The Smiley Smile Message Board

Have there been any updates on that Brian Wilson movie that was announced over a year ago?

Not that I've read.
Crazy to announce these projects until its a signed deal. 

Since this has not been accomplished promptly, we now have the opportunity to cast the film ourselves.

Brian (ages 40+ to present) Tim Matheson or Tom Hanks (years added and taken away with makeup)

Who else would you cast for this movie?  Might Julie Cavner fit someplace?

I've said this before, but I think Alec Baldwin would be a great Brian (40+).......(years added/taken away with makeup).  The hard part would be finding someone that looks like a young Brian.  Billy Baldwin as Dennis, hell even Stephen Baldwin as Carl.  They're brothers and all resemble each other and with the right makeup they resemble the Wilson's....especially Alec and Billy IMO.  Check out pics of them on Google for your own opinion.

Good call with Baldwin.    I think he could handle the facial expressions as well.

I always thought the guy that played Brian in one of the TV movies actually did a really good job, the actual film notwithstanding. Especially the voice. Actually, besides Dennis, I think it was cast really well.

Too late now, of course, but back in the 70s & 80s, Jeff and Beau Bridges were just perfect for the roles of Brian & Carl.

Also a good call Andrew.   Beau had just the right look for Carl.  Chubby, smiling.

Of course he now plays the father of Earl Hickey   :lol

In the 80s Glenn Frey would've made a good Brian.

Tim Robbins did a SNL sketch in 1991 and he really looked like what Brian did then.

As I said on Ego when the project first discussed. Colin and Tom Hanks. Young and older Brian,


http://www.iwatchstuff.com/images/2006/03/tom-colin-hanks.jpg

The movie is still under 'Untitled Brian Wilson Biopic ' on IMDB, and is in the 'scripting' stage

I can see Colin as young Brian, but can't really picture Tom Hanks as older Brian...don't know why, it just doesn't seem to fit to me.  I feel like I would be watching it thinking "that's Tom Hanks" instead of "that's Brian Wilson".

Agreed, but I think either one of them could be great for modern-day Brian.


Especially Beau:
http://www.thescifiworld.net/img/interviews/beau_bridges_02.jpg (http://www.thescifiworld.net/img/interviews/beau_bridges_02.jpg)

Back in 1976, I managed to get a friend of mine to believe that it was Brian playing the photographer, not Jeff B. At least until the end credits rolled.  ;D

Visually, the resemblance was uncanny.

Right on, AGD!

Take a look at Jeff in the 1976 version of KING KONG and tell me that's not the spitting image of Brian Wilson from that time period--except a little thinner!

Whenever I see Tom Hanks all I can think of is "stupid is as stupid does", "Lt. Dan!", "I was always thinkin' 'bout Jenny", "Bubba was my best good friend", "mama always told me life is like a box of chocolates", "Vietnam is this whole other country", and countless other Gump catchphrases.

He got Brian's facial features and Carl's eyes.

I've always thought Kin Shriner ("Scotty") on the General Hospital soap opera bears a resemblance to Brian, right down to the facial expressions.  But he's a nobody, and maybe a little too short.

(http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/7961/kin2om4.png) (http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/2696/kinew4.png) 

He looks like Brian in the second picture but not the first.

The resemblance is more when you watch him act.  There's just something about his eyes and facial expressions that remind me of '80s and later Brian. 

Ed Begley Jr. is another actor that maybe could have played Brian when he was younger, but not now.  I really can't think of any actor that would be a good fit for the role of Brian and would be a big enough name to attach to the project, young or old.  But they miscast people all the time in things.  Tom Hanks has been attached for a long time to play Dean Martin in a Martin Scorcese adaptation of Nick Tosche's Dino bio, and he looks even less like Dino than he does Brian.

Sometimes it doesn't matter. Kevin Spacey looks nothing like Bobby Darin but that worked. Angelina Jolie recently played an Afro-Cuban in a movie.

He could play Al.

I agree whole-heartedly. The worst thing to do would be get someone who looks like the person he's playing as if that's the end of it. Acting is far more important than parading around as a look-alike.

