Search - Summer Dreams: The Story of the Beach Boys on DVD

Underated and forgotten...

Trevlon0069 | Taylor Mill, KY | 08/31/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bruce Greenwood gives the performance of his lifetime in this made for TV classic soap operaish drama about the boys of summer. I caught this on TV in 1995 at the age of 11, I really didn't understand a lot of it then but it gave me a better understanding of my favorite band at the time. Most Beach Boys fans and critics absolutely HATE this film and The Beach Boys themselves probably think it's awful also. The film is based on the book by Stephen Gaines called "Heroes and Villians" (which is quite trashy if I say so myself). The book is based on various interviews that I personally believe to be about 90% true. The book is filled with mass stuff that they couldn't put in the movie so "Summer Dreams" is kind of watered down to a degree. Greenwood plays the troubled drummer in the band, Dennis Wilson and he does an excellent job. The only problem is he looks 32 throughout the whole film instead of being 18. The guy who was cast as Mike Love is perfect as well as the gentleman who plays Murry Wilson. This movie focuses a little too much at times on Dennis and his death, Carl Wilson has died also since this film came out so it's a little bit dated. If you want a more up to date film regarding the Beach Boys, check out the John Stamos (very watered down)mini series "The Beach Boys: An American Family". This is a much longer/detailed story of the Beach Boys and it was officially approved by the Beach Boys themselves, their actual music is used in the film although the actors poorly lip sync throughout the whole movie. If you want the real story though, buy "Summer Dreams", it's worth the money for a true beach boy fan."

Great sound track

sonny | 06/01/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's hard to believe that all of the Beach Boy's music in this TV movie has been recreated by other artists.

Kudos to Jay Levy the musical director for an incredible job.

"

God Only Knows...

James M. Velazquez | Santa Maria | 04/25/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Excellent momentary entertainment. The "God Only Knows" sequence is beautiful and entertaining. I've been listening to the Beach Boys ever since this film came out on TV."

Painful and unworthy.

Annie Wilson | Brisbane, QLD, Australia | 12/09/2009

(1 out of 5 stars)

"As a long-time Beach Boys fan, it saddens me to see this movie out in the public arena. It is not a worthy representation of the exceptionally gifted and talented Wilson family.



The acting is terrible... cringeworthy and painful to watch. My six year old can mime better than Greg Kean as acknowledged genius Brian Wilson. The dearth of credible acting results in glaringly inaccurate portrayals of Audrey as insipid and pathetic, Carl (whose voice remains unmatched in rock history except by the King himself) as whiny and gormless, and the rock-solid Al Jardine as almost invisible.



Arlen Dean Snyder is perhaps the standout in a rotten barrell, but his interpretation of Murry is devoid of sympathy and lacks humanity. Casey Sander is the only actor who actually looks like his character, Mike Love. The supporting characters pale into even further insignificance, with the unfortunate exception of Wendy Kaplan's retarded-clown performance. If I were Marilyn Wilson, I would have sued.



The starring role of the widely-adored Dennis Wilson, a deep and complex man in real life, is botched and wasted by an unchanging, uncharismatic Bruce Greenwood, trying vainly to substitute boppiness and cutesy-pie grins for Wilson's legendary energy and compelling presence.



The singing is little better. There is a rider at the start of the film about the music not being performed by the Beach Boys. Believe me, its quite superfluous to tell us that. We know within the first bar.



The film was based on Steven Gaines' book "Heroes and Villains" and that's probably where its multitudinous problems began. The book has never achieved credibility or respect, and the film certainly follows the same suit. At least the book was readable."