Review: 'The Beach Boys: An American Family'

It hasn't always been an easy thing to be a Beach Boys fan. At least, not for someone like me, who grew up in the Seventies. While most of my friends were listening to Kiss and Bob Seger, I had become obsessed with the Beach Boys sound. I listened to the music again and again, dissecting the vocals, trying to figure out just how they got that "sound."

The funny thing is that I was too young to have enjoyed the band in their heydey. By the time I discovered them, they couldn't give their albums away. And things at one point were so bad they were reduced to funding one tour by putting some of the costs on their credit cards.

But even in their lowest moments, they put out some amazing tracks. Past their prime, long after "Good Vibrations," they released two strong albums ("Surf's Up" and "Sunflower"), much of them done without much help from Brian Wilson. I loved "Pet Sounds," but I also loved some of their later stuff. And when I learned more about their history, about their private lives, it is amazing to me that they were able to continue at all.

The story of the Wilson family is one worthy of a soap opera, and it's spawned more than a couple of films and documentaries. And now ABC adds to the story with a four-hour mini-series that may be the best of the lot.

Much of The Beach Boys, An American Family is no doubt familiar to fans of the band. Their early accomplishments were almost overwhelmed by the bands relationship with Murry Wilson, father of Brian, Dennis and Carl. He was the ultimate stage Dad, a brutal, often capricious man who bullied his kids and their friends into performing his way. He refused to acknowledge the talents of his sons, and when the band finally fired him from his position as manager, he sold the band's songwriting rights for an amount that only be described as criminally low.

In fact, nearly everyone in this story has become part of the pop culture tapestry. Even the most casual music fans recognize Brian's amazing quirks, Dennis' brush with Charles Manson, Mike Love's obsession with TM. While it may seem a bit pretentious, calling them "An American Family" is very apt. They are living symbols of the possibilities and tragedies of modern American family life.

What separates this movie from some of the others is overall stellar quality of the acting. Frederick Weller nails Brian Wilson cold, capturing every creepy quirk of his personality. But just as strong is Matt Letscher, who manages to carry himself in a way that any Beach Boys fan would recognize as that "Mike Love walk." Nick Stabile does a great job as the charismatic Dennis Wilson, and even the underutilized Ryan Northcutt gets his moments near the end of the movie.

Fans might quibble with some of the script, and with the occasional rewriting of history. But overall, the story touches all of the bases, from David Marks to Nick Venet. There's even a brief mention of Glen Campbell, who began his music career as a road musician for the band. Fans of Dennis Wilson will also appreciate the moment they take to acknowledge his later contributions to the group. In fact, you could argue that his tunes for the Sunflower album (which includes the tune "Forever" which is highlighted here), are the best non-Brian Wilson written Beach Boys tunes.

In the end, the four hours fly by, and even the overall sad tone of the last hour doesn't ruin the mood. It's hard to believe that some of these tunes are close to forty years old. But they still mean something, which ultimately is the best epitaph for any band.

THE CAST:
Frederick Weller as Brian Wilson
Matt Letscher as Mike Love
Nick Stabile as Dennis Wilson
Ned Vaughn as Al Jardine
Ryan Northcott as Carl Wilson
Alley Mills as Audree Wilson
Kevin Dunn as Murry Wilson