Was just wondering how everyone felt about "Can You Hear the Laughter?" Do you think Freddie's story was portrayed accurately and honestly? Do you feel Ira Angustain succeeded or failed in capturing Freddie's charm and essence?

I have never really seen it, but from what I hear it was not a very complimentary portrayal of Freddie. I think, like everyone at the time, they were just trying to cash in on his death. So sad!!!

I bought the video of this off of E-Bay. It wasn't very complimentary about him. I was very sad at the end when he died. It had me bawling my eyes out & I went thru several hankies watching it. That & the E-TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORY are so sad when he dies. They'll have you sobbing your eyes out & going thru the hankies... I don't watch those that much due to that...

and not very sympathetic. Freddie was portrayed as mostly angry and selfish--no mention of his generosity to his friends, both in terms of his big heart and his eventual riches. Even the fact that he was a tenor was botched--the singer dubbing the song he sang with his band had a very low voice.

I agree the suicide scene was gut-wrenching, but it was also handled wrong. Freddie's manager was present in reality, and it happened in the living room of the apartment he moved into after he and Kathy split. But in the movie he is alone, looking in the mirror in his bedroom and talking to himself. The only thing that is probably accurate about that scene is that Ira Angustain did a good job of portraying a man who was too stoned to know what he was doing...

I agree mariposa. all in all it is a very poor movie about a wonderful human being and a dynamic entertainer.

Originally posted by MariposaLKB
I agree the suicide scene was gut-wrenching, but it was also handled wrong. Freddie's manager was present in reality, and it happened in the living room of the apartment he moved into after he and Kathy split. But in the movie he is alone, looking in the mirror in his bedroom and talking to himself. The only thing that is probably accurate about that scene is that Ira Angustain did a good job of portraying a man who was too stoned to know what he was doing...

The same can be said for "The Three Stooges" movie. In the TV movie, Curly had his stroke during the filming of an episode. He did a comedy bit and then fell onto the floor shaking. However, according to Moe Howard's autobiography, he walked into Curly's dressing room to find Curly sitting in a chair with his head down and a tear rolling down his cheek.

They'll do anything to make real life seem more interesting and exciting for the camera. The Monkees TV biography movie was also filled with moments of inaccuracy.

My husband watched the movie on the Three Stooges and did say it was very sad. Unfortunately who ever makes these movies doesn't really care if the protrayal is accurate....just looking for hype and big money. Sad really, because the artists protrayed still have loved ones left behind that can be hurt. Nothing say the fans.

I have both of these on tape...the E story and the movie. Neither of them portray Freddie in a very positive light. I do have to say that I have seen first hand what drugs can do to a person and portions of the movie may be quite accurate but I dont feel it is rite to publish something of this type when the person is not around to defend themselves.

I agree 100% TM

Ok, ladies, I just want to ask if anyone has anything to add to the opinions posted about this movie. I have not seen the movie, but any more input would be so appreciated for a project I'm working on. Thank you!

Dani They portrayed Freddie as a person who wouldn't listen to anyone, took drugs alot and had temper tantrums.

Now I'm not saying he didn't dabble in drugs or anything but, when you write a story about anyone you must write about the GOOD and the bad of a person. We all know Freddie had good in him. Why leave that out???

His mother must've been heartbroken when she learned of this vicious movie.

Well, being I've only seen the movie once, because I just couldn't bear to see it twice, I can only add that Ira tried to portray Freddie, but let's face it, HE'S NO FREDDIE PRINZE!!!! Not to put his acting down, but he didn't seem to have the charisma and didn't seem a believable Freddie to me. But that's probably my prejudice!!! I bet no one would have been good enough for me at the time to play a decent portrayal of Freddie. Perhaps if the movie was done again now and Freddie Jr. could play his dad it would be a much more believable portrayal, but I doubt that will happen.

Also, I didn't feel that Freddie was portrayed very positively AT ALL!!!! Anyone who hadn't seen him play Chico or hadn't seen him perform live or just being himself would not see the Freddie we all know and love! His generosity, good nature, loyalty to friends, and the respect for his parents and closeness with his mom was never captured on film. Anyone feel the same or am I just being too judgemental being I can't stand anyone playing Freddie BUT FREDDIE HIMSELF!!!!!:(

SugarPie

I know this movie is a rather sore subject and believe me, I don't want to hurt anyone here, but I need a little more info please.
I know Freddie's family really had nothing to do with htis movie and seems I saw somewhere that most of the people that were interviewed for background had an axe to grind against Freddie for one reason or another, so why didn't someone stop the movie? Also, were there any talks at any time for a real movie to come out? A more truthful one?
Like I said I wouldn't ask if it wasn't for research, I wouldn't ask. Thank you for answering!

I saw someplace in a magazine that Eric Estrada was being considered for the part of Freddie in the movie before it was made, but when he found out that Freddie's mother wasn't being consulted about Freddie's life for the movie, he bowed out. He had enough respect for Freddie, his family and his memory not to do the movie. I am not a real big Eric Estrada fan, but my estimation of him went up when I read this. I also got my first indication that this movie wasn't going to be a true portrayal from this.

I would love to see the real story come out. I know that some of what they portrayed in this movie might be true, the bare facts that is. It was colored with inuendo that suggested that ALL of Freddie's problems were of his own making.... and they portrayed him as a selfish bastard (I know that word will be sensored, but it is the truth) I know he wasn't just out for himself, even tho we all know he was ambitious, heck, he wouldn't have gotten as far as he did in the short time that he did if he didn't have a measure of ambition along with his tremendous talent.

