ABC PREMIERE EVENT: THE BEACH BOYS: AN AMERICAN FAMILY {PART 2 OF 2} (TV)
Summary
Part two in this two-part miniseries about the early years of legendary American music group The Beach Boys. The program begins at ABC Studios in Hollywood in 1965 as The Beach Boys perform "California Girls" on air while Brian watches at home. At his house in Beverly Hills, Brian complains to Marilyn about the group's performance. Meanwhile, Murry refuses to get out of bed, angry about the "ungrateful bastards" that dropped him as their producer. One day, Al and new group member Bruce Johnston pay a visit to Brian's home, where he and Van Dyke Parks tinker around on the piano while "drainers" hang around them. Marilyn doesn't like all the hangers-on in Brian's life. Nick is concerned that Brian hasn't created any new work in four months. Brian is incredibly inspired by The Beatles' "Rubber Soul," wanting to make a similar record. Later, Mike marries back-up dancer Pamela after two dates and brings her back to his palatial home. At the same time, Dennis asks Deborah to marry him on the heels of his purchase of Will Rogers's old home. Meanwhile, Murry tries to form a new band of hitmakers, The Sunrays. Mike isn't thrilled but Brian doesn't care as he feels his music has advanced past a pop sound. Mike is upset to learn that Brian is pursuing "fresh ideas" apart from him. Brian begins consuming copious amounts of drugs as he searches for his muse along with Van Dyke. Brian even has sand carted into his living room, where he begins composing music in an attempt to make the greatest album of all time. Going to the studio with his symphony, Brian begins work on "Wouldn't It Be Nice." One day, a drunk Murry stops by to watch and Brian is not pleased. After countless takes, Brian and Murry get into a fight. Later, while adding the vocals for "Wouldn't It Be Nice," the other Beach Boys become agitated by Brian's perfectionism. Mike thinks Brian is trying to record "a Brian Wilson solo album featuring the Beach Boys." However, Nick is upset with the new album "Pet Sounds," thinking it has no hits on it. Brian is furious when Capitol Records kills the album, thinking they are afraid of his music. One day, Murry drops by Brian's home, encouraging his son to write a hit tune. After telling how the Sunrays left him, Murry gets Brian to sign a letter stating that Murry is the chief operating officer of the Sea of Tunes publishing company. Afterward, Murry forbids Marilyn from going back to Brian's house without him. Later, Brian slowly slips into dementia as he tries to compose "Good Vibrations." One night, he privately meets with Mike to play his early recording of "Good Vibrations," saying it is still slightly off. Brian asks Mike to help him out. Soon, Brian insists on having meetings with the Beach Boys in a moving limousine as his paranoia intensifies, thinking Phil Spector is spying on him. "Good Vibrations" is finally released in 1966, as The Beach Boys perform the song on "Top of The Pops" in London, by which point it's become "a million-selling hit." In addition, "Pet Sounds" has become a huge hit in England, despite it being comparatively unpopular in America. Meanwhile, Brian starts experimenting with acid and Marilyn finally reaches her limit, moving out of the house. Marilyn also reveals that she is pregnant. Elsewhere, Deborah is fed up with Dennis's affairs and walks out, after which he destroys her car. One day, Nick meets with Brian and Van Dyke, who reveal that they are writing a "teenage symphony to God." By 1967, The Beach Boys are ready to release Brian's highly experimental album, "SMiLE." The other Beach Boys are confused by Van Dyke's obscure lyrics, with Mike thinking it is "psychedelic crap." The album is ultimately scrapped. Upset, Brian begins work on "Let the Wind Blow." Meanwhile, Marilyn must admit that she still loves Brian and goes to see him. She finds him passed out on drugs and immediately throws Tommy Schaeffer and the others from the house. She vows to stay with Brian. In early 1968, Dennis begins drinking heavily and picks uup two hitchhikers who introduce him to their friend, Charles Manson. Elsewhere. Mike is turned onto a guru and meditation by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, much to Pamela's dismay. Meanwhile, Marilyn tries to focus on raising daughter Carnie. However, Brian begins staying in bed all day as he continues gaining weight. Marilyn starts locking up the food so that Brian cannot eat it. Later, Brian is surprised to learn that Dennis has written a song. Meanwhile, Dennis's house has become infiltrated by the "wizard" Manson and his "family." Dennis falls under their spell, trying to convince Carl to follow him, too. Marilyn forces Brian to kick the Manson gang out of the house. Soon, the other band members speak to Dennis about breaking ways with his "new family." Returning to his house and observing a frightening ritual outside his living room window, Dennis runs away. Later, Nick tries to get The Beach Boys to produce a relevant record that will actually sell, claiming that he even misses Murry. Nick says that the label is done with The Beach Boys and that they're thought of as "poison" in the industry. Brian goes to his father and is shocked to learn that he sold off the songs in the Sea of Tunes catalog for a paltry $700,000 without telling anyone. Audree is furious at Murry, thinking things will never be the same after his treatment of their sons. Brian falls into an even deeper funk, not even able to go with Marilyn to the hospital for the birth of their second