Love and Mercy (2014) Movie Script
1
Sometimes it scares me to think
where it's coming from,
you know?
Like...
there's someone else
inside there, not me.
Well...
what if I...
what if I...
what if I lose it
and never get it back?
What would I do then?
Take a listen to this again,
I wanna...
do something with it.
Um... I've got...
I think I've got it.
The music part,
it worked out in my head, but...
I don't know anything else
except that it should...
it should sound like,
you know, a cry, but...
in sort of a good way
or something.
I want these voices at the end
just to...
sound...
All right, Chuck, let's have it.
We don't want to take 16...
Here we go.
- I'm losing it.
- I'm losing the whole record.
That'd be great.
Something's gonna happen.
All right, here we go. You're
grass and I'm a power mower.
Uh, the brothers here,
Dennis, Brian, and Carl.
Carl.
They all live
in the same house and I grew up
a few blocks down.
Al... Al, where did you live?
With a different melody,
It's the same chord progression,
- with a spin-off.
- Mm-hmm.
So, my part in the chorus
against the band
alternates with the intro
backing the new melody.
Gets around. Clever.
Excuse me.
What?
Oh.
Hi, how are you?
I'm fine, thanks.
Are these your shoes?
What? Yeah, yeah,
they're my shoes.
I didn't wanna, you know,
mess up the car
because I jog.
See, I jog on the beach
and, um...
I get sand in my shoes,
you know?
- Ah.
- So...
Well, that's very considerate.
But I... you know, I also
get sand in my socks,
I got holes in my socks,
so I did make a mess anyways.
So, I'm sorry about that.
What are you gonna do?
You didn't get sand in the car.
It's no problem.
Can I help you today?
I'd like to buy a car.
Cadillac, you know?
Great.
- You've come to the right place.
- Yeah.
This is the Fleetwood.
- Wow.
- My personal favorite.
What do you think?
I don't know.
Well, take your time,
there's no pressure.
Blue is a very calm color.
Is this guy a friend of yours?
I feel like he's watching us.
No, he's not my friend.
He's my bodyguard.
Come on.
Something like that.
It's a funny word,
isn't it, bodyguard?
- Uh...
- Bodyguard.
- Are we on "Candid Camera"?
- No.
No, no, no. I do need a car.
Can we just sit in here
for a minute?
Sure.
Well, the master lock
feature works.
We know that much.
Hmm.
My brother died.
Oh. Oh, I'm...
I'm so sorry.
He drowned.
A few years ago.
Two.
But I'm all... broken up
about it still, you know?
I mean, he wasn't even 40 yet.
That is... that's terrible.
- So sad.
- Yeah.
But I just don't get it.
I think about it every day,
and I just don't get it.
I guess it's better just not
to think about it, right?
Just...
force it out of your mind.
Sure.
Yeah, I can understand that.
I'm not married anymore.
Okay.
Do you have a pen I could use?
I guess I need
a little piece of paper, too.
Uh, sure. Just, um...
Thank you.
Brian, come on out of the car.
- I'm Brian.
- Melinda.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- Come on, Brian.
- I want this car.
The Fleetwood?
No, no, yeah, but I want this car.
Okay?
Uh...
I want this car.
This one we're sitting in.
- Oh, the floor model?
- Yes, it's your favorite, right?
- You want...
- It's special. You understand?
- Can I have it?
- Sure.
- Okay.
- Yes.
- Hey.
- Hey.
- What's happening, guys?
- Hi, Gene.
- Hi, I'm Dr. Eugene Landy.
- Hi.
How are you?
I'm Brian's brother
from another mother.
- What's up?
- I want the blue Fleetwood, Gene.
- Really?
- Yeah.
You sure you don't want
a Maserati?
- No offense.
- None taken.
- No, that one.
- Really?
- It's her favorite.
- - Okay.
Well, I'm going to expect
a deal here. You know?
Something worth our while.
Do you know who this man is?
Brian Wilson.
Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.
Ah.
- You didn't mention that.
- Well, 'cause that stuff doesn't matter.
That's ego stuff. You know?
Are you kidding me?
I love your music.
I grew up on it.
So, thank you.
That makes me feel really
good, Melinda Ledbetter.
Okay.
- Melinda Ledbetter.
- Right? It's a nice name.
Uh, why don't you get
started on the paperwork?
- Okay?
- Will do.
Great. And thank you
again for your help.
Let's go, Brian.
Come on, guy.
I think it's a good choice.
- You feel good about it?
- Yeah.
- You sure?
- Yeah.
Okay.
What the hell was that about?
I'm not really sure.
You okay?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Ladies and gentlemen, we're
about to start our descent.
Please return your seats
to an upright position
and fasten your seat belts.
You okay?
I think I'm having
a heart attack.
Brian! Brian!
- Brian! Brian! Brian!
- Get him something!
- Bring us a pillow!
- Breathe!
- Give me the pillow!
- Where's the pillow?!
Give me the pillow!
- Brian! Brian!
- Breathe!
Are you choking?
Are you choking?
- I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die!
- Hey!
- Hey, hey, hey, hey.
- I don't wanna die!
Brian, look at me.
Look at me! Look at me!
Look at me!
Look at me. Look at me.
It's okay.
Hi.
You good?
It was weird.
It was like I was in
a movie or something.
There was music, like always,
but then it got dark and scary.
I couldn't breathe.
Like someone was holding
his hand over my mouth.
Hey, Brian.
You doing okay, baby?
Yeah, I'm good, Mare.
Okay, just checking.
Yeah, then I started
hearing things.
Strange things.
- People talking.
- What, like voices?
Like, uh...
like voices in your head?
No!
Well, kind of. Yeah.
Maybe I'm cuckoo
for Cocoa Puffs!
Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs!
It was kinda scary.
I think it's just Dad. You know?
Messing with your head.
We're too big for him to
take the belt to us anymore,
so he's gotta use his black
magic shit or something.
- Ah, come on.
- It's not Dad.
- Yeah...
- Something's off.
It's being on the road.
You know, being up there.
It's freaky.
I get nervous onstage, too, Bri.
- I mean, we all probably do.
- No, but this is different.
Anyway, you don't need me
standing up there
looking like a jerk.
I'll be better
back here at home.
Making music.
I just wanna be home.
I got all kinds of new ideas,
new sounds,
new harmonies,
new instruments.
You hear the new Beatles?
- Yeah.
- The "Rubber Soul"? Yeah.
I heard it was about
John Lennon having an affair.
It's amazing!
I mean, it works like a whole.
It's like a whole album.
Everything fits together,
no fat.
Like an album of folk songs, but
the sounds are really far out.
- Lots of overdubbing.
- They stole our backing vocal.
And then they change it to,
I thought it said, "Tit,
tit, tit, tits, titties."
- No?
- Denny.
We can't let them
get ahead of us!
J...
I can take us further.
If you let me
stay at home in the studio.
It's what I need to do.
