Commentary: Brian Wilson film a poignant look at musical genius

There is a scene in “Long Promised Road” when Brian Wilson tells journalist Jason Fine he has never listened to the solo album by his late brother Dennis.

Fine, riding in a car with Wilson, expresses surprise, and the two discuss the relationship between the brothers.

“When you get to my house,” Wilson asks Fine, “will you cue up Dennis’ album?”

The documentary, which premiered Tuesday at the Tribeca Festival is like the Beach Boy genius’ music and life: Sometimes beautiful, sometimes heartbreaking and sometimes heartbreakingly beautiful.

When Wilson and Fine get back to musician’s house, Fine cues up Dennis Wilson’s “Pacific Ocean Blue,” a 1977 release that was the first solo album by a Beach Boy.

“He came over and her played me just the ‘evening news’ song,” Wilson said, referencing a lyric from the song “You and I.” “I never listened to his album until right now. All right. Can you make it a little louder?”

Wilson tells Fine he wants to hear the whole record, and on comes the song “Farewell My Friend,” which Dennis wrote in honor of a dear friend who had died, Otto Hinsche, father-in-law of brother Carl Wilson.

As Dennis sings about missing a dear loved one, Brian closes his eyes and is silent.

Later in the film, Wilson has to turn off the song “Long Promised Road” after finding out Jack Rieley, who wrote the lyrics to Carl Wilson’s tune, is also dead.

“Too much on that one, huh?” Fine asks.

“Yeah,” Wilson said.

The deaths of his younger brothers — Dennis in 1983 and Carl in 1998 — are among the sad stories in Wilson’s life. He also dealt with an abusive father, mental illness, drug and alcohol abuse and a controlling psychologist who prescribed him a boatload of meds in a nine-year period in which the doctor controlled Wilson’s life.

“You’ve got to be tough to go through what he’s gone through personally and musically and with his family and stuff with his dad,” Elton John says in the film. “You’ve got to be tough to survive that.”

But it’s not all a sad song. Wilson tells some amusing stories, greets his neighbor, Vanna White in a coffee shop and tells Fine, “That’s Vanna White.” There are also high-powered guests sharing their feelings on one of pop music’s masters.

Don Was, who produced a Wilson documentary in 1995 and has won five Grammy Awards in a career as a musician and producer, marvels at listening to the original tapes of 1966′s classic “God Only Knows.”

“I’ve been making records for 40-some years, and I don’t know how you do this,” Was said.

Linda Perry of Four Non Blondes says the beauty of Wilson’s songwriting and arrangements hid the pain.

“Brian Wilson was crying for help a long time ago,” she said. “He put it in there under this happiness.”

But Wilson, who turns 79 next week, is still going, and will be going back on tour with a band — featuring his high school friend and longtime bandmate Al Jardine, and ‘70s Beach Boy Blondie Chaplin — that cares greatly for the man and his music.

Fans can see Wilson on tour this summer, but when they can see the film is unclear. It is still seeking a distributor.

But when they do watch it, chances are they’ll share the feelings of Bruce Springsteen.

“Most people in the music business are a little crazy in a variety of different ways,” the Boss says. “I think you wish for, the people who delivered so much to you, you wish them happiness and a long life. If you see someone who’s going through a lot of pain, you wish, like, hey, nothing but good things.”

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