Speaking of talent, they also had him portrayed as stealing other young comedians bits when he was performing in the night clubs in NYC before he made it big, insinuating that he didn't come up with his own original material, an effort to belittle his real talent IMHO. I really think this movie was made to cover people in Hollywood's butts at the time. NO one associated with Freddie was willing to admit that they possibly could have had a hand in his death.

This movie was like Pilate washing his hands of Jesus' death to me.... the Hollywood machine wanted to wash its hands of Freddie's death, and this movie was the vehicle. We all know that Freddie took street drugs and that his friends in the business got him started in that direction, it was the "Hollywood" thing to do at the time. We also know that when the powers that be were concerned about the escalating amount of street drugs Freddie was taking, they sent him to doctors who prescribed more drugs, legal this time, to combat the depression he was feeling from being so far from what he knew and the effects of the street drugs. That was like treating cancer with more cancer.... and led to his ultimate demise. The thing of it is, this movie made it sound like this was ALL Freddie's fault.... again absolving the powers that be of any blame. So when Freddie shot himself, it wasn't going to be on their heads.

Well I hope this helps. I know, this movie makes me get up on my soap box. Sorry.

RIGHT ON LUCKYMAMA!!!! I couldn't have explained it any better. Thank you. You said everything I was always thinking and you hit the nail right on head!!! NO ONE related to this movie really cared about Freddie at all. It was all about money and cashing in on a tradegy as soon as they could. Wouldn't it be great if the movie could be made over more true to life?

SUGARPIE

Yes Luckymama is right...

What i remember was there was a big hoopla because the movie was being done in the first place.

His parents didn't want anything to do with this movie because they were going to portray Freddie bad.

Ira Agustain was pitted to play Freddie and was on all the hot magazines (gossip) of the time. It's true that Eric was to portray Freddie but, his parents was so against this movie Eric did bow out.

As far as the content of the film I remember nothing on how they got their information.

Hollywood turned his back on Freddie...

After the movie came out (which was a TV movie by the way) noone has heard of Ira Augustain again..... He went on to oblivion so to speak!

If you look at the hollywood gossip magazines of the era you should find mucho info on this ugly movie.

I bought this movie off of E-Bay & watched it a coupla of times. It portrays him very unfavorably & is really sad & upsetting. At the end when he dies, it has me crying my eyes out. You'll need a hankie for this one. It doesn't even show how sweet he was with the baby. It acts like he was too busy for the baby. Ira Augustain was on the 70's tv show THE WHITE SHADOW (re-runs were on TVLAND a few yrs ago) but after the show was cancelled you didn't hear of him anymore. He did okay in the movie, nothing wrong with his acting it's just they made him portray Freddie wrong. It was a really sad movie...

We'd love to see your project when it's done... :)

I agree amen Lucky!!!
Wouldn't it be cool if Maria and Freddie Jr could work together to bring out the real story? I thoughtyi heard once that he wanted to direct...maybe one day he will direct the truth...it would help him learn about his talented Father.

I have up on here the Eric Estrada article and some of the script from the movie. I bought the script off of E-Bay curious to see if it was different from the actual movie. I wanted to scan & put up the whole script online as well as the CATM script I bought off of E-Bay but never did get around to putting it all up as it's alot of work trying to scan that stuff & get it up...

Here 'tis:

http://www.freddieprinze.host.sk/canyouhearthelaughter1.html

Also Dani is welcome to use my script & pics etc I have up online for her project. :)

Cheryl, did you do this site? It is a good site, very informative. If you can put the script up, I would be interested to see it. That was the article I was talking about, re: Eric Estrada. I think I have that magazine too (I have so many now I have lost count! LOL) Thanks for the link to the site.

Good luck, Dani on your project.

Yes I would like to know also. Cheryl did you do that site? That is a cool site!




Originally posted by Luckymama58
Cheryl, did you do this site? It is a good site, very informative. If you can put the script up, I would be interested to see it. That was the article I was talking about, re: Eric Estrada. I think I have that magazine too (I have so many now I have lost count! LOL) Thanks for the link to the site.

Good luck, Dani on your project.

Yep, I did up that site. I had posted the link to it quite some time back on here. When I get my Freddie site finished (in the yr 2525 at the rate I am going LOL) I hope to link that site to my Freddie site. Trying to scan the scripts & post them online is gonna take me forever lol...

Originally posted by Luckymama58

Good luck, Dani on your project.

Thank you so much ladies for all your input. I do appreciate it very much!:bighug:
I guess, I can tell you all about the project although a few of you all ready know. I'm writing a story.:eek: This story is about both Freddie and Selena. It's not quite finished yet, but in the story I'm trying to bring forth the real Freddie and the real Selena and one way I was trying to do that was to compare the biopics about both. Show how differently they were handled. So thank you again and in the meantime, here's a picture to go with my story.;)

We can't wait to read your story! Do let us know when it will be out. Good luck! :)

Miss Dani! You go girl! This will be exciting!

I have had the privledge of reading some of this story already, and you gals will want to read it as well. Dani is a very talented writer and I'm so glad she is going to share this wonderful story with the rest of us Freddie's fans and those fans of Selena as well. Congrats girl on a wonderful job.

I couldn't agree more Macca, i have thoroughly enjoyed the read and can't wait for more.
Not only can the girl wallpaper, she can write too!

Aren't you just jealous of people who have so darn much talent???

:o awww sheesh you two!:notworthy
This story is slowly coming along and I just want to thank you all again for helping with the background. I hope you all will enjoy it!;)