Watch Brian Wilson: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times

Brian Wilson: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times is a 1999 documentary biographical movie produced by David Leaf and John Scheinfeld. The film tells the story of American musician and songwriter Brian Wilson, who is best known as the founder, lead vocalist, and chief songwriter of the Beach Boys, one of the most iconic and popular rock bands of the 1960s.

The film features interviews with Wilson, his family members, fellow musicians, and friends, who share their recollections of his life, music, struggles, and triumphs. It also includes rare footage of Wilson in the studio and on stage, as well as animated sequences that illustrate his creative process and mental state.

The movie depicts Wilson as a musical genius with an unparalleled ability to compose catchy melodies, intricate harmonies, and innovative arrangements. However, it also highlights his personal demons, including his battle with drug addiction, mental illness, and emotional abuse from his father and bandmates.

Through Wilson's own words and the testimonies of others, the film explores his early upbringing in Hawthorne, California, where he developed an interest in music and harmony while listening to rock and roll on the radio. It then follows his rise to fame in the 1960s, when he wrote and produced some of the most successful and influential albums of the era, such as Pet Sounds and Smile.

The movie also sheds light on Wilson's struggles with mental illness, which led him to withdraw from the public eye and become increasingly isolated and paranoid. It depicts how his music saved him from his own demons, as well as how it helped him to connect with others and express his deepest emotions.

One of the highlights of the film is its portrayal of the making of Pet Sounds, which is widely regarded as Wilson's masterpiece and a landmark in the history of pop music. The documentary shows how Wilson experimented with different sounds, instruments, and voices to create a revolutionary new sound that challenged the conventions of rock and roll and paved the way for the psychedelic era to come.

Another aspect of the movie that stands out is its focus on Wilson's relationships with his family and bandmates, especially his fraught dynamic with his father, Murry, who served as the band's manager and was known for his controlling and abusive behavior. The film reveals how Murry's influence affected Wilson's creativity and mental health, as well as how it strained the relationships between the band members.

The documentary also delves into Wilson's love life, including his first marriage to Marilyn Rovell, a fellow musician who sang backup for the Beach Boys, and his later relationships with other women, such as his second wife Melinda Ledbetter.

Overall, Brian Wilson: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times is a powerful and moving tribute to one of the most talented and influential musicians of our time. It presents a candid and intimate portrait of Wilson's life and music, revealing both his brilliance and his struggles, and celebrating his enduring legacy as a visionary artist.

Brian Wilson: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times is a 1995 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 9 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 8.5.