It’s surprising how much The Beach Boys hasn’t had their official, estate-approved documentary by way of an acclaimed filmmaker before. And now here it is with the Frank Marshall/Thom Zimny-directed archival documentary produced by Disney. Moreover, the film had an exclusive premiere in IMAX before making its way to Disney+ on May 24, where living band members were joined by the filmmakers in an exclusive Q&A before Brian Wilson appeared to a rapturous standing ovation.
Deservingly so, Wilson remains the heart and soul of The Beach Boys and the reason why the group, comprised of Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, Carl Wilson, and Dennis Wilson, has achieved cataclysmic worldwide success. There’s so much to talk about here, with Marshall and Zimny fully knowing how impossible it is to chronicle their life in 113 minutes. That’s why they only focus on their rise as an up-and-coming “surfin’” boy band to their fall after the release of Pet Sounds and Mike Love’s lawsuit against Brian Wilson in the 1990s.
It’s probably why the first two halves of the movie are strong because we get to experience their rising popularity through interestingly conveyed present-day testimonials of Love, Johnston, and former band member David Marks. Marshall and Zimny also add perspectives from the likes of Janelle Monae, OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, Lindsay Buckingham, and Don Was. These perspectives add a different, more subjective viewpoint to what Marshall and Zimny present because the rest can otherwise be called a hagiography piece on The Beach Boys’ highs, without much talking about some of the darkest parts of the band’s existence.
Strangely enough, there’s barely any mention of Wilson’s struggles with mental health other than a testimonial from Johnston on him having a nervous breakdown on a plane and being more of a “homebody.” They do mention Wilson’s drug use, though, in such a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it matter, you would think it not an integral part of some of his more somber years, in which he became a complete recluse for over two years inside the chauffeur quarters of his house. Of course, this is a Disney movie, and we’re bound to keep it light. Still, none can make a Beach Boys movie without talking about Brian’s most difficult periods as a genius songwriter whose drug abuse ultimately led to a long period of torment and despair.
The same can be said of the Wilson siblings’ relationship with their father, Murry. Briefly, Love and Johnston talk about how controlling he could be as the band’s manager until archival footage of the late Carl and Dennis talk about how they were frequently abused and beaten as children, whilst Brian was “protected” as the artistic prodigy he was. This is important to discuss, as it’s strikingly depicted and narrated in the movie. However, it’s always mentioned in passing without much thought on why these elements of their lives were presented. In fact, the film spends far more time discussing Dennis’ relationship with Charles Manson, which introduced him to the world of music before the events of the Tate-LaBianca murders of 1969.
For some reason, this is more important than delving into some of the most important parts of the Wilson family’s life. It gets even more galling when Marshall and Zimny use Love’s multiple lawsuits against Wilson as a way to vindicate him instead of discussing how the band was continuously victimized and even threatened by Wilson’s father. It feels particularly egregious to see this happen in the movie when Dennis and Carl can’t talk about what is happening today, as the two passed away in 1986 and 1998. Dennis had a long history of drug and alcohol abuse in his later life, which ultimately led to his tragic passing. This is never mentioned in the movie, other than a “loving memory” tribute of the two as the camera pans upwards on…a beach before its closing credits appear.
We only have Jardine, Johnston, Love, and Marks to discuss The Beach Boys, with Brian unable to do so as he was recently diagnosed with dementia. But Love has been caught in a tug of war with Wilson for a long time and has not been on speaking terms with him, which feels incredibly surreal to hear him say that should he meet him again, he would tell him that he loves him. That’s great and all, but I don’t think he shared the same sentiment as the two grew apart. Yet, this rivalry is never explored or mentioned meaningfully in the documentary. Each high they experience is painstakingly detailed and depicted, but the lows they have aren’t, and, as a result, the film feels incomplete and unbalanced.
And while it’s certainly great to see Wilson again on the screen in a closing scene that makes the film somewhat sitting through, what arrives in its final half completely sinks most of the good intentions Marshall and Zimny have with the picture. There’s arguably some good stuff in this, especially when we hear an anecdote from Bruce Johnston, who met Paul McCartney and John Lennon so they could listen to Pet Sounds while he was in London promoting the album. The whole Beach Boys vs. Beatles rivalry is terrifically developed, too. It’s just a shame that part of what makes The Beach Boys’ story so interesting isn’t discussed or briefly mentioned in passing.
Yes, there’s a lot to talk about, and Marshall and Zimny have to pick and choose between the more positive or negative moments of their lives. But they ultimately feed the two since Wilson et al. experience a redemption near the end of the band’s past existence. Perhaps it would’ve worked better as a miniseries, where we could’ve gotten a much broader portrait of the band’s history than the hagiography piece we’re ultimately left with.
The Beach Boys is now available to stream on Disney+.