And I promise,
when you come back,
I will have stuff for you
that will blow your minds.
- Bri! - Fine, but you just
keep your head on straight.
- Okay, Bri?
- I will!
- Hey, Brian!
- I will.
Straight as a die.
Hey, straight as a what?
What does that even mean?
You're gonna die
in a straight line?
I have no idea.
I heard Dad use it once.
Oh, never use it again.
It's gonna be strange to be in
Japan without you, brother.
Yeah, who's gonna
fold our clothes now?
Bri!
Carl, Dennis, come on,
guys, come sit with us.
Okay, I'll be right over.
Everybody in!
One of these days, you are gonna
break your skull open if
you're not careful, Bri.
I'm going to make the greatest
album ever made, Mare!
I know you are, baby.
I know you are.
Ben, two more minutes,
I'm almost ready.
You can lock up.
This is Melinda.
...Friday night.
- 6:00?
- Hello?
What? Wrong ear. Put
it on the other ear.
- Hello? Uh, hi.
- Jesus.
Is this Mel... Melinda?
Yes, this is Melinda.
Melinda Ledbetter?
Yes.
Hi.
It's Brian Wilson
from the Beach Boys.
Hi, Brian Wilson
from the Beach Boys.
Melinda!
Melinda Ledbetter!
Melinda Ledbetter!
Melinda!
Are you there?!
Hi.
Hi.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- How are you?
- I'm great!
- You look really great.
- Thank you.
- You wanna go?
- Oh, did you... yeah.
I...
- I forgot your apartment number.
- Ah. Well...
It's a good thing
the loudspeaker worked.
Yeah.
Why does it feel like
the prom all of a sudden?
I'm not sure.
Thank you.
- Hey, Melinda.
- Hi.
- You look great.
- Uh, hi!
I love it.
Such a beautiful song.
- What's that?
- Excuse me?
I couldn't hear what you said.
What'd you say to Brian?
Uh, I... I just said
that this song is...
is so great. I love it.
- Why? Why?
- No, it's a great song.
It's fantastic. You're right.
Timeless.
Well...
I guess this is good night.
Good night.
- Okay.
- Would you like me to call you again?
Would you like to call me again?
Or... are you just asking
'cause you were told to?
Both things.
- Both.
- I really appreciate your honesty.
I really do. I don't meet a
lot of honest people anymore.
I'll tell you what, I'm gonna
be home most of the day Sunday.
Give me a call
if you feel like it.
If you don't, that's fine, too.
There's no pressure.
I'm gonna call you.
- Cool.
- Cool.
Good night.
Good night.
And the last verse
repeats one more time
and the chorus will harmonize
over and over at the end.
It's still rough, I know,
but it's getting there.
It's right for Carl's voice.
You like it, Dad?
I mean, it'll get better.
The vocals will...
counterpoint the backing track.
Real soulful.
Oh, you don't want
my advice or my meddling.
Well, just tell me
what you think.
Not much use for me, is there?
With your mom living on her own.
Come on, we're still a family.
Families don't fire
their own father.
I don't want to start
that argument again.
- I'm not arguing.
- If I say something now, you'll argue.
Then don't say anything.
Forget it!
Forget what? Forget what?!
- You don't like the song.
- I never said that.
I can tell.
Just say something!
I would change the title.
The Capris had a tune out
called "God Only Knows"
- in '55, '54.
- Never mind that.
Did you close your eyes
like I asked you to?
Tony and I think...
if you close your eyes,
you can see a place
where something's happening.
It's like being blind, but because
you're blind, you can see more.
Don't you think it's a
spiritual kind of thing?
I don't know what the hell
you're talking about.
I closed my eyes,
didn't see a thing.
I don't know,
maybe it could be something
with the right arrangement.
Well, yeah,
I have French horns on it
and flutes, tambourines,
sleigh bells, piano, bass,
real complex key shifts.
Frankly, if you
really want to know,
I don't care for it.
It's too wishy-washy.
If you leave me, why leave me?
Life will go on,
why go on living?
It's not like a Beach Boys song.
Your brothers are gonna hate it.
- It's a love song.
- It's a suicide note.
Didn't you just say it could be
something with the right arrangement?!
Well, I gave it
another thought, okay?
And if you can't keep
your voice down in my house,
get out!
Hey, Carol.
- How's it going?
- Good. Good to see you.
Groovy shades.
Lyle, how's it going?
- Hal, hey. Good to see you.
- Hey. You, too.
I want you to meet Tony Asher.
Tony Asher, this is Hal Blaine.
The greatest drummer
working today.
And you never heard
of him, have you?
- I'm sorry.
- It's okay.
That's the secret. All these
guys, Hal, Tommy, Carol, Earl,
the whole band.
I mean, they're probably
the best in the business,
but they're studio musicians,
so nobody's ever heard of them.
It's crazy!
- Huh?
- Yeah, oh, yeah.
Yeah. Here you go.
Kettle drums? Thought we
were doing rock 'n' roll.
Ah, a whole new bag.
So what do we got
going here, Brian?
Uh, I don't know, Hal.
Just some ideas.
Try something.
Oh, excuse me.
- Bum, bum, bum.
- Yup.
Yeah, let's try it.
Mmm.
That's exactly how I want it.
You know what I'm gonna do?
Let's add a little
tie right here.
I think this'll sound better,
- a little smoother right there.
- You wanna tie the first one?
Okay, this is "I'm Waiting
For the Day," take six.
Here we go.
One, two, one, two, three.
Oh, hey! That was outta sight.
I mean, it really was, Al.
How did you play that?
- I don't know.
- What?!
How did you play that?
- It was a mistake.
- Well, if you repeat a mistake
every four bars,
it's not a mistake anymore.
- See what I mean?
- I love it.
- That was great.
- Okay, let's do it again.
Remember, it's the uh... uh... higher
octave on the upbeats and the bridge.
Hey, Brian?
- Yeah, I love that.
- Brian?
- Yeah?
- I think you might've screwed up here.
Really? Let me see.
Well, you've got
Lyle playing in D
- and the rest of us are in A major.
- Yeah, that's right.
How does that work? Two baselines
in two different keys?
Well, it works in my head.
It's all playing in my head.
The orchestration
and the five vocal parts.
I think it's gonna work.
Let's try it.
Oh, Hal? Hal?
Here's how I want you
to do it. It goes, uh...
the first beat on the
last bar of the intro.
Boom! Two, three, four.
Bah doom!
There's the North Star
right there.
- That's the North Star?
- Yeah, yeah. You knew that.
- I really didn't.
- Come on.
- I mean, it's a bright star.
- Have you ever...
have you ever seen this before?
- Never like this.
- Yeah.
I used to love
coming here as a kid, you know?
I love the feel of this place.
I really wanted
to take you here.
- You did?
- Yeah.
Demonstration booths.
Do you remember those?
- In the department store?
- Yeah, and that's when I first heard.
The Four Freshmen
and immediately my mind just...
