The Beach Boys: An American Family (2000) (TV)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Jeff Bleckner

Writer (WGA):

Kirk Ellis (written by)

Release Date:

27 February 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music

Plot:

This movie re-creates the life stories of the members of the rock group "The Beach Boys. The film focuses...

Plot Keywords:

Drugs | Nervous Breakdown | Physical Abuse

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Kevin Dunn	...	Murry Wilson
Jessica Shannon	...	Concert Girl
Fred Weller	...	Brian Wilson (as Frederick Weller)
Alley Mills	...	Audree Wilson
Nick Stabile	...	Dennis Wilson
Emmanuelle Vaugier	...	Pamela
Ryan Northcott	...	Carl Wilson
Matt Letscher	...	Mike Love
Ned Vaughn	...	Al Jardine
Dublin James	...	Dave Marks
Jesse Caron	...	Bruce Johnston
Amy Van Horne	...	Marilyn Rovell
Jad Mager	...	Nik Venet
Eric Matheny	...	Chuck Britz
Harris Laskaway	...	Voyle Gilmore
Clay Wilcox	...	Tommy Schaeffer
Anthony Rapp	...	Samuel Pierce
Erik Passoja	...	Charles Manson
David Polcyn	...	Phil Spector
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Annie Abbott	...	Mary Rovell
Alexia Aleman	...	Roller Girl
Aurorah Allain	...	Female Dancer
Tammy Blue	...	Concert girl
Lisa Marie Bolick	...	Mother With Child
Felix Brenner	...	Sunrays
Vanessa Dorman	...	Amy Love
Audie England	...	Yellerstone
Denise Faye	...	Nik's Secretary
Tamara Fay	...	Ginger Blake
Kurt Fuller	...	Mike Love's dad
Sharon Garnier	...	Bohemian girl (as Sharon Lee Garnier)
Zoey Goetsch	...	Waitress (at The Snake Pit)
Rachel Grate	...	Fan # 1
Haven Hartman	...	Marnie
Tera Hendrickson	...	Carol Kaye
Phillip Geoffrey Hough	...	Rick Hann
Zach Hudson	...	50's Happy Teen Driver
James Intveld	...	Hal Blaine
Denise Marie Jerome	...	Female Dancer
Sofia Karstens	...	Female Dancer
Raegan Kotz	...	Deborah Jameson
Etty Lau	...	Female Dancer
Carla Mackauf	...	Female Dancer
Courtney McLaughlin	...	Groupie
Oliver Muirhead	...	TV Host
Wendy Phillips	...	?
Claire Rankin	...	Diane Rovell
Janet Rotblatt	...	Grandma Edith Wilson
Morgan Schultz	...	Corn Fed Girl
Joie Shettler	...	Female Dancer
David Spielberg	...	Irving Rovell
Megan Stephens	...	Female Dancer
Trevor St. John	...	Jan Barry
Kimbra Westervelt	...	Waitress
Harrison Young	...	Buddy Wilson
Jacob Young	...	Dean Torrance
Michael McElroy	...	Young Scott (uncredited)
John Stamos	...	Drummer (uncredited)

Directed by
Jeff Bleckner

Writing credits (WGA)
Kirk Ellis		(written by)

Produced by
Jeff Bleckner	....	co-executive producer
Alan Boyd	....	co-producer
Dave Mace	....	co-producer (as David Mace)
Neil Meron	....	executive producer
Lawrence E. Neiman	....	associate producer
John Stamos	....	executive producer
John Whitman	....	producer
Craig Zadan	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Gary Griffin
Clair Marlo

Cinematography by
Brian J. Reynolds		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Bryan M. Horne
Geoffrey Rowland

Casting by
Stacey Rosen

Production Design by
Stephen Hendrickson

Art Direction by
Troy Sizemore

Set Decoration by
Archie D'Amico

Costume Design by
Christine Peters

Makeup Department
Kathleen Crawford	....	key makeup artist
Jeff Lewis	....	makeup artist
Steven Mack	....	hair department head
Pamela Santori	....	makeup artist
Phyllis Temple	....	makeup artist
Faith Vecchio	....	hair department head
Erwin H. Kupitz	....	wig designer (uncredited)
Gary J. Perticone	....	assistant hair stylist: prep hair cuts (uncredited)

Production Management
Jerry O'Connor	....	assistant unit production manager
John Whitman	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Yudi Bennett	....	first assistant director
Franklyn Gottbetter	....	second second assistant director
Jules Kovisars	....	second assistant director
Timothy R. Price	....	dga trainee (as Tim Price)

Art Department
Joseph Calta	....	stand-by painter
Tony Chavez	....	propmaker
Michael Courville	....	property master
Robert Hale	....	head paint foreman
Lanny Henson	....	general foreman construction
Stephanie Higgins Frey	....	art department coordinator
Robert W. Joseph	....	lead man
Johnny Knight	....	construction coordinator
Christopher H. Lawrence	....	musical instrument props
Ronnie Lombard	....	set dresser
Jeff Ozimek	....	set designer
David Storm	....	props
Ronald L. Woodward	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Rick Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer
Beau Biggart	....	adr mixer
Roy Braverman	....	adr editor
Roy Braverman	....	sound supervisor
Tim Chilton	....	foley artist
Bob Costanza	....	sound effects editor
Gabriel Cubos	....	boom operator
Erik Flockoi	....	sound recordist
Tommy Goodwin	....	foley mixer
G. Michael Graham	....	sound supervisor (as Michael Graham)
Rick Hart	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kevin Meltcher	....	assistant sound editor
Edward L. Moskowitz	....	production sound mixer
Richard D. Rogers	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Rich Rogers)
Burton Weinstein	....	sound supervisor (as Burt Weinstein)

