Brian and Melinda Wilson Q&A on Facebook

[Bittersweet-Sanity]

Did you really meet at the car shop??? Or was that just in the movie? Love you guys!!!!

Love & Mercy M: that's where we met
Love & Mercy B: that's true


Beautiful couple. Beautiful movie. How do you feel now that the movie is being so well received?

Love & Mercy M: It feels really good to finally have Brian's story out so people will know the struggles he goes through on a daily basis. But he can still make music and have a family life, so hopefully people that have the same challenges that Brian has will take something away from this.


Hi Brian and Melinda! Huge fan of your work. This is kind of an odd question, but do you have a favorite instrument you like to put in your songs? Not necessarily one that you like to play.

Love & Mercy B: Yeah, horns.


Love the movie Brian! Did the scene at the end of the movie where Melinda almost hit you actually happen?

Love & Mercy B: yes.


Hi Brian i was wondering im starting high school next year and i love your album pet sounds! i was wondering if you have any pets

Love & Mercy B: We have a few dogs


Your fav song of Brian's? Brian, your fav?

Love & Mercy M: Two favorites...well, more than two. God Only Knows, Til I Die, and One Kind of Love. Is it ok to have three?
Love & Mercy B: Yeah! My favorite is Wouldn't It Be Nice


Saw this movie last night it was so good. Brian are you coming to Seattle anytime soon?

Love & Mercy B: Yes, I'll be in Seattle July 12. Hope to see you there.


Brian, you are amazing, but Melinda truly rocks! Strong woman! So glad you found each other. Awesome movie!

Love & Mercy B: Brian rocks too, and Melinda is amazing
Love & Mercy M: Yes, he does rock. Thank you.


I so wish this movie was playing anywhere near me!!

Love & Mercy M: It'll get there...in the meantime check Fandango


Did Melinda really almost hit you with her car? lol

Love & Mercy B: Yes. But she swerved at the last second.


What trait do you love most about each other?

Love & Mercy B: She's a great mother and wife.
Love & Mercy M: His honesty. His sweetness. His musical ability. This is silly, I love everything about him!


Did the swim from the sailboat to the beach house exactly as it did in the film? Extremely romantic and sexy!

Love & Mercy M: Yes
Love & Mercy B: Well, in real life we swam for about a half hour...in the movie it's like 10 second


Hi Brian and Melinda, I really enjoyed the movie! You're one of my favorite musicians and I loved seeing your story on screen. What's one thing you want people to take away from it?

Love & Mercy B: Well, two things. I want people to take away the music and understand my story. I also want them to take away how I produce records.


I'll be seeing your movie tomorrow.

Love & Mercy B: Did you like it? Hope you like it as much as we did.


Do you have a favorite scene from the movie?

Love & Mercy B: Yeah, when we jumped off the boat, swam to shore, and I showed her my house.
Love & Mercy M: The end of the movie when "Wouldn't It Be Nice" starts playing.
Love & Mercy B: Yeah, me too!


Hi Brian & Melinda, I loved the film & hope it gets recognized during award season. In the film, your time together seemed very short before the doctor was finally out of the picture. In real life, weren't you two dating for a lot longer than that?

Love & Mercy M: We dated from 1986-1989 (all Landy years) and then I didn't see him again until 1992 when I almost ran him over. We married in 1995.


Did you guys get to choose the actors/actress that portrayed you in the film? I thought they all did such an amazing job!

Love & Mercy M: No, but Bill ran the names by us and we all had to agree before they were cast. They were amazing. All right on. They captured Brian.
Love & Mercy B: And Melinda!


Melinda, you were a God send to Brian Wilson, heaven knows what would have been, God knew Brian needed you. I absolutely loved Love & Mercy, Oscar worthy in my opinion. When all was said and done, how do you both feel about the movie?

Love & Mercy M: We love the movie. Can't agree with you more, Oscar worthy in our opinion too.


Hi Brian and Melinda, I just want to say thank you for everything Brian, you're one of my biggest inspirations!! To Melinda: thank you for being there for Brian and for loving him that much. Lots of love from Santiago, Chile!! smile emoticon

Love & Mercy M: Love right back to you
Love & Mercy B: Thank you for that.


