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The Buddy Holly Story

Play trailer Poster for The Buddy Holly Story PG Released May 18, 1978 1h 53m Biography Music Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 31 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
A chronicle of the rise and brief career of rock 'n' roll star Buddy Holly (Gary Busey), who aspires to play music the way he wants it to sound. Holly and his band, the Crickets, are first invited to record in Nashville, where they encounter creative differences with the producing staff. Later they play a major booking at the Apollo Theater, scheduled there under the mistaken assumption that they're a black band. Holly's career eventually goes solo -- until the tragic day the music dies.
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The Buddy Holly Story

Critics Reviews

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Gary Arnold Washington Post The film is an entertaining chronicle of Holly's brief but productive and influential career as a pioneering rock 'n' roll composer and singer. May 23, 2019 Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Reader The plotting of this 1978 biopic is contrived, and director Steve Rash's feeling for Buddy Holly's time and place is virtually nil, but Gary Busey's performance is astonishing-less as an interpretation than as a total physical transformation. May 23, 2019 Full Review Vincent Canby New York Times It's Gary Busey's galvanizing solo performance that gives meaning to an otherwise shapeless and bland feature-length film about the American rock-and-roll star who was killed in a plane crash in 1959. May 23, 2019 Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) The Buddy Holly Story is the best, because it dares to present the truth of social and rectorial opposition of Rock in the fifties. [Full review in Spanish] Jan 17, 2024 Full Review Jordan M. Smith IONCINEMA.com A factual disaster and still wholly entertaining as a sort of performative docudrama that blurs the lines between Holly and Busey. Rated: 2.5/5 Nov 3, 2020 Full Review Ted Whitehead The Spectator The film should please Buddy Holly fans and perhaps the young generation who are curious about rock's beginnings. Rave on. May 23, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Bob J Absolute rubbish, more cheese than cheddar, even the actors failed a good representation of the originals. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 08/08/25 Full Review Leaburn O Decent biopic of a legend of the music industry. A bit wet and poetic licence used owing to the tragedy. A bit of a shame it didn’t cover the crash and aftermath. Watched on Amazon Prime. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/18/24 Full Review CodyZamboni Z Engaging performances, Great music, Entertaining.music bio pic. Movie has a nice feel for the time and place Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/28/24 Full Review Tyler S This was really good! At first, I was not a fan of how quickly paced the beginning felt, but it gradually got better as it went on. Buddy Holly is such an interesting character and I think they told his legacy pretty well. I was pretty cool to compare a biopic from 1978 to "Elvis" in 2022 and see how crazy different they are, but have a similar effect on you. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/20/24 Full Review Tony M The Buddy Holly Story tells the story of the late great Buddy Holly. My late Brother and I watched this together many times back in the days when we were learning to play guitar. This movie holds much nostalgia for me. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/03/23 Full Review Mark A Gary Busey's one great perfomance. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/03/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Buddy Holly Story

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Cast & Crew

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Steve Rash

Director

Gary Busey

Buddy

Don Stroud

Jesse

Charles Martin Smith

Ray Bob

William Jordan

Riley

Maria Richwine

Maria Elena

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The Buddy Holly Story

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Movie Info

Synopsis A chronicle of the rise and brief career of rock 'n' roll star Buddy Holly (Gary Busey), who aspires to play music the way he wants it to sound. Holly and his band, the Crickets, are first invited to record in Nashville, where they encounter creative differences with the producing staff. Later they play a major booking at the Apollo Theater, scheduled there under the mistaken assumption that they're a black band. Holly's career eventually goes solo -- until the tragic day the music dies.
Director
Steve Rash
Producer
Fred Bauer
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Production Co
Innovisions
Rating
PG
Genre
Biography, Music
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 18, 1978, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 8, 2014
Runtime
1h 53m
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