Stunts
Zach Hudson	....	stunt double: Nick Stabile
David Hugghins	....	stunt rigger
Ernie F. Orsatti	....	stunt coordinator (as Ernie Orsatti)
Steve Schriver	....	stunt double: Kevin Dunn

Camera and Electrical Department
James Barrett	....	electrician
Chris Byers	....	key grip
Michelle Crenshaw	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Jeff Hand	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Craig Horwitz	....	lamp operator
Robert G. Lestak	....	best boy (as Rob Lestak)
Mark Ludwig	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Mike Macias	....	lighting technician
Michael K. O'Melia	....	best boy
Ron Provenzano	....	set lighting
David Scott	....	electrician
David A. Seekins	....	film loader
Chris Squires	....	Steadicam operator
Chris Squires	....	camera operator: "a" camera
H. Mark Vuille	....	gaffer (as Mark Vuille)
Pasquale Attanasio	....	grip (uncredited)
Scott Humbert	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Jennifer Ricchiazzi	....	casting associate
Liz Dean	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nicole Capasso	....	set costumer
Alyson MacInnis	....	costumer
Jerry Ross	....	wardrobe
Lulu Thyne	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Lisa Cossettini	....	assistant editor
Todd Dusenberry	....	video colorist (as Todd Duesenberry)

Music Department
Mark Agostino	....	music playback operator
Charles Sydnor	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Victor Anderson	....	transportation coordinator
Robert E. Dingle	....	transportation
Wayne Williams	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Karen Brooks	....	production coordinator
Kristin Dehnert	....	location manager (as Kristin C. Dehnert)
Leann Emmert	....	assistant location manager
Adrienne Hamalian-Mangine	....	script supervisor (as Adrienne Hamalian)
Chee Ho	....	assistant location manager
Travis Knox	....	production associate
Connie Kunz	....	first assistant accountant
Lance MacDonald	....	dance sequences by (as Lance Macdonald)
Lance Mancuso	....	key medic
Matthew Murray	....	production associate (as Matt Murray)
Timothy R. Price	....	key set production assistant (as Tim Price)
Janelle Ramaker	....	production associate
Patricia Baumann Vera	....	production assistant (as Patricia Baumann)
Garfield Whitman	....	set production assistant
Mari Wilson	....	additional script supervisor

Production Companies

• Bruin Grip Services
• Columbia TriStar Television (as Columbia Tristar Television a Sony Pictures Entertainment company)
• Storyline Entertainment

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (2000) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Other Companies

• 4MC  re-recorded at
• Columbia TriStar Television  author: Berne Convention
• Digital Magic Company  electronic laboratory (as Digital Magic)
• EMI-Capitol Special Markets  masters licensed by: Capitol Records under license
• Echo Sound Services  sound editing
• Playboy Magazine  Playboy Magazine courtesy of
• Rondor Music International  songs licensed by: Beach Boys

Runtime:

240 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Bruin Grip Services

Trivia:

During scenes in which Brian Wilson is demoing "I Get Around" and "In My Room," the real Brian Wilson contributes the vocal, recorded specifically for this movie. However, an uncredited Jeffrey Foskett, a member of Brian Wilson's touring band, provides the high notes during the "In My Room" demo.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: During a show which takes place sometime before 1963, the Wilson brothers' mom takes pictures of them, using a 110-format Instamatic camera. The 110 film format was invented a few years later than 1963.

Quotes:

Brian Wilson: Where are you going?
Van Dyke Parks: I'm sorry, Brian. I'm splittin'. The Philistines have uttered thier pronouncements, and I am now bound for Golgotha.

Soundtrack:

SURFIN' USA

Highly enjoyable

Before watching ANY made-for-TV movie, one must know that, on average, TV-movies have never been that great. So, now that that's out of the way, I'll get to the review.

The way Brian Wilson discovers that "Beach Boys" sound was very convincing. It didn't seem abridged, it felt real. The acting, for the most part, was top-notch. The actor who portrayed musical genius Brian Wilson, while likeable, could have used a few acting lessons. However, the part of Mike Love was dead-on.

The film is very enjoyable, and really "connects" any music listener to the Beach Boys, and especially Brian Wilson. It was only after watching this film that I truly began to realize that Wilson was a true genius, perhaps one of the best writers/musicians to come out of the 20th Century. I KNEW he was good, but it is really only now that I know just how influential he really was/is to the music industry.

Things did get corny, however, but remember -- this IS a TV movie. The first half of this miniseries is far superior to the second.

Also, I must complain about the horrible under-use of the Carl Wilson character. Carl, the Beach Boys' strong and steady voice of reason, deserved alot more than what he was given in this film. Carl would go on to lead the band in the 80s and 90s, and he was the most stable of the Wilson brothers -- don't you think his dedication warrants a little more "air time"? I do.

To focus more on the positives, however, all the actors and characters are likeable, and I found this miniseries to have some generally touching moments.

Overall, a great watch. If you appreciate good music, and if you are a fan of the Beach Boys (casual or fanatic), you should buy this TV-movie whenever it becomes available to buy on video.