5 ‘The Brady Bunch Movie’ Fun Facts Straight Out of 1995
The Brady Bunch was such a huge pop culture phenomenon that it sparked a parody film in 1995 called The Brady Bunch Movie, which premiered 30 years ago on Feb. 17, 1995. The film starred Gary Cole as Mike, Shelley Long as Carol, Christopher Daniel Barnes as Greg, Christine Taylor as Marcia, Paul Sutera as Peter, Jennifer Elise Cox as Jan, Jesse Lee Soffer as Bobby, Olivia Hack as Cindy and Henriette Mantel as Alice.
The film ultimately paid tribute to and poked fun at the original 1969 series, playing the 1970s characters into a 1990s setting. The Bradys have failed to pay their property taxes and are at risk of losing their home, something their neighbors are hoping for since they want to buy the land. Of course, the family bands together to fix the situation, but things go awry.
If you remember the film fondly, read on to learn some fun facts about it.
1 Florence Henderson turned down her cameo … at first
Everett Collection
Florence Henderson, who played the original Carol Brady, initially turned down her cameo because she wasn’t happy with the scene that was written for her. However, test screenings showed that longtime fans wanted to see her in the movie, and the producers convinced her to come back — with the added enticement of more control over the scene and more money for the cameo.
2 There’s a reference to Tiger, the missing Brady dog
Ivan Nagy; Everett Collection
If you’re a fan of the show, you might remember the family dog, Tiger. After two seasons of the original series, the dog was never seen again, and fans were given no explanation for his disappearance. In the movie, Carol tells Mike, “Go get ’em, Tiger,” in one scene and then wonders, “Tiger, Tiger: whatever happened to that dog?”
Reportedly, the real dog sadly passed away during Season 1, and the show could never get a good replacement that would behave. So, they just scrapped the idea of the family dog, yet kept his dog house in the backyard.
3 Pork chops and applesauce
Everett Collection
While Peter doesn’t say his most famous catchphrase, “Pork chops and applesauce” out loud in the film, there is a nod to it if you look closely enough: You can see the phrase written on the kitchen’s blackboard menu.
4 Jan’s wig
Paramount Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection
When Jan wears a crazy wig to a school dance, it is a throwback to an episode in which she wears a curly black wig to stand out at a party.
5 Toilet jokes
Paramount Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection
Back in the ’60s and ’70s, it wasn’t common to show a toilet on television, so you wouldn’t see one whenever a bathroom was shown on the show. In a parody of that, it is said in the film that the Bradys don’t have a toilet in their bathroom because they’re just that wholesome. At one point, the villain of the film, Larry Dittmeyer, is electrocuted and drops a toilet on his foot as well.
If you want to enjoy the nostalgia, you can watch The Brady Bunch on Paramount+ and Pluto TV. The Brady Bunch Movie is available to rent.
Remind 
February 2021
1990s Rom-Coms
Pop some popcorn and cozy up to feel-good movies and TV shows from a generation ago.
Buy This Issue