Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – TIFF 2022
Danny Elfman Teaches Music for Film
September 8 to September 18, 2022
The absolutely true story of “Weird Al” Yankovic is told in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Growing up seeking the approval of his father Nick (Toby Huss) and a love of polka secretly supported by his mother Mary (Julianne Nicholson), Al Yankovic (Daniel Radcliffe) dreams of having a music career where he can change to lyrics to well-known songs and make them better. Al gets his big break when his song “My Bologna” becomes a hit on the radio. Taken under the wing of Dr. Demento (Rainn Wilson), “Weird Al” Yankovic soon becomes a huge music superstar. However, Al is soon seduced by Madonna (Evan Rachel Wood), who seeks the bump up the charts caused by Al parodying one of her songs.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is a parody biopic directed by Eric Appel, expanded from a fake trailer produced for the website Funny or Die in 2010. With a script written by Appel and “Weird Al” Yankovic himself, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story purposefully incorporates every imaginable biopic cliche into Yankovic’s life, including disapproving parents, substance abuse, and a toxic love interest that causes a downward spiral. Then things get truly weird and ridiculous.
Those expecting Weird: The Al Yankovic Story to be a straight-forward biopic are sure going to be confused at plot points such as Al’s biggest hit, “Eat It,” being called a 100% original song or “Amish Paradise” being performed more than a decade before it was supposed to come out. That said, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is still an incredibly entertaining film with solid performances by Daniel Radcliffe and Evan Rachel Wood. The film even features a new song by “Weird Al” Yankovic in the closing credits, which could very well win him an Oscar.
Trailer for Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – TIFF 2022
