Film Review: "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story" Directed by Eric Appel
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| True legends are never normal. |
The 2022 biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story unveils in the most hard rockin' way who the real Weird Al Yankovic is, including those epic accordion solos that make your head spin. Most adults today will tell you exactly where they were when they first heard some of his most recognizable hits like "Eat It," "Like a Surgeon," and "Amish Paradise." You better believe this highly intellectual, quick-witted musician skyrocketed to the same heights as Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and David Bowie. In fact, the legendary accordion player himself gave his blessing for Daniel Radcliffe to portray him in one of the most important rock and roll biopics of the past several years.
Alfred "Alfie" Matthew Yankovic was raised as a part of humble beginnings in Lynwood, California. The future pop culture icon found artistic fulfillment and some rebellion by playing the accordion and listening to his soon-to-be mentor, Dr. Demento, on the radio. He even experimented with parodies at a young, innocent age with his first sweet jingle, "Amazing Grapes," which is a parody of "Amazing Grace." Although he pursued honing his talents at playing the accordion, his puritanical father never approved of this endeavor. He even referred to it as the devil's squeezebox. Poor, young Alfie watched in terror as his dad beat up a well-meaning accordion salesman to a pulp on a sunny afternoon. This trauma probably fueled this innocent boy to never let go of his musical dreams...
Once this bright child grew up and left his home, he and his supportive bandmates quickly achieved fame and glory with their first parody recorded in a public bathroom, "My Bologna," which spoofs "My Sharona" by The Knack. When this hit got immediate recognition, their popularity only accelerated and did not slow down. His inspiration for some of his biggest hits derived from that fast-paced rock and roll lifestyle. After eating some guacamole laced with LSD that Dr. Demento offered him, his hallucinations sparked the irresistible energy behind his ode to food, "Eat It." After a near-death experience because of a drunken car crash, he writes "Like A Surgeon" right after he almost died in the emergency room. These shocking episodes should very much remind you of the fast-paced party days of rock stars such as Jim Morrison and Ozzy Osbourne.
But wait! The madness does not stop there.
As a part of his inspiration for the timeless "Like a Surgeon," Weird Al falls deeply in love with the Queen of Pop, Madonna, who is played by Evan Rachel Wood. Their passionate but unpredictable relationship even escalated into Pablo Escobar orchestrating the abduction of the pop diva who gave us hits like "Material Girl" and "Express Yourself." After killing the ignominious drug lord, the brave not just weird Alfred rescues his lover, but she has other plans. Madonna wants her crazy lover to run this elaborate drug empire with her, but Weird Al walks away from this offer and rethinks his life. This is the type of controversial love affair that sends shockwaves throughout the music industry. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story fulfills this newsworthy story that catapults rock stars into the spotlight.
After spending a brief amount of time back home and working at a factory with his old man, the iconic rock star unleashes one more epic single, "Amish Paradise," which he decided to sing after learning more about his father's upbringing in an Amish community. After performing this indelible hit at an awards ceremony, "Weird" Al Yankovic was assassinated on stage after receiving a prestigious award back in 1985. It was one of the most shocking, heartbreaking tragedies of the 1980s. The whole world mourned this abrupt loss, and this movie is the perfect tribute for this one-of-a-kind musician.
Just kidding!
The real twist of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is that virtually everything I just told you never happened.
Most of this movie just pokes harmless but ridiculous fun at all the sex, drugs, and rock and roll lifestyles associated with other popular music biopics like Walk the Line, What's Love Got to Do With It, The Rose, or Bohemian Rhapsody. This is why it is side-splitting to watch Weird Al and Madonna furiously make out with each other in his fancy, marble mansion. My laughter ensued when he killed Pablo Escobar and his crew in a style that recalls John Wick or John Rambo. It is impossible to scoff at the nonsense that unfolds before us because logic is not allowed in a world dominated by his platinum-selling phenomenon. This movie even made audiences laugh and slap their knees at the Toronto International Film Festival and the SCAD Savannah Film Festival back in 2022. The inherent humor of a parody breaks down the barriers that reality holds together.
In fact, this 2022 comedy feature does highlight a pet peeve that I have with quite a few biographies about rock stars. Some movies associated with this genre just take themselves too seriously. No offense, but a movie about a punk rocker is not supposed to be The Godfather or Parasite. No matter how daring or edgy a lead singer or guitarist is on both the stage and the road, a movie about these musicians needs that secret ingredient of incorporating unadulterated fun into the music itself. Fans want to watch their favorite songs come to life. Too many morality lessons can sour the mesmerizing and shocking experience that the most devout fans want. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story effortlessly avoids this mistake that I caught in a movie like Oliver Stone's The Doors or the sloppy Great Balls of Fire!.
