4 stars out of 5
In the mid-1970s, my sister and I had a copy of the Beach Boys’ Endless Summer compilation album. The cover was weird, with these creepy bearded cartoon dudes peeking out from behind leaves, but we loved the music. My second-grade buddy Jeff Anderson was a fan too. Next thing I remember is Secretary of the Interior James Watt forbidding the Beach Boys from playing the Mall in Washington, DC, on July 4, 1983.
At some point shortly after, my perception changed. I learned that Brian Wilson was a “genius,” and that Pet Sounds was an “important” album. (From Rolling Stone magazine, probably?) I bought Pet Sounds (on vinyl, you fetishists!); I bought Brian’s solo album. I slowly became a student of the Beach Boys.
Maybe you’re bringing a similar amount of Brian baggage with you to see this movie. (Will you wear your blue-and-white vertical striped shirt like I did?) Or maybe you just like the hits on good-time oldies radio but are curious to know a bit more. In either case, there’s a lot to enjoy and appreciate in Love & Mercy.
Since the movie was announced, many have been a little nervous about the dual casting of Paul Dano and John Cusack as young Brian and older Brian. I’m pleased to report that, for me, the concept worked really well. Cutting back and forth between the two eras is handled smoothly, and the two actors turn in commendable performances. Cusack captures the “damaged” later Brian without overdoing it. But it is Dano who truly shines, fully inhabiting the role. We see the innocence, wonder, and fear in young Brian’s eyes, and the slow transition to terror and madness. (Dano has an underwater sequence that is absolutely chilling.)
The story is faithfully told, and viewers without much background knowledge should find it quite eye-opening: Brian’s meticulous work with studio musicians; tensions in the group over straying from their “sun and fun” formula; the cocktail of physical, mental, and drug abuse that sent Brian’s delicate psyche over the edge; and the overbearing control of Dr. Eugene Landy that hurt Brian much more than it helped.
This is not a perfect film. There’s a little too much tell rather than show, trying to squeeze little factoids in. (“You’re better than Phil Spector!” “Paul McCartney said that ‘God Only Knows’ is the greatest love song” etc. etc.) The other Beach Boys are played by generic actors; no effort is made to distinguish one from another. And the script doesn’t have a lot of subtlety when it comes to, ahem, heroes and villains: dad Murry Wilson, Mike Love, and Dr. Landy are totally evil; new love Melinda is pure goodness.
But strong lead performances keep things on track. In addition to Dano and Cusack, Paul Giamatti has a total blast as sleazy, rage-prone Dr. Landy. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Banks puts up with very-80s hair, makeup, and wardrobe to create a warm portrait of Melinda Ledbetter, filled with patience, perseverance, and compassion.
Compassion is really key here, and it’s asked of the viewer as well. Yes, Love & Mercy is a celebration of Brian Wilson’s musical creations, with an unbeatable soundtrack. But even more so, it gives us a fuller understanding of what this troubled individual has been through—the seemingly all-too-common price of those we anoint as geniuses—and ultimately, how he’s hung on.
Jack Silbert, curator