sipping martinis while wearing his tux. Even in the bath he dons his iconic top hat. In this universe the Demento persona isn’t a persona but the man’s actual self.
Evan Rachel Wood plays a villainous Madonna who manipulates Al for her own gain all the while munching on bubblegum. Thomas Lennon as the salesman made me want to buy an accordion. Even Toby Huss did a fine job in his role, such as it is.
There are also a bevy of cameos including Jack Black, Conan O’Brien, Patton Oswalt, Emo Phillips, Will Forte and many more. Yankovic himself plays record executive Tony Scotti.
The best parts are the creations of “Weird Al’s” most famous songs. In the first instance Al is making sandwiches while The Knack’s “My Sharona” plays on the radio. Anyone with a passing acquaintance with his career will anticipate “My Bologna.” But fans more familiar with his repertoire will anticipate the specific lyrics “Ooh, I think the toast is done” as Al places two slices of bread into a toaster.
In another scene, Al’s overweight mother (Jullianne Nicholson) declares, “I’m fat. I’m fat, you know it.” Again, fans will recognize these lyrics and anticipate the creation of “Fat.” Hilariously, the scene goes in a different direction.
Audiences less familiar with “Weird Al,” I think, may miss the “Fat” reference and not understand the joke. It’s unfortunate but doesn’t matter much. The target audience for a biopic are fans of the artist. Why else would you be watching it?
In conclusion, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is a good movie. Although it has a rocky start, the excellent cast carry it to a strong finish. The song creation bits are the most enjoyable parts of the film even though fans will appreciate these bits more than others.
Added this to the watchlist! Now if I could ever make a reasonable dent in it, that’s the real question hahaha
Nice, helpful, review! I'm curious about Radcliffe’s performance, it looks good, but I don't like violence and I'm afraid I won't get most of the jokes.