child. Meanwhile, Mike begins fasting and continues meditating. Mike's father, who arrives with Bruce to see his son, learns that Pamela has left him. At the same time, after the Manson murders, Dennis tries to get his life back together with help from Carl. Dennis reveals a song he wrote, "Forever," which even Murry compliments. As a peace offering, Murry gives Dennis the family T-Bird. In 1973 in Whittier, California, Murry has a heart attack and dies. Brian and Dennis remain too upset to attend the funeral. At the gravesite, Audree tells Carl that she is counting on him to keep the family together. Nick then speaks to Carl, saying that he'd like to meet with the group once again. However, Dennis goes back to drinking and sets the T-Bird aflame. One day, the Wilson brothers and Mike reunite in Murry's music room to reminisce. They decide to talk with Nick and try to get themselves back on the map. Nick wants to rerelease their old hits on an album called "Endless Summer." It ends up making record history, selling incredibly well and getting the group dubbed "band of the year." The Beach Boys decide to go back on the road to perform, but Brian is too scared to join them. However, Mike convinces Brian to join them onstage and play his keyboard. The program ends with graphics discussing what became of the band members and their family, as well as noting that the Sea of Tunes catalog rose to a net worth of seventy-five million dollars. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: February 28, 2000 Monday 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:53:18
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:59888
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama;
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 2000
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Celebrate Black History
- TV - Commercials - Chevrolet automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Consumer Information Center
- TV - Commercials - Discover car
- TV - Commercials - Domino's pizza
- TV - Commercials - GMC automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Glade scented candles
- TV - Commercials - Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
- TV - Commercials - I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! butter substitute
- TV - Commercials - Intel Pentium processors
- TV - Commercials - K-Mart stores
- TV - Commercials - Kleenex tissues
- TV - Commercials - Lubriderm lotion
- TV - Commercials - MSN.com Microsoft website
- TV - Commercials - MasterCard credit cards
- TV - Commercials - Maybelline lipstick
- TV - Commercials - Miller Genuine Draft beer
- TV - Commercials - Office Depot stores
- TV - Commercials - OnStar navigation system/auto assistance
- TV - Commercials - Philip Morris companies
- TV - Commercials - Purina Cat Chow
- TV - Commercials - Saturn automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Staples.com office supplies
- TV - Commercials - Swiffer sweepers
- TV - Commercials - Tide detergent
- TV - Commercials - United States Census 2000
- TV - Commercials - Van de Kamp's fish sticks
- TV - Commercials - Welch's grape juice
- TV - Commercials - Xenical weight-loss medication
- TV - Promos - "20/20"
- TV - Promos - "Dharma & Greg"
- TV - Promos - "Making the Band"
- TV - Promos - "NYPD Blue"
- TV - Promos - "Nightline"
- TV - Promos - "Norm"
- TV - Promos - "Once and Again"
- TV - Promos - "Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher"
- TV - Promos - "Sports Night"
- TV - Promos - "The Drew Carey Show"
- TV - Promos - "The Practice"
- TV - Promos - "Waterworld"
- TV - Promos - "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"
- TV - Promos - The Oscars
CREDITS
- John Stamos … Executive Producer
- Craig Zadan … Executive Producer
- Neil Meron … Executive Producer
- Jeff Bleckner … Co-Executive Producer, Director
- John Whitman … Producer
- Alan Boyd … Co-Producer
- David Mace … Co-Producer
- Lawrence E. Neiman … Associate Producer
- Kirk Ellis … Writer
- Gary Griffin … Music by
- Frederick Weller … Cast, Brian Wilson
- Matt Letscher … Cast, Mike Love
- Nick Stabile … Cast, Dennis Wilson
- Ned Vaughn … Cast, Al Jardine
- Ryan Northcott … Cast, Carl Wilson
- Jesse Caron … Cast, Bruce Johnston
- Amy Van Horne … Cast, Marilyn Rovell
- Jad Mager … Cast, Nick Venet
- Wendy Phillips … Cast, Mike Love's Mom
- Kurt Fuller … Cast, Mike Love's Dad
- Alley Mills … Cast, Audree Wilson
- Kevin Dunn … Cast, Murry Wilson
- Raegan Kotz … Cast, Deborah Jameson
- Emmanuelle Vaugier … Cast, Pamela
- Eric Matheny … Cast, Chuck Britz
- Clay Wilcox … Cast, Tommy Schaeffer
- Anthony Rapp … Cast, Van Dyke Parks
- David Polcyn … Cast, Phil Spector
- Erik Passoja … Cast, Charlie Manson
- Claire Rankin … Cast, Diane Rovell
- Audie England … Cast, Yellerstone
- Haven Hartman … Cast, Marnie
- David Spielberg … Cast, Irving Rovell
- Annie Abbott … Cast, May Rovell
- James Intveld … Cast, Hal Blaine
- Tera Hendrickson … Cast, Carol Kaye
- Harris Laskawy … Cast, Voyle Gilmore
- Oliver Muirhead … Cast, TV Host
- Denise Faye … Cast, Nick's Secretary
- Phillip Geoffrey Hough … Cast, Rick Hann
- Felix Brenner … Cast, Sunray
- Noah Drake … Cast, Sunray
- Brian Peterson … Cast, Sunray
- Jacob Lambert … Cast, Sunray
- Jennifer Wilson … Cast, Female Dancer
- Carla MacKauf … Cast, Female Dancer
- Megan Stephens … Cast, Female Dancer
- Auroran Allain … Cast, Female Dancer
- Denise Marie Jerome … Cast, Female Dancer
- Etty Lau … Cast, Female Dancer
- Joie Shettler … Cast, Female Dancer
- The Beatles
- John Lennon
- Paul McCartney
- Will Rogers
- Carnie Wilson