Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of Smile

Showtime will present the world premiere of "Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and The Story of Smile," a feature-length documentary chronicling the most famous unreleased album in music history, the legendary work of Beach Boys' co-founder and composer, arranger and producer Brian Wilson, it was announced today by Robert Greenblatt, President of Entertainment for Showtime Networks Inc.

Directed by award-winning writer David Leaf and produced by LSL Productions (David Leaf, Steve Ligerman and John Scheinfeld) in association with Richard Waltzer's Chautauqua Entertainment, the film will air on Showtime on October 5th at 9:00 PM (ET/PT) and features dozens of candid interviews, including an unprecedented one with Wilson himself, exclusive "behind-the-scenes" footage of this past winter's tour rehearsals and the first ever Smile concert taped in London this past February.

""Smile" is among history's great unfinished works and this extraordinary documentary will explain why," said Greenblatt. "Music fans, as well as the average viewer, will all be able to relate to the story of this remarkable record's birth, demise and triumphant return to life."

""Smile" is the most important piece of music that I ever composed, and I'm thrilled that Showtime feels so strongly about it that they are going to let me tell the story of Smile in this film," said Wilson. "I hope that the music...and the movie...makes everybody Smile."

Brian Wilson intended for "Smile" to be his magnum opus, in his own words: "a teenage symphony to God." The highly anticipated record was scheduled to be Brian Wilson's follow-up to the Beach Boys' masterpiece "Pet Sounds," considered by many to be the greatest album in the history of rock 'n' roll.

However, in 1967, "Smile" was abandoned after nearly a year of work when internal and external conflict and Wilson's growing depression caused him to bring recording sessions to a halt. The news sent shock waves through the world of pop music, but the album's legend never stopped growing. Despite its absence in any official form, finished or unfinished, "Smile" became the Holy Grail of pop aficionados around the world.

In May of 2003, Brian Wilson startled everybody when he announced that he would be performing "Smile" and then re-teamed with his original "Smile" collaborator, Van Dyke Parks, to complete the album. Over 37 years after Smile was conceived, Brian Wilson was finally ready to officially share the work in its entirety, and on February 20, 2004, Brian Wilson and his ten-piece band performed the entire long-lost album at London's Royal Festival Hall. One of the most eagerly anticipated events in pop music history, "Smile" was met with ecstatic response from fans and critics. Wilson just finished a European tour, and he will debut "Smile" in America on a US tour beginning in September. On September 28th, Nonesuch Records will release a brand-new studio recording of Smile, produced by Wilson.

"Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and The Story of "Smile,"" explores this lost masterpiece, from its conception, creation and near-completion, revealing the truth behind its shelving. The film also reveals the behind-the-scenes drama as Brian Wilson confronts the demons from his past, returns to the artist's garret and finally takes Smile into the concert hall. The documentary features exclusive footage shot during the month-long rehearsals for the "Smile" tour as well as from the electric opening night concert.

The documentary is highlighted by exclusive interviews with the album's key participants, including Brian Wilson, Lyricist Van Dyke Parks, studio musicians Carol Kaye and Hal Blaine, Brian's songwriting peers Burt Bacharach and Jimmy Webb and rock music legends Sir George Martin and Roger Daltrey. Other interviews feature commentary from renowned musicians and artists who were influenced by Wilson's work, including Elvis Costello, Jeff Bridges, Rob Reiner.

The film will also contain rare archival material such as footage from Wilson's legendary performance of "Surf's Up" on Leonard Bernstein's 1967 American television special and the only known color photos from the Smile sessions.

Comments

[Mike Dolan]

Will Showtime be releasing a DVD of documentary soon? Is it possible to order a copy - now?