That said, I hope they never make another BW or Beach Boys movie (unless it's a great doc series). I can just imagine the bitching everyone will do that Brian was playing the wrong brand of organ at the 1967 Hawaii show, or that the wrong number of session musicians were shown in the scene recording such-and-such song, and all that.

Forget all of the casting and scripting. The only way a "movie" can do justice to Brian's story is in a documentary form. Paging Martin Scorsese....

Amen, or Paul Thomas Anderson

Heehee, they could always do one in animé! Then all you need is good voice actors.  :lol

Personally, we've already had two bad BW biopics, we don't need a third (imho).

At least we know it wouldn't be too short.

I didn't think the first two were THAT bad, but there were parts I would've done differently or concentrated on more.

I think the first thing you think of when doing a Beach Boys or Brian Wilson documentary is making sure you include as much of that great music as possible. Well, of course. Brian Wilson = music. But there is so much of the STORY (I hate to put it this way, but tragedy) that has not been explored enough. I mean, the story of Brain and his family is a tragic one. I would like to see what a good film maker could do with that.

OK, while I'm already on record (probably often, if you were to look around enough) as not wanting a biopic, if it HAD to happen, I'd hope they'd make it the most limited work possible. There is no way a 40-year story would be anywhere near complete enough to please fans. If it had to be done, I'd like to see a good director and a great cast do a film of, say, 1965-67 (Today! through Smiley Smile), or maybe even more narrow. I think that any attempt to cover all those years, all that music, all those changes, all those characters ... a single movie would never do it justice. Ever.

Yes, that would be THE major stumbling block. Unless you do a two parter. But, does Brian Wilson's story (not as POPULAR as Elvis, Beatles, Dylan, et al) command that? I'm asking that question of people outside BB/BW message boards of course....

On the back of the BB85 album there is a group shot and Brian is thin and with a beard - he looks exactly like Chuck Norris!
I always thought Matt Damon could play Al, Joshua Jackson has Mike Loves speaking voice.
Though to be honest, i've never seen one rock biopic that i've enjoyed, I know they've been making them for decades but I just don't think it's a genre that works for me.

The time span problem could be solved using sequences where scenes sometimes have years between them.
I'm thinking of bicentenial man with Robin Williams.  From the day he was delivered as a new robot to the day he died as a "man".  Covered generations actually.  You don't have to show every day for 65 years of a life to do a bio.

As for casting someone not a look alike, I agree that it can work just fine.  Kevin Spacey is a great example.
And Gary Busey looked nothing like Buddy Holly.

Some actors are so amazing in their range that they are readily acceptable in a role you wouldn't have imagined they could do.

Anybody read the book Bridges of Madison County and imagine the casting before Clint got hold of it?
I had Redford and Isabella Rossillini in mind..     I would never have imagined Eastwood and Meryl Streep.  Meryl pulled it off perfectly.  Clint I'm not so sure  :-\

I just finished Stebbins' book about Dennis and I say "forget Brian... I wanna see a D.W. biopic."  :afro

That would have to be "R" rated and couldn't be made for TV, unless it was shown on one of the upper tier cable channels.   "Mommy, what is a golden cocksman?"

Perfect! Just think of Hanks and add "Hmmm, Cake" and "My wife and manager thought it would be a good idea"  and you get the picture. ;D

Did Brian really say "Hmmm, cake"?
And Brian's not dumb like Gump, he just has a tendency to slur his speech, his voice is whacked out because off all the coke and cigs he did in the 70s and early 80s, and he's usually always nervous in front of cameras.

I could play Phil Spector in a small but relevant part. I have his nose, his hair, and his love for the wrecking crew.....I'd just be a little taller and a little stronger....but give me a suit and Ray-Bans, forget about it. Him or Rocky Pamplin....

If they had done this film sooner, Alan Ruck from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" would have made an excellent Brian.

(http://www.sweatpantserection.com/stories/img/31/cameron.jpg)

What we need it a week long mini-series.

an hbo series would be great.

we've actually talked about this before :lol

If a biopic does come to fruition, Chris Noth should definitely play Steve Kreisman/Douglas.

Verne Troyer could play Al! :lol