Watch The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story

The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story is a 2009 documentary film that follows the lives and careers of Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, also known as the Sherman Brothers. The film traces their journey from childhood to becoming one of the most successful songwriting partnerships in the history of Hollywood. Directed by Jeff Sherman, the Sherman Brothers' youngest son, the film provides a comprehensive overview of their personal and professional lives, focusing on the incredible music the brothers created for Disney and beyond.

The documentary is primarily told through extensive interviews with Richard and Robert, as well as with their family, friends, and colleagues. Through these interviews, the audience learns about the brothers' upbringing in a musical family and their early days writing songs for Annette Funicello and other Disney stars. The film also covers their experience writing some of the most iconic Disney songs of all time, such as "It's a Small World," "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and "Feed the Birds" from Mary Poppins, "The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room" from the Enchanted Tiki Room, and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang." The audience gets an inside look into how the brothers worked together, their creative processes, and the challenges they faced in the music industry.

The film balances their working life with their personal lives, offering a glimpse of their complicated relationship with their father, Al Sherman, who was also an accomplished songwriter but lived his life on the fringes of the music business. The brothers' relationship with each other is also explored in-depth, with the documentary shedding light on their different personalities and the role that their contrasting approaches to life had in both fueling and challenging their creative collaboration.

The film also covers the turbulent times the brothers faced in the late 60s and early 70s, when their relationship with Disney soured and they began to write for other studios, such as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The audience watches as the Sherman Brothers navigate these shifting sands in the film industry, and how they continued to write high-quality music despite the challenges they faced.

Throughout the documentary, the audience is treated to plenty of music and clips from iconic films that feature the Sherman Brothers' music. These moments are interspersed with interviews that provide context for how each song came about, as well as behind-the-scenes stories of what it was like to work with everyone from Walt Disney himself to Julie Andrews.

The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story is a heartwarming tribute to the brothers' legacy, in which their love for music and each other shines through. It's a must-see for Disney fans, music lovers, and anyone who enjoys an inspiring documentary about two brothers who managed to make their dreams come true. It leaves a lasting impact that is sure to make anyone want to sing "It's a Small World" or "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" long after the credits have rolled.

The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story is a 2009 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 41 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.7 and a MetaScore of 78.