- I mean, it's...
- Like magic.
Something happened and...
so I listened to those
harmonies and study them
after school, and I would
teach them to my brothers.
And we'd all sing.
And then I would
teach them to my parents
and we'd all be
sitting around singing.
My brothers and my parents
and everybody.
- Everybody.
- Wow.
That sounds like
such a wonderful childhood.
Yeah, it was really nice,
except for when my dad
was beating on us
- all the time, you know?
- Like...
He was a really hard, hard guy.
You know, like, um...
There's a spanking.
You know that sound?
You know a certain
kind of spanking,
and it sounds like a...
you know, like...
But the way we had it, you know?
When it came out of him, it's...
You know?
Really hard.
Come on, let's give
these guys some privacy.
- You know, we laugh about it.
- Babe, I can't just...
- Doug, come on.
- You know, back in those days?
We laugh about all that, but...
it was pretty tough business.
Pretty tough business.
Hey.
- I'm so sorry.
- No, what? About what?
They're okay,
they come here all the time.
It's their favorite spot.
No, Brian, about your dad.
Oh, yeah.
You know, spare...
spare the rod,
spoil the child.
You know I'm 96% deaf
in my right ear because
my dad whacked me all the time?
He was a really hard man
and he was a not very happy man,
but, uh...
in some ways I love my dad,
you know, because...
he scared me
and he scared me so much,
I think he actually scared me
into making good records.
- Hmm.
- You know? I mean, he had this, like,
competitive spirit
that really blew my mind and...
What about your mom?
She stayed out
of all of it, mostly.
I think she drank a lot.
You know?
That's how she...
she... she dealt with it.
I haven't seen her in...
three years?
- What?
- Yeah, Gene doesn't think it's a good idea
for me to be in touch
with my family right now.
I haven't seen
my daughters in...
two years.
You have two daughters.
Yeah. Yeah.
I wasn't a very good father
to them, you know?
Because I was drinking and drugging
when I should have been...
you know, a parent.
And, uh...
you know, I made a
mess of my life,
lost control of my life.
It's a weird trip,
but...
anyway, they live in
Encino with their mom.
Well, shit.
Yeah.
But it's not so bad now anymore.
You know?
- Good.
- Uh-huh.
Good.
Look, listen to me, I'm
just going on and on.
- It's my boring life...
- It's not boring.
It is,
but what about you, Melinda?
I mean, my God, you're so...
You're such good fun
and you're... you're so...
so tender and so sweet.
I mean...
why don't you have
a... boyfriend?
Oh, well...
There was someone.
He was no good.
He broke my heart.
He shouldn't have done that.
Well, I shouldn't have let him.
Aww, sh...
Fuck. Tony, you holding
those keys down?
- Yeah, yeah.
- Okay.
Can I have another
bobby pin, please, Hal?
Okay, keep the keys down, Tony.
Here we go.
Yeah, so, uh, right here.
No, give it, uh...
like...
There's like a gasp in between.
Cut! I think we got it.
Chuck, mix that in, uh,
with the sound of the
train going by at the end
of "Caroline, No."
- You got it, Brian.
- Hey, Chuck,
you think we could
get a horse in here?
Hey, kid.
Brian.
Brian!
Brian! You got a light?
- I spilled coffee on my matches in there.
- Yeah.
Tough day at the office?
Well...
my family's coming in tomorrow,
the band, they're...
well, sometimes they're
tough, you know?
Let me tell you something.
We're all pros, you know?
We've played with everyone.
Heard it all.
You name 'em, we've
played with 'em.
Sinatra, Dean Martin,
Elvis, Phil Spector,
Sam Cooke, everyone!
And we all studied in goddamn
conservatories, for Christ's sake.
But...
but you...
you gotta know
that you're touched, kid.
You've blown our minds.
- More than Phil Spector?
- Ah, Phil's got nothing on you.
Oh, man.
No, the band's gonna love it.
Every note of it.
You're a talented young man.
Hang in there, man.
I'll see ya.
I'll see ya tomorrow, Hal.
Wow, nice place. Yeah, come on in.
Let me show you around.
- Oh, wow.
- This is my room.
This is my room.
- Oh, nice!
- Yeah, I got to pick it.
What do you mean?
Well, you know,
I got another house
a little bit
up the coast, you know?
- You do?
- But Gene wants me to live, you know,
in a more
controlled environment.
So he's living in that
one and I'm living here.
You know, not so many
distractions and memories.
But I got to pick the room.
- Wow.
- Ch... ch... check this out.
Look at this.
That's absolutely beautiful.
Thanks.
What is it?
Oh, that's just something that I
came up with when I saw you.
What are you gonna do with it?
Nothing, it's gone.
That was just for you.
That's so incredible.
Oh, my God,
that just, like,
came out of you.
Is that how it works?
Or just...
Yeah. Sometimes.
Sometimes your inner voice
wants to express itself
and every once in a while,
every blue moon,
your soul... comes out to play.
- You know?
- Wow.
Can't be rushed.
It's like a kid,
it's just nature,
but... yeah.
Can I ask you
something personal?
- Personal?
- Kind of.
Sure, I'm an open book.
Did you really spend
two years in bed?
No...
more like three.
At least, that's what
I tell people.
I got out at night
sometimes in my bathrobe.
Do you like matzo ball soup?
I don't know. I don't think...
- I've ever had matzo ball soup.
- No?
It's really good.
My ex-wife was Jewish,
did I tell you that?
- No.
- That's when I first had it.
- Oh.
- At Marilyn's parents' house.
They're really nice parents.
She saved my life.
- Marilyn?
- Mmm.
Mare.
I wasn't a very good
husband, I told you,
but...
we were only kids
when we got married.
- She was 16. 16.
- That's crazy.
I think it's an acquired
taste, you know?
- Marriage?
- Matzo ball soup.
We should go one day, you know?
- Go to Canter's and try it.
- Sure.
- Do you wanna try it?
- Yeah, I would. Why not?
- I don't wanna force you to.
- You wouldn't be.
I mean, it's not gonna
kill you or anything.
I would hope not.
You know, I mean,
just have a little bit.
- It's good to try new things in life.
- Okay. I will.
I will try to keep an open mind.
- It's important to try things.
- Good.
- New things.
- New things.
I agree.
Brian,
time for your pills.
Come on.
- One minute.
- Oh.
Melinda,
you ever hear of the, um...
"Underground Dictionary"?
Thank you, sweetheart.
- Uh, no.
- Well, I published it.
- 1971.
- Huh.
It's an amazing book.
It's a, uh...
lexicon for subcultural speak.
It's a reference book
for professionals
of all kinds to learn
how to talk to...
the subcultures of the time.
- Bikers, hookers, surfers...
- Hey.
- Are you okay?
- ...junkies, blacks...
- Yeah.
- What does he have you on?
I get allergies. I get
allergies, so, um...
I get a little drowsy.