Did you have the opportunity to choose which songs were in the film? I thought it was awesome hearing my favorite songs in the movie.

Love & Mercy B: Pretty much, because I wanted them to focus on Pet Sounds and SMiLE.


Brian Wilson, if you could collaborate with any artist in history, living or dead, who would it be?

Love & Mercy B: Paul McCartney, because of the Beatles.


Melinda - What did you see in Brian that made you want to help him? So many people fear mental illness.

Love & Mercy M: He was just completely different than any guy I had ever met. There was a sweetness and honesty to him that's just so heartfelt. I just loved being around him.
Love & Mercy M: Heck...everyone has baggage.


How did you think they handled recording Mrs O Leary s Cow ? I had read that shortly after there was an actual small fire in the studio. Did you or Darian have input in the way the studio sessions were filmed ?

Love & Mercy B: I thought the scenes in the movie were great. When I was in the studio we actually started a little fire in a bucket, but I put it out because I got scared.


Brian, will you, Mike, Al, David and Bruce tour again? I missed you last time and have been kicking myself ever since! Love the new album! Thanks.

Love & Mercy B: Probably not. But I kind of feel like I am because I have Al and Blondie on tour with me this summer. And Al's son Matt.


Did Al Jardine sing on "Somewhere Quiet"? I didn't see him in the credits, but that really sounds like him on the bridge.

Love & Mercy B: We both sang the bridge together.
Love & Mercy B: I love how our voices blend.


Melinda, did you have any favourite band or singer before you met Brian?

Love & Mercy M: The Beatles


Loved the film which I saw today! Did you and Brian really meet up again when he ran into your car on the street?

Love & Mercy M: Yes. That's all true. I always look at Brian and I being together as fate, some higher being bringing us and keeping us together.


My question is for both Brian and Melinda....do you two have a 'special song' for the two of you?

Love & Mercy M: Yeah "When I Fall In Love" by Nat King Cole.
Love & Mercy B: Yes - "One Kind of Love" the song from my new album and movie.


Melinda, do you think you would have fallen for Brian if he was not Brian Wilson?

Love & Mercy M: Of course I would have.


Thank you Brian, for a wonderful lifetime of music, and thank you Melinda for keeping Brian and the music with us. With a new album, the movie, and touring, what do you both do to relax?

Love & Mercy B: I exercise to relax and watch television.
Love & Mercy M: I really haven't had time to relax because we have five children that all just got out of school this week on top of everything else. I'm hoping to get some time in the next few weeks


Just saw it ( Tuesday 6/9 ). Boldly cut. Fine acting all around and ultimately a very, very difficult subject matter. Maybe a silly question but Brian and Melinda, was the completed motion picture difficult to watch at first?

Love & Mercy B: At first it was because it brought back alot of bad memories around the Dr. Landy program. But I enjoyed watching Paul in the studio!
Love & Mercy M: The first time I saw the movie was with director Bill Pohlad. It was very difficult to watch and instead of staying and talking with him about the movie, I left and just drove around the city for two hours trying to collect my thoughts.


To Brian, how do you feel about the way your life was represented in Love and Mercy, would you ever be open to other interpretations of your life and possibly the other Wilson brothers in other films?

Love & Mercy B: I thought I was portrayed beautifully by Paul and John. They knew my music. It was like they already knew me. Then when they met me they picked up all my mannerisms. This is THE movie about my life. No need to make another one.


Love and Mercy was great and very moving. With the 1980s scenes, was there a lot of artistic license taken, or did it really all happen that way? Brian, thank you for all of the love and music; you've made my life better. Melinda, thank you for saving this great man and making him happy again.

Love & Mercy M: It all happened that way. When Brian and I decided to go forward with this movie we were adamant that it be factual. We can understand why people may think it's not, but with Brian's life you could have made ten movies and not cover all the bizarre events. And, FYI - yes - we really did jump off of the boat.
Love & Mercy M: Brian was an excellent swimmer....

