Beach Boys an american family

[DUMB ANGEL]

Has anyone out there seen the movie Beach Boys an american family? I liked it pretty well, although there were some inaccuracies.

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

Wrong forum

I saw the second half of it (Smile era - onward) and loved it. Though at times it seemed the actors had only read snippets of their characters, they did a great job. I'd very much like to see it again, whole thing, next time.

[I. Spaceman]

Second half, unbelievably awful and completely inaccurate, first half passable.

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

DUMB ANGEL,

you'll find that Ian is our supreme leader here and his word goes without question.

I will now be dunking my head in a bucket of cold water to re-think my opinions of the movie.

[I. Spaceman]

*sigh*
You just liked the second half because it had your spiritual avatar Chuck in it.

[carlydenise2]

I love this movie.  But....Van Dyke was a blonde? Nick Stabile played Dennis and he was excellent!  So was the actors/actresses who played Murry, Audree, Brian and Mike. I had kinda strayed away from the BB for a few years, and that movie brought me right back to the good side!
Carly

[I. Spaceman]

I think Van Dyke being blonde was a much less inflammatory slander than him being portrayed as Brian's drug connection.

[Jonas]

Anyone have this on DVD? I doubt ABC will ever release it

[I. Spaceman]

If it was, there'd be more lawsuits.

[carlydenise2]

I saw a vhs set of this movie for sale on Ebay a few months ago, but haven't seen it on DVD, it was some special vhs set that the stations got or something to that effect.  It doesn't play too often, but probably when you see it on TV, tape it so you'll have it.

[Cam Mott]

Wasn't "Tommy Schaeffer" his drug connection?

[I. Spaceman]

Heh heh.

[Alan Boyd]

I gotta agree with Ian. 

(And I worked on the darned thing!)

Alan

[I. Spaceman]

Your Van Dyke words were amazing, though, man. Hilarious perfection.

[Mitchell]

I saw the first half (up to Pet Sounds) and it made me want to get the Pet Sounds Sessions box thanks to the part where they're cutting the track to Wouldn't It Be Nice (Josh later convinced me to get it and I'm glad I did!). I missed the SMiLE part and I was annoyed because I was so interested in SMiLE but I still hadn't really learned much about it. I guess it's a good thing I did miss it, though. I must say that I was liking it and I would definitely like to see it again.

[Sir Rob]

How much, if any, BB involvement was there on this film?  I notice that Alan Boyd (director of Endless Harmony) is listed as a co-producer and John Stamos as an executive producer.  It's interesting because it's certainly doesn't present a very flattering portrait of Brian Wilson.  From the start he's shown as an ineffectual, if gifted, nerd.  During the making of PS and Smile he's shown as drug-addled and virtually insane.  Mike Love meanwhile is shown as the good guy keeping everything together.  But funnily enough, for those who believe Mike loved PS and Smile all along, this is not the line pursued here.  Mike is actually shown dissing PS as 'Brian's ego music' and Smile is virtually written off as the crazed doodlings of a babbling imbecile.  Doesn't seem to be the ML line nowadays.

[Jeff Mason]

I wanted to throw something at the TV during the portion where Brian (with a beard and housecoat) has lost it during the making of Good Vibrations and is flailing helplessly, and Mike swoops in and saves the day with his lyrics. 

[monkee knutz]

I watched it when it aired, but gagged most of the way through.
Best feature- Kevin Dunn & his creepy job with Murry. Gave me the boo-boo geebies...
...1 step, 2 step, talk about a new step...

[Rocker]

How much, if any, BB involvement was there on this film?  I notice that Alan Boyd (director of Endless Harmony) is listed as a co-producer and John Stamos as an executive producer.  It's interesting because it's certainly doesn't present a very flattering portrait of Brian Wilson.  From the start he's shown as an ineffectual, if gifted, nerd.  During the making of PS and Smile he's shown as drug-addled and virtually insane.  Mike Love meanwhile is shown as the good guy keeping everything together.  But funnily enough, for those who believe Mike loved PS and Smile all along, this is not the line pursued here.  Mike is actually shown dissing PS as 'Brian's ego music' and Smile is virtually written off as the crazed doodlings of a babbling imbecile.  Doesn't seem to be the ML line nowadays.

Mike's involvement is clearly to be seen....  
Brian did some singing to the piano when his character did sing "In my room" and "I get around"

[cta]

Other than Kevin Dunn's performance as Murry, actually being very good, I thought the movie was OK for a beginner fan of the BB's, but that's about it. 

Lorne being regarded as "Tommy Schaffer" and no mention of Tony Asher, but Van Dyke being the indirect collaborator on PS. 

I thought, overall, it was your typical "made for TV movie based on true facts" - which basically means, the characters say each other's names about 500 times in a 5 minute period in the script.  Ever notice that in the Made For TV movies based on famous people? 

You have the Wonder Years Mom saying "Murry, I can't do this Murry" and "Murry, you never showed any appreciation to those boys, Murry!"  and whoever the chick played Marilyn saying "Brian" about nine hundred times.

I just find that whole "say the name a lot of times" very annoying.

[donald]

The portrayal of Brian was awful.  Sounded and acted like Pokey on the Gumby claymations.  That had already been done when Nicholas Cage ruined Peggy Sue Got Married.

So bad I can't bring myself to watch it again, let alone share it with anyone. 

And the ending was worse than awful.  A stupid, senseless, abrupt, misleading, anticlimax.  Did that come from ML or Stamos?


While we're mentally recasting this film, who do you think would have been a better choice or choices (young Brian/older Brian) to play the Brian Character?

Consider this before laughing or immediately dismissing it:

Jason Lee.

[LaurieBiagini]

I missed this movie when it aired... but based on everyone's comments, it doesn't sound like I am missing much. 

[Jonas]

I think some people might be confusing the movie with another BB movie...there are two movies

An American Family

and

Summer Dreams

I havent seen AAF (I saw bits of it on ABC but I was a lot younger and don't remember much) and I recently watched Summer Dreams a billion times, its nothing special...but anything to do with the Beach Boys is fun.

Anyways, back to recasting...As much as I love Jason Lee, he doesn't have the baby face Brian has, but if you watch Summer Dreams, the guys who played Brian, Carl, and Bruce were great. Mike's actor was alright too...and as much as I like Bruce Greenwood, he did a terrible job playing Dennis.

[Roger Ryan]

I don't think anyone is confusing "An American Family" with "Summer Dreams". SD may have been weak, but compared to the mean-spirited inaccuracies of AAF, it was an enjoyable trifle. As a character, Brian retained his dignity in SD; not so in AAF. Almost as bad as Mike's character repeatedly saving the day from blithering idiot Brian was that absurd moment where Brian's character cruelly dismisses Dennis' songwriting saying he'll never be anything more "than a clubber".

[Jonas]

Word! Best parts in SD for me were the recording of GOK and their little version of the Cocaine Sessions (which im still trying to get a hold of)