And believe me, they're
the toughest ones to talk to.
Right, Brian?
I'm... I'm... I'm hungry, Gene.
- It was a real bitchin' concept book.
- Gene, I'm hungry.
Kind of ahead of its time
and it got a lot of attention.
- Frankly.
- Gene, I'm hungry.
It's coming.
Uh, far out, right on,
out of sight,
uh, smokey tits, bonnaroo.
Uh, super wicked, wiggy.
How about that? All right.
We got one ready here.
Mmm. Guest of honor first.
- Oh.
- There you go, ma'am.
- Nope.
- You know, I'm...
- You... you should have it.
- No, no, you know what? He's not as hungry
- as he thinks he is.
- I'm... I'm hungry.
Ah-ah-ah. No, you're not.
You know what?
You need to drink more water
and you would be full.
- I think he's hungry.
- Go ahead. No, patience is a virtue.
- Seriously, he can wait.
- I think he should...
- I can share.
- Taste it.
- Good? Far out.
- Mmm.
Far out.
- Hey, Gene.
- Yeah?
Exactly what allergies
does he suffer from anyway?
Don't you worry about that.
Brian's medications are very
carefully administered,
if you must know.
You know what? No, God damn it!
Jesus Christ!
Seriously?! Seriously?!
You have got to learn
to wait your goddamn turn!
Jesus Christ!
Now this is what happens, okay?
I'm hungry. No!
You are not goddamn hungry!
You think you're hungry!
Do you you understand
the goddamn difference?!
Wait your turn!
You have got to be kidding me!
You have no idea the
consequences from this.
- Okay?
- No.
No idea, man! Come on!
Jesus Christ! Rob?
First of all, I want to apologize
about the other night.
I can get worked up sometimes
when it comes to Brian.
Now, I should have
met with you earlier,
but with all of that said,
I really don't want
you to be alarmed
by what, uh, I'm gonna
talk to you about now.
But you should know
that you are dealing with
a very, very... sick man.
There's no other way
to say it. Sorry.
Well, how sick is he?
Brian is a...
paranoid schizophrenic.
But you really
do not need to be alarmed
because I have it under control.
I am the control...
so to speak.
When I started
working with Brian,
he weighed, what... 300 pounds?
He spent all day in bed
eating bloody steaks
and a lot of junk food.
- Self-medicating.
- Oh.
Drinking, among other things.
Uh, just not dealing,
not able to look me in the eye.
Not able to look anybody
in the eye.
Frankly, suicidal.
- So...
- Really?
I pulled him out of the grave,
and I stood him up,
and I taught him
how to start living again.
He was very open,
I mean, he... I...
- Hmm.
- ...thought, you know, he told me
he was taking
medication for anxiety...
- and a little depression.
- First thing, don't...
believe everything
that Brian tells you.
He's, uh... he's a little
boy in a man's body.
I mean, there's a lot
of playacting going on
in Brian World.
Are you in love with him?
Oh...
Please understand something.
I hope you do.
It's my job... it's my duty
to approve anyone that
Brian is spending time with.
And I mean everyone.
Yeah? So...
If you want to
continue to see him,
well, then there's
gonna have to be some rules.
Um, for example,
if Brian calls you,
asks you out for a date,
well, that's fantastic,
but I need you to call me
directly... immediately.
And afterwards,
I think it would be
therapeutically useful
if you report to me
everything that happened.
Your thoughts, your feelings.
Uh, his thoughts, his feelings.
And so far as you can report
on those things objectively
from your perspective.
You follow me?
I'm giving you
unprecedented access here.
But... I need you...
to work with me.
All right,
you want a cup of tea?
But, you know, your suspicion
is just like Brian's
initial paranoia.
His desire not to get better.
But, you know, that came from
no sense of self-worth,
no belief in himself,
no ability to trust.
You have the ability
to trust, Melinda?
Come on.
I'm helping a great man
learn how to be alive again.
Why not trust me?
I'm gonna try, Gene.
I just don't know you.
Mm-hmm, but I know you.
As I told you, it is my job.
Okay?
You think of yourself as an
independent woman, right?
Hagerty girl, right?
Successful modeling career,
some long-term relationships,
disappointments. Hmm?
Your last boyfriend took
you for a bit of a ride.
Had a girl in every port.
And now you...
sell cars.
Well, we all do what we can.
We do.
- And life can be painful.
- Hmm.
I know. That's all I'm saying.
You know, I don't believe
in coincidences.
There's a reason we met.
All of us. Let's work together.
Help me out and let me help you
and help me help Brian. Okay?
Thanks, Gene. Thank you.
Take good care of yourself.
Konnichiwa.
- Where's my favorite big brother?
- Denny!
- How you doing? Oh, hey.
- Ooh!
Hey, man, forget about
California girls,
- Tokyo is where it's at!
- Tokyo girls? Denny.
- I missed you, Bri.
- Oh, it's good to see you.
Hey, look, I got you a souvenir.
Hey, it matches
your shirt. It's cool.
- Hey, Al, good to see you!
- Good to see you.
- Bruce, thanks for being there for me.
- It's an honor, Brian.
No way to fill your shoes,
but I did my best.
- Cousin.
- Mike!
- Good to see you.
- Good to see you!
- What happened? Look at that beard!
- I know, I know,
but what happened to you? You're
getting a little tubby here.
What happened? You should
go on a fast with me.
Well, I'm already
eating as fast as I can.
Well, fatty, we are ready
to rock to your roll, man.
- Let's... let's listen to some tracks.
- Good to see you.
- All right!
- What you got cooking?
You know, Carl, a samurai
sword would have been...
Well, yeah, but I just...
- it was in the airport.
- Does it look cool?
Hey, Brian? This chorus.
The lyrics.
Don't you think
it's a little, uh...
What?
"Hang on to your ego,"
what are you trying to say?
Uh...
well...
- "hang on to your ego."
- Yeah, ego.
Are you saying...
Is this a druggie song?
Is this a drug song?
- A drug song?
- Yes, "hang on to your ego."
Uh, "hang on, but I know that
you're gonna lose the fight."
I don't know. I... I don't
think it's a drug song,
- whatever that is.
- "They come on like they're peaceful",
but inside they're so uptight.
"They trip through the day and waste
all their thoughts at night."
Sounds like a druggie
to me, Brian.
- Druggie?!
- Don't pretend like you don't know
- what I'm talking about here!
- Okay, it's about ego. That's all.
It's about ego?
That's all? Okay.
I'm not trying... I'm not trying
to be a tough guy here, okay?
I'm just asking a question. I just
wanna know if it's a drug song.
If it's not a drug song,
I wanna know what it's about.
Does it sound like a
drug song to anybody else?
Okay, it's not a drug song,
but is it about...
I don't know, it sounds fine.
Okay, okay, so hang on...
we'll hang on to our ego.
Let's all just hang on to our
egos and record the song.
You have that attached
to the flash?
Brian, your voice
is on the track.
