Love and Mercy

A film by Bill Pohlad

Love and Mercy (2014) is a film that shows how the sausage is made, in terms of both the music and the man. We get to see Brian Wilson’s Kubrick-like devotion to getting Pet Sounds exactly like he wants it, as well as his becoming a whole person through the force of his future wife.

The film is a nightmare version of Peter Pan, examining a boy who won’t grow up until he finds the two things mentioned in the title. We all know from history that he does, but the film still keeps us in suspense over whether or not Wilson will make it out of a prison he has unwittingly helped to create.

Brian Wilson’s 2017 memoir, I Am Brian Wilson, is a perfect companion piece to Love and Mercy.

Incredible bumper music by John Deley.

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