The whole cast embraces and unapologetically runs with the wink-and-a-nod vibe that never loses its momentum. Stars like Daniel Radcliffe, Evan Rachel Wood, and Rainn Wilson, who portrays Dr. Demento, are used to portraying likable, enduring oddballs. In his post-Harry Potter career, Radcliffe is just the right fit for the musician who moonlights as a comedian. If you are familiar with his role in films like Swiss Army Man or Guns Akimbo, it is nothing but a smooth transition for him into Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Radcliffe's natural awkwardness is not a bad match with Weird Al's hyper but clever silliness. Wood plays up the lasciviousness in Madonna's iconography, especially during the prime of her career in the 80s, without mocking or even objectifying her. She sinks into this character just like Radcliffe morphed into Mr. Yankovic. The more I think about it, a spin-off about their promiscuous relationship would be a great standalone film. Rainn Wilson is basically globally recognized as the peculiar but quite astute character of Dwight Schrute on the now immortalized T.V. show, The Office. He does not mind playing second fiddle to Mr. Radcliffe and Ms. Wood because he knows how to leave his mark as the mentor. The way they all interact with each other never feels forced, and every other character just rolls with it without questioning its sheer randomness.
Although most of the fictional scenes in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story are cute, the emphasis on parodying rock stars does stretch thin at times. This movie is also based on a fake trailer of the same name made for the website, Funny or Die.
If this movie really wanted to step up its bizarreness, another actor could have taken over the role as the mastermind behind multiple parody hits instead of Radcliffe. For instance, I could imagine Adam Driver or Benedict Cumberbatch portraying Weird Al Yankovic. Their stern demeanors would have elevated the humor to a more impressive or even hallucinatory level because of the juxtaposition between their reputations as dramatic actors and the hijinks that come with being a rock star. I am already chuckling, thinking about the main star of Sherlock and Doctor Strange singing a Weird Al hit like "Smells Like Nirvana." If Driver was cast as Mr. Yankovic instead of Cumberbatch, the actor known for Marriage Story and Star Wars could also play a few insane accordion solos as his curly mullet whipped around in the air. Now that would be a sight to behold. Since this movie is partially inspired by a fake trailer, there are many hypothetical, wacky situations that I am sure Weird Al Yankovic would approve of during filming.
Is Weird: The Al Yankovic Story a comedic masterpiece? No, it does not reach the same heights as a timeless rock and roll mockumentary like This Is Spinal Tap. However, this goofy tale is not as eager to amuse you as Walk Hard: The Dewy Cox Story, which depends too much on loud, crass humor instead of witty insight about the evolution of contemporary music. At the end of the day, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is still worth your time if you want a light-hearted comedy that is not too proud to make fun of itself, even if its protagonist is a pop culture treasure. That is how Alfred Matthew Yankovic always envisioned his own rock and roll biopic, and it allows us to embrace our inner weirdness with confident glee.
As I wrap up my musings on Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, here is an anecdote that I conveniently thought about right after watching this film. One afternoon, back when I was in seventh grade at the Mountain Brook Junior High School, I jokingly told a classmate that Weird Al Yankovic died the other day because he accidentally swerved his Corvette off a steep mountain road and flew off a cliff. My friend fell for it and told a few of our acquaintances about what recently happened. Well, they fell for it too.
Then, when I told one of my best friends about this made-up tragedy, a grin stretched across his face and he told me, "William, that didn't happen. Weird Al is alive and well. I know what you're telling me is a parody!" We both burst out into laughter. This close friend of mine then facetiously informed me, "Hey William, just a few hours ago, Snoop Dogg passed away. He died while surfing down in Hawaii." We kept laughing about these fake incidents until it hurt. I am sure that the Parody Master himself would be a good sport hearing about this outlandish rumor and chuckle about us middle schoolers snickering over this unbelievably fabricated tale.
In fact, a friend of mine told me that maybe I should have written the script for Weird: The Al Yankovic Story after I told him about this tomfoolery. It would have been an honor to work alongside the accordion prodigy and Eric Appel on a project this fun, daring, and exaggerated. Mr. Yankovic's sense of humor is unapologetically silly, but it has brought much joy to the people of all ages. This is why I shared this outrageous memory from my teenage years.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is available to borrow on DVD from the Jefferson County Library Cooperative, including all 16 active Birmingham Public Library locations. If you want more of Weird Al's kookiness, I would also recommend his 1989 film, UHF. You can also watch some of his hilarious fake and original interviews with various celebrities on YouTube.
By William Anthony | Librarian Ⅰ, Citizen Services
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