Stop, please.
Yeah!
No.
- Yes.
- What do you mean, "yeah"?
Hmm?
I mean, yeah, I left them in.
I like it.
- We're listening here.
- You left them in?
The voices? The talking
and in your head?
That's part of the song?
It's just like all the
other instruments we use.
It's all part of it.
- Play the studio?
- I like it, Bri.
They're not gonna
hear it anyways,
it's buried under there.
I... I think it's really cool.
- Can we stop it, please?
- Jesus, come on, Mike.
- No, no, no, it's amateurish.
- It's amateurish.
It's hip, man! It's fun!
It's now! That's where
things are happening.
- Brian, it's not.
- Now!
No, this is not fun.
- Not the music...
- I think it's fun.
Not the lyrics. Now, it's not
all bad, don't get me wrong,
but it's not Beach Boys fun.
- We've done Beach Boys fun.
- And we had hits, we had lots of hits!
- Why are we arguing right now, Mike?
- There's not one hit
on this album, guys! I don't care how
many car horns and bicycle bells
and jingle-jangle or
whatever you put in there.
They're not gonna buy something
depressing like that!
- Depressing?
- Even the happy songs are sad.
We need to write some of the
old stuff again, fellas.
- That's all I'm saying.
- The old stuff is old!
- So we'll make it new again!
- I can't go back in time!
We're not surfers,
we never have been,
and real surfers
don't dig our music anyway.
- They don't.
- Okay, I can't write about the summer
and fun and summer
and summer and fun and cars!
I got different stuff inside me,
I gotta get it out.
Oh, jeez, would you
listen to yourself?
You've "gotta get it out"?
- Who are you? Mozart?!
- Everyone shut up!
Carl, play it again.
It's a new creative bag,
we've gotta keep growing!
Oh, jeez.
None of these guys have played one
single note on the entire album.
It's like you're making your own
record with our voices, Brian.
Dennis played.
- A little bit. Carl, too.
- "A little bit,"
for crying out loud, would
you listen to yourself?
First you wanted
to stop touring with us,
and we accepted that, that's fine.
Bruce is doing great.
But now it's like
we're barely a part
of the Brian Wilson Band!
You can't just do whatever
the hell you want, Brian!
The other guys
might not say this,
but you are letting us down.
If you stop thinking about
yourself for two seconds,
you might realize that.
Sorry, sorry, Brian,
but apparently your dad
just drove up.
I thought you'd want to know.
- Shit!
- Hide the pot!
Fuck!
- Uncle Murray!
- Boys?
- Hey, hey, hey.
- Mike, Al.
Good to see you, boys.
Dad, good to see you, sir.
Where's Brian?
There you are. How you doing?
Good, good.
- Listen to this.
- Chuck, if you would be so kind.
My new band.
This is where you guys
need to get back to.
This is a hit.
Check out the harmonies.
I'm telling you,
I am taking these guys
all the way to the top!
That's great, Dad.
You're doing your own thing.
- For the next take.
- Sure, Brian.
Brian, come back here. Listen to
what a gold record sounds like.
Doesn't this guy sound
just like Brian?
I don't give a shit, Brian!
I don't give a shit!
I just wanna say, man.
Listen man, you're the artist.
Right? You want God.
You should have God.
Don't you wanna be out
there rocking the boat?
- Mmm.
- What is this? 1939? Mike says?
Who cares what Mike says?
Sing what's in your soul, man.
Let the world stand on its head.
Don't listen to the
record company suits.
Don't listen to anybody.
Listen to you.
You're the genius.
We're the band as far as anybody
in the know is concerned.
- Right?!
- Sorry, man. It's true.
Listen, Brian, I got
something for you, man.
Something for you, man.
It'll take all that crap
outta your head, man.
Where were you?
I did LSD.
Really?
Really?
What was it like?
Well...
at first it was nothing,
then everything.
And then I did it again.
Again?
Oh, I heard the most...
a whole other kind of music.
I saw things...
that you can't see.
Like what?
What things that you can't see?
Like...
weird things?
Things like God.
- What?
- I saw God and...
he showed me everything.
Oh, he showed me
the future, Mare.
Oh, I'm so sorry.
Brian?
- I'm so sorry.
- Brian, what are you talking about?
Bri?
What is the matter? Hey...
Hey, hey, hey, hey,
hey, hey, hey, hey.
No, hey, hey...
It's okay. It's okay, Bri.
Here, come here. Come here.
Hey, Evan!
What? It's a tribute
to you, Brian!
We're stoked to have you, man.
Okay. Could you
turn it off anyway,
because it sort of
destroys my brain.
It does.
I can only imagine.
- Are you having fun?
- I'm having so much fun.
I love being with you.
And not with Gene and the
whole gang watching us.
Oh, uh, Gene told me to tell you
that he was sorry about the
other day with the barbecue.
That Doug gave me the
wrong dosage and, um...
so that's why he lost his temper
and that... he's really sorry,
but he wanted us
to have a good time.
Ah.
And that's why it was
good that Evan was here.
- So, you know?
- Yeah, how do you know Evan?
- Evan's Gene's son.
- Ah.
Ah, so we're
still being watched.
Yeah.
But we can do whatever we want.
I think we should do
whatever we want, too.
What do you wanna do?
Evan, will you take that...
- Can you swim?
- Yes.
Evan, will you take the boat
in really close to shore?
I wanna show Melinda my house.
Go in past the kelp.
Sure thing! Whatever
makes you happy, Brian.
All right, on the count of
three, I want you to get up,
I want you to jump in the water and I
want you to come over to my house.
- Right now. You ready? Come on.
- What?! Are you serious?
Yeah, let's do it. Let's ditch this
scene and make out like teenagers.
In or out? Come on.
- In.
- One, two, three!
That is not cool, Brian! My
dad's gonna go nuts on me!
Whoo!
Cold? You cold?
I'm exhausted. That was crazy!
Come on, come on, come on.
- You wanna hear something funny?
- Of course.
Gene's got me on this thing,
I have to say to myself
five times a day,
"I love you."
It's called self-nourishment.
Can you believe that?
- Does it work?
- I don't know.
Sometimes I wish I had
somebody else to say it to.
Coming!
Coming!
- Honey...
- Doorbell. Somebody's here.
I didn't hear anything.
You gotta hide
under the stairs, you know?
- What?
- Hide under the stairs.
Hide under the stairs.
Brian.
- You gotta go. You gotta go.
- What?
You gotta go now.
What's happening?
I way overslept, they're coming back.
They're gonna come back
- any minute. We gotta... you gotta go.
- Okay, shh.
You gotta go. You gotta go now.
- You have to go.
- Did I do something wrong?
No, no, no, but they're coming back.
Do you understand?
And when they come back, it's
not gonna be a good scene.
- Okay, listen to me. Shh.
- It's not gonna be a good scene.
- Hey.
- What?
You're a grown man
and if you want me to stay,
you can just tell him.
