The Smiley Smile Message Board

Concerning the Smile era of the movie, I do agree that they made him look like an idiot. And the idea that Mike had to teach him how to write a song (Good Vibrations) was a little off. However, I don't get the complaints on how Brian was betrayed over all. That he was made to be too much of a wierd drug freak. Maybe he wasn't exactly like that, but you are talking about a guy who was a little unstable. He had several nervous breakdowns. There was something very sensitive about him to where he would give up the artistic chase at his highest point. I was actually very impressed with the actor and how he portrayed Brian. The guy that played Mike was excellent. Carl and Al weren't great, but those are hard guys to make into a movie. The one I probably liked the least was the portrayal of Dennis. They made him much too serious and uptight. From what I can tell, Dennis was a fun, and funny kind of guy. But not over serious, and quick tempered. And definately not full of jealousy when Brian didn't give a rip about his songs (niether are true).

Over all though, I give them some props for figuring out how to cram a very complex story into 3 (?) hours. I am sure it could be done better, but most of these made for tv movies about bands aren't much better then BB:AF.

The first half wasn't too bad - great period feel (Murry handing out the "I Know Brian's Dad" buttons) and the history - and detail - was generally pretty good. And then it all went to sh*t.

Trying to isolate what was the most offensive aspect about pt.2 is like trying to decide which would be better - being boiled in oil, hung drawn & quartered or impaled. Brian's instant descent into drooling imbecility... Van Dyke single-handedly turning on all LA to acid... the outrageous fucking around with history... you pick.

I'd say when Van Dyke Parks showed up and he was a strawberry blonde was the point that the movie started to go downhill.

The Good: The guy who played Mike (Matt Letscher) was superb and got Mike's mannerisms and speech down to a T, Kevin Dunn was also very good as Murry. The use of original material was also nice after what we were subjected to in Summer Dreams.

The Bad: Virtually everything else. Fred Weller was fucking dreadful as Brian but this may have been down to direction, in which case he was directed to act like a mentally deranged child from the off. The lack of miming ability was astounding too and just whose idea was it to have Brian's old worn voice coming out of his supposedly 20 something self (Surfer Girl)? It just sounded ridiculous! As for the SMiLE portrayal....well I don't know if I have the words to express how much it angered me but I bet it angered Van Dyke more! 'Black Sheep' from 'Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story' was more accurate. Also why couldn't they just use Loren Schwartz's name instead of making someone up? I'm assuming 'Tommy Schaeffer' was supposed to be based upon the odious Schwartz?

You really believe that Dennis was not quick tempered?

You need to pronounce that like Murry: downHILL!

I have it on VHS (from when it was televised) and I watch it quite often.  I could nitpick on just about every scene, and I'm not even an expert on the BB story.  I do find it to be very entertaining and well acted (for the most part).  Inaccuracies aside, I think it gives one a good idea on how it all happened. 

The most annoying part of it for me, I would have to say, is the portrayal of Brian.  I think he did a great job on the later, overweight, messed up Brian, but I think he was a little off on the early Brian.  Brian may have been a little awkward in social situations, but at that point I don't think he was dopey and slightly slurring like he was portrayed.   

Ok, maybe quick tempered. But they left out his fun side. They portrayed him as a very serious person. Was he not more goofy and fun a lot of the time?

My understanding [conjecture really] is "Tommy Schaefer" wasn't supposed to be Loren Schwartz but another scenster of the period with the same initials as Tommy. Of course the writer may have meant the character as compilation of similar characters.