Movie Review ~ The Beach Boys

I thought I had first learned about the music of The Beach Boys like most red-blooded Americans who grew up in the video store during the ‘80s…by watching the Tom Cruise movie Cocktail on repeat. That 1988 film famously featured Kokomo, a song from the band’s twenty-sixth album, Still Cruisin’, and had a fascinating music video featuring John Stamos (who frequently guested with the band) playing a steel drum. Little did I know I had already been exposed to the more extensive history of the band through road trip playlists from my parents, who were constantly playing one of their cassettes of greatest hits. 

You can count on two hands the number of bands with music that has been passed down through generations and influenced countless artists around the globe.  The Beach Boys, with their tight orchestrations comprised of intricate harmonies and lyrics that spoke of sun-kissed shores one could only dream of traveling to, have left an indelible mark on music history and pop culture.  Just as The Beatles continue to captivate audiences (but seriously, how many more documentaries can be made about The Fab Five?), Disney+’s new documentary offers an educational journey into the world of this legendary band.

Directed by Hollywood veteran Frank Marshall (Arachnophobia) and Thom Zimny (the 2023 Sylvester Stallone Netflix doc, Sly), The Beach Boys documentary is a deep dive into the band’s evolution into a cultural phenomenon. On a sometimes microscopic level, it explores the rise to fame of The Beach Boys, internal conflicts, personal demons, and their lasting impact on the music scene beyond California’s coastline.

As far as documentaries go, Marshall and Zimny don’t stray far too much from a formula, which suits the subjects just fine. Archival footage and previously unheard audio recordings enrich the narrative, taking viewers from the band’s early days in the Southern California music scene to arriving as global icons and teenage heartthrobs. These rare glimpses into behind-the-scenes drama and creative process paint a vivid backdrop to the interviews with the surviving members, their families, and other artists influenced by their music. This holistic approach allows a deeper understanding of how The Beach Boys crafted their unique sound and why they experienced such tumultuous ups and downs.

Marshall’s talent for navigating Hollywood flash mixed with Zimny’s more extended history with documentaries make them an excellent match to unpack how the original five members of The Beach Boys (brothers Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and Brian’s classmate Al Jardine) formed their group. Over the years, members would come and go, subbing Brian out as he preferred to stay closer to home and focus on the music, but it was this core five who were the undisputed originals.

The creative genius behind much of the band’s success, Brian Wilson, has already been the subject of previous works, such as the undervalued biopic Love & Mercy (2014) and his own documentary in 2019.  While these earlier projects covered significant ground centered around Wilson and the band, the new documentary leverages additional archival materials to offer a more rounded depiction of the group’s dynamic. Marshall and Zimny add new lawyers within familiar territory without expressly rehashing old content. 

Longtime fans, music history buffs, and newcomers alike will find The Beach Boys documentary to be the respectful treatment of readily available information, with the added benefit of the valuable recordings revealing what went on in the recording studio before the singing began. Despite its length (it tends to wander in its latter third), its dedication to capturing its subjects’ essence ensures it remains engaging. As with most endeavors associated with this iconic band, this Disney+ doc feature exudes the same passion and dedication that have kept The Beach Boys relevant across generations.