- No, I can't. I can't do that.
- Yes. This is your house.
- No, no, no.
- Do you want me to stay?
He's my legal guardian.
Do you understand?
He can do things to me.
All right?
I don't have any choice.
I don't have a choice.
You know what? Stop.
- Please, Melinda, go.
- You can stand up to him.
You... listen, you have...
you have friends and family
and daughters
that you're not allowed to see
and it's not normal
and you deserve normal.
- Stop.
- He could... he could send me away
and throw away the key.
He's manipulating you.
He's manipulating you.
- No, he isn't. No, no, no, no.
- Yes.
He's protecting me.
He's protecting me.
No, you're protecting him.
Listen, he is taking
advantage of you.
He's over medicating you.
I'm really... I think...
I think that you know it, too.
Please leave.
Please, I'm begging you.
Leave, leave.
Just leave, please.
- Okay.
- Don't leave me. Don't leave me,
- just go now.
- Do you want me to go or not?
I want you to leave right now,
I don't want you to leave me.
- Okay, okay. I'm not gonna leave you.
- Okay? Please, please, please.
- Please, please.
- But I'm going. Calm down.
- Please.
- Calm down. I'm going.
Last thing I want
to say right now is...
I told you so,
so I'm not gonna say it.
That's a whole lotta words for
something you're not saying.
"Pet Sounds" didn't sell.
There, I said it. It flopped.
But critics loved it. The
critics don't buy albums.
Well, Mike...
the British
buy albums, you know?
- And they went crazy for it.
- It's not even gonna go gold.
When's the last time
that happened to us?
Look, you know what I say?
Good. Good.
We got it behind us now.
We can get back to our music.
The proof is in the formula.
Like Coca-Cola?
And geometry?
Penicillin and chicks.
Earth to Brian.
- Cocaine is...
- Brian.
birthday cakes.
You know, Paul McCartney
said that "God Only Knows"
is the greatest song
ever written, like...
That's because it was a formula.
Cuz...
Listen, about...
I have this song playing
over and over in my head.
I just don't have
the words or the melody.
Do you have anything?
That's good.
Well, piss on you, Banana.
I like it.
You know, Mom told me once
when we were kids that
dogs can pick up on vibes
from people like...
like they know when we're happy
or sad or scared.
Yeah, well...
it's too bad we're not dogs.
Right?
Play that for me again.
There's something there.
Really.
Good! Good, we got that part.
Cut it. I wanna move to
Goldstar for the next part.
Oh, not again.
Okay, let's cut, please. Okay.
So try to, um...
more staccato, okay?
You guys are the rhythm now.
Um, so, it's like an engine
underneath the song...
Dennis, can you be quiet, please,
while we find the sound? Thanks.
Okay, let's try it again.
More broken up.
One, two, three, four.
Okay, Scott, that sounds great.
Let's see if we can, uh...
take it even further now.
So, like you're not
even playing the cello.
Just, uh, like a propeller.
One, two, three, four.
Yes! Beautiful! I love it!
Okay, stop. One more time. Okay,
and when we modulate there,
it's like shifting gears,
so take... give me...
Just remember to keep laying
into that change.
Okay? One, two, three, four.
Okay, Chuck, let's cut
for a second, please.
Okay, let's go again, please.
Let's think of this feel
a little harder. Okay?
A little stronger. Let's
really hit it now, okay?
Here we go!
Okay, one more time, please.
They know the...
They're doing it! Brian, they've been
doing it for the past three hours!
- Okay, Mike...
- Oh, my God!
You can leave if you
don't want to be here.
Thank you. I'm working
with the cello players.
Okay, let's try it again, please.
One more time.
Take 32, here we go.
Um, I would like
to make a toast,
um, to "Good Vibrations,".
Brian's pocket symphony to God.
And the best-selling single
the Beach Boys ever had...
ever.
Brian, the suits
at Capitol must be happy.
Yeah, I guess you can tell the record
company to go screw themselves.
I mean, you can do
whatever you want, Brian.
Right?
Now what are you gonna
do with all that freedom?
- Did my dad call?
- No.
He hasn't. Do you
want me to get him?
Hey, Van, what do you
and Brian have cooking?
You know, just your basic...
American songbook,
neoclassical ditties.
Basic Copland,
Gershwin, Hank Williams,
a little bit of
Irving Berlin and Kurt Weill.
Just a sprinkle of Beethoven
and the Beach Boys.
So nothing too ambitious.
Brian wants to call it...
"Smile."
Stop! Stop!
Stop! Stop!
Stop.
Um...
Hi, I should have called. I
brought matzo ball soup. What?
What's the goddamn song
called?! "Heaven Is A Car"!
Helpful, healing music!
Wait. You just have to
just produce something!
Shh. Shh. Shh.
Come on. Put your hands
on the keyboard...
- Don't say nothing. The doctor's in there.
- ...and make some noise
- of some kind! I don't care what it is...
- What's happening?!
...at this point!
Shh, shh. Come here.
Here, you sit down, you sit.
It's too many. It's too many.
I take away because
it makes him more crazy.
Dr. Eugene give him too much.
He's more loco than Mr. Brian.
It's too many pills...
- and it makes him crazy.
- Write the song!
Okay, okay.
Gloria?!
Go, go, go!
Gloria!
Oh. Hey, Melinda.
- Hi, Gene.
- Wow, uh, what are you doing here?
You know, I brought
Brian some soup.
Matzo ball.
Jesus Christ.
Um...
this is like a sodium bomb.
Brian cannot eat that. Sorry.
Is... is he okay?
He's great. He's never
been better, actually.
Gloria, can you make me a...
make me an Arnold Palmer?
Thanks.
So...
uh... listen, actually, I'm
very glad that you're here.
Um... we are finally
recording the new album
and, um,
Brian is working
on his autobiography.
So he's very busy
and he will not be able
to see you anymore.
You can't do that, Gene.
Yes, I can.
Melinda, honest to God,
who are you
really thinking about here?
Brian or yourself?
Thank you.
Well, I'd really like
to say goodbye to him.
Well, he's resting right now.
Well, I can wait.
My rules, Melinda, and
it's for his own good.
And yours, too, frankly.
Can you make me
an Arnold Palmer, please?
What the hell is wrong
with you today?
Just make me
a goddamn Arnold Palmer.
Sure.
No.
You have my sympathy.
Is this Audree Wilson?
You don't know me,
but I am a friend
of your son, Brian.
Well, I, um...
I'm sorry, this is awkward
calling you out of the blue,
but, um, well,
I'm just concerned
that he is not
getting the best care.
Oh, well, I met him
a few months ago.
He came... I'm...
I sell Cadillacs.
Carl, hi.
My name is Melinda Ledbetter,
and Dr. Landy is...
I... I understand that there
are some legal complications,
so I... well...
you know I just...
I wanted you to... to...
What do you say, Brian?
It's been over two hours.
I'm not sure.
