Beach Boys an american family

[Cam Mott]

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.

I'd like to know from someone involved what was what.  I'm guessing the writer and director are responsible for whatever was on the screen.  I'd like to know what control by which BB was eyewitnessed, which had any financial or fiduciary interest; I'm guessing there was not much control [and no financial connection] by any.

I've heard BB related lawyers were attempting to/did have influence but whose lawyers if so? Individual's lawyers or BRI lawyers, there always seems to be confusion about which is which.

[Jason]

and as much as I like Bruce Greenwood, he did a terrible job playing Dennis.

Wow, I thought he did Dennis pretty well, except for the lack of a groan in his later years.

[Rocker]

and as much as I like Bruce Greenwood, he did a terrible job playing Dennis.

Wow, I thought he did Dennis pretty well, except for the lack of a groan in his later years.

I thought so too. He did it quite well and so did Stabile imho

[SurferGirl7]

The first part is good. The breakdown scene was the best adaptation of what probably happened. I thought the Carl in the film first half was played very well.




**Though I must say, my adaptation of the BB story will blow everyone away for sure** 

[Jonas]

Re: Summer Dreams

B Greenwood was too 'Hollywood' for me in the movie, his speech, the way he potrayed himself, felt fake. Compared to the other actors, who I think played their roles much better. I think thats one of the reasons the emphasis on the movie is on Dennis because of the 'lead' role.

[I. Spaceman]

The most hilarious bit was Brian burning the SMiLE tapes in the fireplace, then sitting down at the piano and playing Let The Wind Blow.

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

I liked that performance.

Who performed the songs on that movie?

They were done well, (Forever, LTWB, most notably).

[Rocker]

The songs played there were special mixes. It was Dennis lead-track of "Forever" with a new piano dubbed onto it. And it was also Brian's original "Let the wind blow"-singing

[Sir Rob]

But if you remember what you heard of Smile were strange little Smile-like fragments.  I've got a feeling this was due to some kind of copyright thing, possibly to do with VDP.  Notice that VDP isn't VDP in the film but instead he's a VDP-like character with a different name.

[Jeff Mason]

But if you remember what you heard of Smile were strange little Smile-like fragments.  I've got a feeling this was due to some kind of copyright thing, possibly to do with VDP.  Notice that VDP isn't VDP in the film but instead he's a VDP-like character with a different name.

The first airing of the movie he was VDP.  VDP demanded he be removed and subsequent airings this was done.  The Smile snippets were written by Alan Boyd who can comment better about it than I.

[Roger Ryan]

Yes, VDP wondered (rightfully so) why he was the only collaborator/friend identified by his real name in the movie. The dramatic effect seemed to suggest that Parks was the weirdo who led Brian away from Mike, resulting in Brian losing his talent and sanity. Only in Mike's selfless return as Brian's collaborator could the quality of the music be regained! This whole conceit must seem even wackier now that "SMiLE" has been released and embraced as a masterpiece.

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

The songs played there were special mixes. It was Dennis lead-track of "Forever" with a new piano dubbed onto it. And it was also Brian's original "Let the wind blow"-singing

THANKYOU.

I was absolutly convinced upon watching that those were just too good to be covers. Now, is that performance of Let The Wind Blow actually available anywhere on any of the SOT's or anything? It sounded very much more powerful and to the point in that bridge section than the released, WH version does.

[I. Spaceman]

It was the released version.

[sugarandspice]

I really enjoyed  the movie.......... Anybody have a copy they are willing to send me

xoxoxoxoxoxo
suga

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

It was the released version.

Fooled me.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

God, I HATED the ending. Brian came off as being like Rainman in that one. Also, notice how he had his mid-70s behavior...in the late 60s!

Dumb.

[carlydenise2]

The ending was so...abrupt...it was as if John Stamos ran outta steam and just....stopped. I realize this could have been a week-long movie if he put EVERYTHING in it, but he could have ended it differently.
Carly

[Toby]

Yes, VDP wondered (rightfully so) why he was the only collaborator/friend identified by his real name in the movie. The dramatic effect seemed to suggest that Parks was the weirdo who led Brian away from Mike, resulting in Brian losing his talent and sanity. Only in Mike's selfless return as Brian's collaborator could the quality of the music be regained! This whole conceit must seem even wackier now that "SMiLE" has been released and embraced as a masterpiece.

Van Dyke was so upset that he ran a "Mike Love joke contest" for a long long time when the movie came out.

It's an entertaining movie on one level... if you forget about all the terrible historical inaccuracies. And the portrayal of Brian as a mentally handicapped person, barely able to complete a sentence (trying to describe GV to his mom: "Uh... vibrations...umm... dogs....uhhh....y'know....they feel....uh...them") is offensive to say the least.

[Rocker]

The songs played there were special mixes. It was Dennis lead-track of "Forever" with a new piano dubbed onto it. And it was also Brian's original "Let the wind blow"-singing

THANKYOU.

I was absolutly convinced upon watching that those were just too good to be covers. Now, is that performance of Let The Wind Blow actually available anywhere on any of the SOT's or anything? It sounded very much more powerful and to the point in that bridge section than the released, WH version does.

These were special mixes of the original recordings. I think Stephen Desper or Mark Linett did them. Maybe you can ask them about that. But they were, as far as I know, not released on anything other than the movie.

[cta]

Summer Dreams was absolutely horrible. 

But "American Family" did use original music.  Brian sings a part where his character does the "I Get Around" part in building the song.

Besides the whole "name a bunch of times" I wrote prior in the thread, I forgot how nauseating the guy who played Al was.  He was pure soap-opera school - heavy breaths, melodramatic acting, etc.

[punkinhead]

this movie really turned me on to the BB, i liked it. The smile parts were funny. The guy who played VDP is great...i think he's on dazed and confused. the guy who played carl was good, had the good combover...but didnt look like him, but he did look like a Beach boy...the Honeys bit was good...phil spector appearance, subtle, but made an ass. mike, one of the closest looking ones. the whole thing where mike was out of it was so brief and he was ok after the next scenes....
something i noticed from the first time it shown (with VDP name) and the 2nd time (with the name Samuel); the 2nd showing, where dennis punches a window, he says, "and now you dont have a drummer." first showing, enever said that...when they combined the two showings into one, it sucked! they cut out so much stuff.
about summer dreams, what Dennis songs did they use?

[jabba2]

It was a Mike Love/ Stamos influenced movie. Brian was mostly portayed as the bad influence that disrupted the band.

Summer Dreams is just as awful though, maybe even worse. I hated the cheesy hollywood love scenes.

[Jonas]

I agree, Jabba. Though, Murry Wilson was pretty convincing in SD.

[Howdy Doody]

I guess I will always wonder if now with Brian releasing SMILE if a cool movie could be made.  Jack Black could be a cool BW.  Does anyone think a real movie will ever be made?

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

I'm not interested in a movie. The Beach Boys' musical output is enough to satisfy me a life time.

That being said, I think using unknown actors would be the best idea. Nobody wants to see Ben Affleck as Brian Wilson anytime soon.