The Beach Boys, el documental

A recent Disney + documentary on arguably the greatest American rock 'n' roll band we ever produced. Culling interviews from the surviving members (since brothers Carl & Dennis Wilson have passed & any interviews w/Brian are archival since he's gotten a recent mental decline diagnosis) gives us the soup to nuts of the band w/the usual trajectory of them being the preeminent surf band until Brian's intense studio time (prompted by his distaste & mental unbeing for the road) took him into infinitely more experimental & interesting places even though their father wanted none of that. Tracing a good chunk of the later half of the doc on the revolutionary Pet Sounds recording pretty much shows why that record is what it is & why the world loves it so. Some time director Frank Marshall (Congo/Alive) does the material well but being there are so many docs made on the band (at one point I think he clipped a scene of Brian Wilson being interviewed in bed from one made in the 70's or 80's which I remember seeing when I was young) especially a recent one about the Pet Sounds follow-up Smile which Brian & Van Dyke Park reunited to finish & later perform on stage, this film feels fresh for the uninitiated but for those in on the know, not so much.

Greetings again from the darkness. Casual fans of The Beach Boys music are attracted to the light-hearted and fun songs that are always good for a burst of feel-good energy. More attuned fans remain in awe of the intricate vocal harmonies ... rarely matched by other bands. Co-directors Frank Marshall and Thom Zimney have successfully presented the story of The Beach Boys without either over-the-top gushing or digging too deeply into the dirt.

By going all the way back to the childhood of the Wilson brothers, the film details how singing in the backseat of the family car began the transformation into a supergroup that changed pop music forever. Oldest brother Brian has always been accepted as the musical 'genius', while Carl was inspired to pick up a guitar after hearing Chuck Berry, and rebel Dennis played the drums almost out of necessity. Cousin Mike Love wrote many of the lyrics for Brian's music and became the band's lead singer, while good friend (and Brian's football teammate) Al Jardine's exceptional voice was a natural fit. We learn it was Al's mother who fronted the boys $300 to rent instruments after hearing them sing together (smart lady). We also learn that Murry Wilson (the boys' father) sold his business to manage the group towards gigs and their first record deal.

It's really that history - the foundation of the band - that is the most interesting aspect of the film. For the most part, it tracks chronologically through the album releases and tours, while emphasizing the importance of the band bringing beach culture to the masses. Hearing about their musical influences: The Four Freshman, Dick Dale, The Ventures, and Phil Spector, allows us to understand exactly how things progressed so quickly.

The filmmakers (with impressive music doc and music video backgrounds) mention but opt not to dwell on the darker aspects of the band's history. The commercial failure of "Pet Sounds" (now considered a masterpiece) played a significant role in Brian's emotional fade. Father Murry's inexplicable decision to sell off the band's publishing rights prevented any of them from reaching the financial status they deserved. As was commonplace for the time, drugs were detrimental to individual band members as well as the band's productivity. Deciding to pull out of the Monterrey Pop Festival (no real explanation given) resulted in the band becoming irrelevant for a few years. Mike Love sued the band for songwriting credits, creating a huge rift. These points, along with Dennis' happenstance involvement with Charles Manson, are all mentioned yet given no real depth ... which is fine for a documentary working so hard to stay positive.

As a conclusion, Capital Records' release of the double-album "Endless Summer" injected new life and popularity into the band (getting them past that earlier 'rivalry' with The Beatles), and the finale is a shot of a recent reunion with surviving band members Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, and Bruce Johnston at Paradise Cove ... with no insight into what was discussed.

The film begins streaming on DISNEY+ on May 24, 2024.

Because The Beach Boys are such a long-tenured musical institution and feature the requisite history (good and bad) to go along with that longevity, one could do a 5-part doc and probably still leave some topics on the cutting room floor. What this Disney+ doc accomplishes in just under two hours, however, is an excellent summation of the group that primarily focuses on the family aspect and the timelessness of the music they created. Plus, it is a positive-focused doc--albeit one that doesn't completely shy away from some of the more controversial material.

In terms of general chronology, "The Beach Boys" focuses on the group's creation through roughly the late-1970s--plus a sort of "where are they now" coda that is extremely moving. As mentioned, the material largely revolves around two themes:

-Family: The Beach Boys are extremely unique in that they were mainly populated by three brothers (Brian, Carl, & Dennis Wilson), a cousin (Mike Love), and a close friend (Al Jardine). Very few other music groups can boast such a tight-knit family bond--highly credited with keeping the ship afloat during the rough patches.

-Music: The group created harmonies that have proved to be timeless as new generations keep discovering them. While Brian may have been the composing genius behind the scenes and Mike the perfect "front man", this doc makes it clear that every Beach Boy (even the "fill-ins" along the way) was vital to the overall sound and success of the group.

Is this a positive and upbeat doc befitting of its Disney roots? Of course--and that's almost certainly the right approach to take with "America's Band"! But director Frank Marshall also doesn't completely shy away from the more sensitive topics: the influence of Murry Wilson, Brian's turbulent mid-70s period, and Mike's legal suit for songwriting credit among them. But such material simply is not dwelled upon.

All things considered, "The Beach Boys" seems like the perfect doc for its length, subject, and audience. Deeper-dives can easily be done via large tomes or specific docs/movies on other Beach Boys topics--but this doc is an excellent summation of why their music is so magical and where it all came from.

Decent, staight forward documentary on the group. It's formation, all the surf/car 60's parts, Pet Sounds and a Bit of smile. But like other docuseries I've seen, It just glossed over the late 60's early 70's records that didn't really chart but the hardcore fans Loved! Sunflower, Wild Honey, Friends, 20/20. There was so much more history to cover and it just didn't dig deep. Some of those records got me more into the non beach, surf sound and how deep Brian was as a musician.

I was hoping for a 6 hr or more series like The Beatles - Anthology or Let it Be.

Its just good.. for average fans..

I am a bigger fan of The Beach Boys, but this is incredibly light in terms of what's actually happen.

Part of me gets it because they are still real people who have to live out their lives. But their stories are so old and long forget that it shouldn't be this clean.

I knew it was trouble immediately when I saw it was produced by Disney. From there you can always tell it's going to be very clean. But too clean.

They don't get into their family drama, how the father Wilson was controlling it all and causing rifts between the members and him. Like others pointed out, no talk about Brian and the state he was in when he was younger using drugs and whatnot.

Just felt like there was more than what most wanted out of this story and the fact people are happy with the little they got is disappointing. They should want more, even if they are uncomfortable with the material, that is their story.