I consider The Beach Boys to be one of my top-three musical groups of all-time. Their compositions and overall energy stand the test of time decade after decade. Brian Wilson is a big part of that, though a journey not without both triumphs and tragedies.
For a very basic overview, Long Promised Road sees Jason Fine--a Rolling Stone writer who happened to strike up a relationship with Wilson that slowly evolved into a friendship--conducting a series of interviews with the songwriter/producer, covering all stages of his life/career. This mostly happens while driving around Los Angeles, showing Wilson some of his old haunts.
The A-1 reason I can give Long Promised Road the full 10 star-treatment is because it doesn't flinch when confronted with the elephant in the room: Brian Wilson isn't 100% cognitively "normal", if you will. It is clear from the way he walks, speaks, and emotes that something is just a bit off. However, instead of turning Wilson into some sort of tragic figure, Fine (and director Brent Wilson) rationally explore his past (taking the good with the bad) while also showing viewers that Wilson is by no means an invalid and still has a lot to give the music community.
Some of the topics covered here include:
-Psychological abuse from Brian's hard-driving father.
-Brian's supreme musical talent (he's a true savant in that area) that also makes it hard for him to relate to the rest of the world.
-His drug & alcohol addictions and how he was taken advantage of for many years by a quack physician.
-His relationship with the fellow Beach Boys bandmates, specifically brothers Carl & Dennis, and how special it was for them to make music together.
-His solo career that continues to this day!
While the history lessons are all well and good--providing crucial context--the real meat of this doc comes from seeing Wilson process everything that Fine talks with him about. Sometimes inspiring, sometimes heartbreaking, but always fascinating to see him recollect the key moments of his life (that are now iconic to millions of Beach Boys fans).
So, while the flashback clips and solid music catalogue selections were probably going to always endear Long Promised Road to me, it is the emotionally relevant interviews/conversations between singer and writer that truly moved me enough to give it 10 stars. After the credits rolled, I now feel like I have a far better understanding of Brian Wilson the human being--not the myth or legend.