[Bittersweet-Sanity]

Brian's genius has blessed musicians and fans alike with an amazing body of timeless work that will continue to inspire generations to come. I am curious if Brian could speak about how vocal harmony became so important to him and why it's such a powerful thing to both sing and listen to? Every time I hear 'Our Prayer' I cannot believe my ears and I am so grateful for both of you, thank you. smile emoticon

Love & Mercy B: Mostly because I learned from the Four Freshman how to sing harmonies. Harmonies became important to me because I wanted the Beach Boys to be full of harmony.


My boys & I read your book, "Wouldn't it Be Nice" several times over, and look forward to seeing Love & Mercy. It was rumored that you lived in St.Charles, IL. several yrs back, if so what did you like best about Chicago? I was in high school at the height of Beach Boys fame, and my son who is now a Chicago entertainer idolizes you as well.

Love & Mercy B: I liked the food and my studio we had there.


What is your best advice to a kid growing up in the world today. I have a 13 year old and an 8 year old.

Love & Mercy B: My advice is to NOT take drugs.
Love & Mercy M: Respect your parents and listen to people that know more than you do.


Hey guys!!! I loved Love and Mercy and I can't wait to see it again. I was wondering if some of the conversations from the film were real conversations you guys have had in the past. The matzo ball soup and the last scene where you go to see the old Wilson house. Did Brian really know it wasn't there anymore?

Love & Mercy M: No...he didn't know the house wasn't there anymore.


Was the song entitled Love & Mercy written for/about Melinda? Wondering if the segment in the movie where Brian plays a small section on the piano to Melinda is something that really happened. Thank you, you're my inspiration and Love and Mercy is now my favorite movie!<3

Love & Mercy B: True, I played "Love & Mercy" for Melinda. But the love song I wrote for her in the movie is called "One Kind of Love." I also wrote a song called "Cry" off my Imagination album for Melinda.


Hello Brian and Melinda, Could you please tell me if your wonderful move,Love & Mercy will be released to a wider audience? I will travel to see it for sure, but not 4 hrs one way.

Love & Mercy M: every week it's being released wider. check out Fandango.


Brian and Melinda, just saw Love & Mercy last weekend. Fantastic film. Very emotional and musical. My question-what have you learned about love and making a relationship last for so many years-Thanks for your inspiration.

Love & Mercy M: We've learned that there's alot of compromise in making a relationship work.
Love & Mercy B: We learned how to share...share love


Saw Love and Mercy on opening day (of course). The movie was fantastic and very difficult to watch. I have loved Brian Wilson since I was a 5 year old boy in 1965. All I can say is thank you Melinda, thank you so very much. My question is,"Does Melinda sing?"

Love & Mercy B: I would say yes, but Melinda says "no"


We were at Sunday's panel in Westwood. Very impressed with both of you and your story!

Love & Mercy M: Thank you for coming.
Love & Mercy B: If you liked the movie, go see it again
Love & Mercy M: hahaha


Is the movie getting a full UK release? Also are there any moments from your lives that are not in the movie that you think would have improved it?

Love & Mercy M: It's our understanding it is. And I think the movie is perfect the way it is.
Love & Mercy B: I agree


I still sometimes get tears when I hear "In My Room". My son asked me to play the "definitive" Beach Boys CD during family game night...he is 15. You are a National Treasure and we love you BRIAN.

Love & Mercy B: Thank you!


Thank you all for the wonderful questions. I hope you enjoy the movie - Brian

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Yay! My question got answered

[bgas]

Yay! My question got answered

was this yours?   >>What is your best advice to a kid growing up in the world today. I have a 13 year old and an 8 year old. <<

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Nah, I was asking what their special song was!

Did someone really mention the Wouldn't it be nice book?  Brian totally no-sold it!

[KDS]

I asked a question in the wrong FB post unfortunately.  Oh well. 

I'm really hoping that Brian and Melinda record a commentary track for the DVD release.

[rn57]

Interesting that the question about whether Melinda really almost ran Brian over kept coming up.  As "meet-cute" as it seems, this is one time reality beat what a scriptwriter could dream up.

[Larry Franz]

Maybe they can add a footnote that says, yes, they did swim to shore and yes, they did encounter each other on the street like that 2 or 3 years later. They already have text at the end, so it would be easy to add a few more words.