By Steve Marinucci
Published Aug. 24, 1995, San Jose (CA) Mercury News
MEMO: BRIAN WILSON . . . I JUST WASN'T MADE FOR THESE TIMES 9 P.M. SUNDAY (8/27), DIS
FILM TAKES SENSITIVE LOOK AT TROUBLED ARTIST
IT'S ironically sad that the man responsible for such beautiful songs as ''In My Room,'' ''God Only Knows,'' ''Caroline, No'' and ''The Warmth of the Sun'' has had such an unpleasant life.
Nonetheless, ''Brian Wilson . . . I Just Wasn't Made for These Times'' (the title is taken from a song on his introspective ''Pet Sounds'' album) is an uplifting film that reveals how the 53-year-old Wilson survived an abusive father, a nervous breakdown, drug abuse and numerous monumental internal squabbles while a member of the Beach Boys.
In the film, which marks the directorial debut of music producer Don Was, Wilson's mother, Audree, offers fond recollections of her son as a child. But Brian remembers his childhood quite differently. In one scene, he describes savage beatings he and his brothers, fellow Beach Boys Carl and Dennis, endured at the hands of his father, Murry.
With the Beach Boys, Brian became a celebrity, but after a nervous breakdown suffered while on tour in 1964, Brian retired from the road and spent his time perfecting his music in the studio. One result was ''Pet Sounds,'' an album that inspired Paul McCartney's concept for the Beatles' ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.''
After unleashing the wildly successful pop masterpiece ''Good Vibrations,'' Wilson seemed to be the master of his own destiny. The Beach Boys' follow-up album was to be called ''Smile.'' It was one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of the '60s. But drugs, pressure from the group's record company, Capitol, and internal disagreements among the band members over the less-than-commercial nature of the lyrics forced Wilson and the band to abandon ''Smile.''
Soon after, Wilson dropped out of the music scene altogether. He struggled with obesity and would often spend many consecutive days without getting out of bed. Audree Wilson reveals that Wilson's father did the same thing, often handling his business dealings from bed.
Wilson's wife at the time, Marilyn, hired Dr. Eugene Landy, a Svengali-like psychologist, to take care of Wilson. But when it became apparent that Landy had a cult-like grip on the singer, Wilson's friends obtained a court order banning Landy from any further contact with his patient. Landy is never mentioned by name in the film; Wilson refers to him only as ''my assistant.''
For that matter, outside of vintage film clips, the only Beach Boy interviewed in the film besides Brian Wilson is his brother, Carl. Brian has not toured with the Beach Boys in recent years, and did not appear on the group's last studio album. Recent news reports have revealed more internal fights over songwriting credits with lead singer Mike Love. The dispute has since been settled.
Things are looking up for Wilson. Within the last year he has remarried, (wife Melinda is interviewed with him in the film); he has released a new album on MCA of songs recorded for this film and has another album scheduled for October that will mark a reunion with Van Dyke Parks, his co-writer on ''Surf's Up.''
The preview of the title song from that album, ''Orange Crate Art,'' provides one of the most gorgeous moments in the film. The song, one of 13 tunes - most of them wonderful new versions of old Beach Boy songs - is a beautiful piece with a haunting turn-of-the-century feel that recalls the magnificence of the earlier collaboration.
Another is a remake of the Beach Boys' ''Do It Again,'' with backup vocals by daughters Carnie (who'll be seen this fall as host of her own daytime talk show locally on KGO-TV) and Wendy, the first time the women have recorded with their father as adults. (As children, they sang on a version of ''I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus'' with the Beach Boys for a '70s Christmas album never released, though the track itself was on Carnie and Wendy's ''Hey Santa'' holiday album, released in 1993.)
In another touching scene, Wilson and Melinda drive around his old neighborhood where he is almost brought to tears when he sees his former home has been razed for a freeway.
Besides recounting his life, ''I Just Wasn't Made for These Times'' includes praise for Wilson from a number of his more famous fans, including David Crosby, Graham Nash, session drummer Hal Blaine (who played on a number of Beach Boys sessions), John Cale, Linda Ronstadt, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth and Lindsay Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac.
''I Just Wasn't Made for These Times'' is a change of pace from the general good-time fare of the Disney Channel. It's an extremely honest black-and-white portrait of a man whose life hasn't been all good vibrations and fairy tales. Give credit to Doug Zwick, Disney's vice president of original specials and acquired programming, for gaining rights to the film after seeing it at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.
And even better, the first showing will be during a free preview when many cable customers without access to the premium Disney Channel can see it.