It's just hostile
in here right now.
The vibrations aren't right.
Okay, let's cancel the session.
Are you sure? It's gonna cost
like $5,000, everybody's here.
Let's cancel it.
I can't work.
I don't know, the vibrations
are just all wrong tonight.
Two, three, go.
- That was it. That was the one.
- Cut it, print it.
That's about as good a job
as it's gonna get, right there.
Don't have to be that way.
It's not my fault.
All right, it's late.
I know, let's go then.
We're waiting around,
waiting on you.
Brian, we've been waiting
on you, man.
Brian!
Brian, come on.
Brian, I thought we were
gonna have a serious meeting.
A band meeting.
Hey, you guys
shouldn't talk over there.
Let's everybody
come to the deep end.
We can't stand
in the deep end, Brian.
We're too shallow
for the deep end.
Listen, cousin, we're not...
we're not gonna let you
do this to us anymore.
The lyrics on this album
do not make any sense.
"To ride in the rough
and sunny down snuff"?
What is that?
It's a gothic cowboy trip.
Brian, tell them. The lyrics
don't matter, all right?
It's about the music. Throw the lyrics out.
They're just words.
We need to throw you out.
I'm telling you, Brian,
we need to destroy this shit
- before it destroys us.
- Hey...
everybody please whisper, let's...
let's come to the other side.
I have been writing lyrics
professionally since I was 14 years old.
- I don't need to be here.
- Good, then go! Please.
It's safer for everyone
on the deep end!
We have got to finish this album and
we are not gonna do it this way.
Not in these fragments!
Breaking it up
and moving us all around.
The house is bugged.
Okay, Phil Spector
has the house bugged.
He's a violent gangster
and he's angry at me.
Dad is listening
in all the time!
Just whisper, okay?!
- I know what I'm talking about!
- We're not going to whisper, Brian!
Jeez.
Tell him it's over.
You and I are going
to rewrite these songs,
put them together in a normal
album and get on with it.
Just us!
Family first, right?
Okay, right, well...
Now, can we have
a serious meeting now?
I want to do a chanting album.
Okay? No words.
All Hawaiian singing.
And we can turn it into a
children's show for television.
And it'll be
completely unstructured,
and it'll be about animals
and eating right.
Everyone.
I'm worried about you, brother.
I think I might be losing it.
I don't blame you.
There's a lot to lose out there.
It's a lot harder
than I thought it would be.
We just gotta
stick together, brothers.
We just gotta stick together.
It'll all be okay.
Where is everybody?
Did you fire them, too?
They're working
on the new album.
They think they can simplify
what I was doing and release it.
So, uh, to satisfy
the record company.
"Smiley smile."
Your masterpiece.
Cheer up, I got good news.
I sold the publishing rights
to A&M Records.
$750,000.
What?
I sold the rights
to the Beach Boys music.
Got the most I could for it,
not as much as I wanted,
but something.
They're...
our songs. You can't do that.
Anyway, what are you
worried about it?
They're never going to
amount to anything.
You've peaked, Brian.
Look around.
Five years from now no one
is gonna remember you
or the Beach Boys.
What was I supposed to do?!
That's all I got. You fired me!
Your own father.
Now...
maybe we can be a family again.
So, in fact, you're saying
that there should
be a code of ethics
that we abide by. Correct?
Absolutely, and that's what
the entire argument's about.
Dan Rather just wanted
to get to the bottom
of the Iran-Contra situation...
What do you want?
I'm sorry to bother you,
but he wants to see you.
Now.
I have nothing
to say to that man.
I'm not talking
about Dr. Landy.
I'm talking about Brian.
Gene doesn't know I'm here.
Brian sent me.
He needs you, Melinda.
Can I take you to him?
- Hey.
- Hey.
I'm glad you came.
- It's been a while.
- Yeah.
- Hey.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- I'm sorry I couldn't come to see you.
It's been a...
Gene had to give me
a day off, you know?
It's been real, real busy.
He wouldn't let me out.
Well...
It's really hard
making a record.
- You know?
- You don't... you don't look well.
- Are you okay?
- Nuh-uh.
I feel awful.
I fall asleep everywhere I go.
I'm nauseous all the time.
Gene's really a tough
producer, you know?
I mean, I don't really, uh...
know what he wants.
He's really demanding.
And, uh...
I'm, uh... I'm...
I'm signing contracts
all the time and documents.
Making record deals
and I don't know...
I don't know what's ha... I
don't know what's going on.
- You know what I mean?
- Brian, you need...
- you need real care.
- I miss you. I miss my family.
I miss you. I wanna be with you.
You understand?
- I wanna be with you.
- Okay.
- Okay?
- Okay.
But, I, um...
I hear voices.
I hear voices.
- Since when?
- 1963.
- Are you kidding?
- No kidding.
I just didn't tell you 'cause I
didn't want to scare you away.
I'm right here.
- I'm right here.
- I can't live this life anymore.
- Okay.
- It's a hellhole.
- Please.
- Then let's go.
I don't... how?
You and me,
we're gonna walk outta
here right now.
And everything
will change. Okay?
Yeah, that's what I want.
That's what I want.
Great.
If you're ready, I'm ready.
- Yes, I wanna be with you.
- I'm ready.
- Okay.
- Let's... let's go.
All right.
Hey, guys.
Wow, it really sounds like I
missed something here. Huh?
Hey, Brian?
- Brian.
- Listen to me, man.
- No.
- I'm really sorry that you feel like
you live in a hellhole.
I had no idea.
You know, I've really tried to
make you feel comfortable, man.
Why can't I be with her, Gene?!
For the same reason, man, that
you cannot be with anybody.
You're sick.
Look at you, man. You're sick,
but you're gonna get better.
Come into the
control room, please.
- Let's walk out of here.
- Hey, what's it gonna take, Melinda?!
A court order? You really
want to push it that far?
I told you to stay away.
- Come on, let's go.
- If you stray from the program, you lose.
Everything will change.
We'll walk out of here.
- I can't be here.
- You can see your friends and your family
and you can get your life back.
- Brian, please.
- Do you understand?
You asked me here. You
asked me to come here.
If I let you go,
- you're gonna spiral down.
- Well, I'm here!
I came! You'll come with me.
I love you. I love you.
And you're gonna die here.
I'm gonna have to put
you in an institution.
Brian, look at me.
Look at me, stay with me.
Listen...
you need to get back
to your life.
You need to get back
to yourself.
Who you are inside.
Please, baby,
please come with me.
There's no way out.
No way out.
You know I love Brian.
I love him very much,
but with everything
that he's gone through...
it feels a little selfish wanting
to be with him right now.
I do not want to be
one more person in his life
who wants something from him.
So I'm gonna walk away.
But I cannot leave him
in that house with Gene.
I can't.
I can't even think of him there.
Gene is killing Brian.
Gloria, I know you know.
You know better than anyone.
You're seeing it every day.
I need your help.
Dr. Eugene said he's
gonna call immigration
because he knows
I have no papers,
- but I don't care.
- What he is doing to you,
to Brian, he is a monster.
We cannot let this go on.
I just need something. Something
to bring to Brian's family.
Something we can use
against Gene.
Help me.
Brian! Come in here!
I think she just smiled!
Oh, man. Come... come see.
It's her first smile!
She's got your smile.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah, this is it.
They find it in the printer.
It's very lucky.
Very, very lucky.
- S.
- Oh.
Oh, this is it.
Carl Wilson, please.
Carl, hi.
It's Melinda Ledbetter.
I'm fine. Thanks. Listen, I
have some important information
that I need to share with you.
It's about your brother
and Dr. Landy.
Yes. Yes.
It's that way.
Oh, really? Oh, wow.
Her own little office, huh?
Private office. Wow.
Our little girl's really
moving up in the world, huh?
Oh, for Christ's sake!
Don't tell me she's not here.
- Dr. Eugene Landy?
- Yes, what?
You've been served.
Oh, wow.
Oh, you bitch.
Um, do you think
that you've won, Melinda?
Hmm? You know what? I'm gonna
beat this and I'm gonna beat you!
Oh, my God.
You know, this kind of behavior
is so transparent.
It is so sick and manipulative!
Do you really think
that you are so different?
Oh, my God. You...
slut!
Slut!
And what is it?
What are you gonna do?
You're gonna make yourself
believe that you love him?
Is that it?
And that's gonna make you feel
better about yourself, isn't it?
And it's gonna assuage
your filthy little conscience
while you are sucking him dry!
You are robbing him blind!
Well, get in line,
you little bitch!
Open the door!
I know you're in there!
You all right?
I'm fine. Yeah, I'm fine.
So, what are you gonna do now?
I'm gonna go sell some cars.
- You disgust me.
- ...they call you a genius.
- Well, I'm a genius, too.
- Family first.
- You are nothing.
- You stole everything from me.
- You're amazing.
- I want you to see yourself dead.
- You're nothing.
- Listen to me.
I'm the way out.
- You need to get back to your family.
- I'm going to kill you.
- A winner never quits...
- You need to get back to yourself.
- Dad? Dad?
- ...and a quitter never wins.
- You need to get back to you.
- ...such a disappoint... Brian.
- Who you are.
- You disgust me.
- What's wrong with you?
- You need to get back to you.
Brian.
Your dad...
How many times do I have
to tell you this, Brian?
You don't do it all
by yourself, Brian.
You need us as much as
we need you.
Brian, I love you! Get up!
I won't desert you, Brian.
Don't worry.
Brian, I spoke to Carl,
he's gonna get you out of here.
They say I can't
see you anymore, Brian.
You need to find a way
to get back to yourself.
Come find me, Brian.
Hi.
- Hi!
- How are you?
Well, gee, you just
scared me half to death.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
I'm sorry about that.
What are you doing here?
Looking for you.
Well, you look good.
You look really good, too.
Do you think it's a sign?
- What?
- You almost killing me?
I did not almost kill you. You
jumped in front of my car.
- What are you doing here?
- Oh, no, no.
Do you think we could
go out on a date again?
What?
Can we... me and you...
go out on a date?
Gene's gone. Look, I'm alone.
Really.
I got some state-appointed
someone or another
managing all my things and...
Could you at least
drive me home?
Uh...
- Right now?
- Yeah, yeah.
Brian, I...
You know, I have an appointment.
I'm on my way somewhere. I don't
think I can get all the way
- to Malibu right now.
- No, no, I don't live in Malibu anymore.
I'm off the beach for good.
- Really?
- Just... let me get in. Just five minutes.
I wanna show
you something. Okay?
- Let me show you something.
- Okay, getting in my car.
It'll just take a minute. Okay?
It won't take long.
- Okay, where are we going?
- Uh, take a right.
Turn your indicator on.
Yeah, okay, that way.
So you live here now?
I didn't say I wanted you
to take me to where I live.
I said I wanted you
to take me home.
This is where I grew up.
I wanted to show you.
All right, see that street?
119th Street?
- Yes.
- See that street? Do you see it?
Take a left here.
Uh-oh.
- You didn't know?
- Mmm.
You hungry?
You want something to eat?
You want, maybe,
to go for a drive?
Or, maybe we could find
someplace to drive together?
And then what?
Hmm?
Thank you.
Good night, everybody.
Drive safely.
Okay, it'll be at this tempo.
One, two,
one, two, three, four.
One, two...
How far are we going, Brian?
Where we were originally. Uh...
as soon as, uh... let's see...
Count it, please. One,
two, one, two, three.
All right, hold it
for a second, please.
Just rest for one second.
I'll be right out.
Sometimes it scares me to think
where it's coming from,
you know?
Like...
there's someone else
inside there, not me.
Well...
what if I...
what if I...
what if I lose it
and never get it back?
What would I do then?
Take a listen to this again,
I wanna...
do something with it.
Um... I've got...
I think I've got it.
The music part,
it worked out in my head, but...
I don't know anything else
except that it should...
it should sound like,
you know, a cry, but...
in sort of a good way
or something.
I want these voices at the end
just to...
sound...
All right, Chuck, let's have it.
We don't want to take 16...
Here we go.
- I'm losing it.
- I'm losing the whole record.
That'd be great.
Something's gonna happen.
All right, here we go. You're
grass and I'm a power mower.
Uh, the brothers here,
Dennis, Brian, and Carl.
Carl.
They all live
in the same house and I grew up
a few blocks down.
Al... Al, where did you live?
With a different melody,
It's the same chord progression,
- with a spin-off.
- Mm-hmm.
So, my part in the chorus
against the band
alternates with the intro
backing the new melody.
Gets around. Clever.
Excuse me.
What?
Oh.
Hi, how are you?
I'm fine, thanks.
Are these your shoes?
What? Yeah, yeah,
they're my shoes.
I didn't wanna, you know,
mess up the car
because I jog.
See, I jog on the beach
and, um...
I get sand in my shoes,
you know?
- Ah.
- So...
Well, that's very considerate.
But I... you know, I also
get sand in my socks,
I got holes in my socks,
so I did make a mess anyways.
So, I'm sorry about that.
What are you gonna do?
You didn't get sand in the car.
It's no problem.
Can I help you today?
I'd like to buy a car.
Cadillac, you know?
Great.
- You've come to the right place.
- Yeah.
This is the Fleetwood.
- Wow.
- My personal favorite.
What do you think?
I don't know.
Well, take your time,
there's no pressure.
Blue is a very calm color.
Is this guy a friend of yours?
I feel like he's watching us.
No, he's not my friend.
He's my bodyguard.
Come on.
Something like that.
It's a funny word,
isn't it, bodyguard?
- Uh...
- Bodyguard.
- Are we on "Candid Camera"?
- No.
No, no, no. I do need a car.
Can we just sit in here
for a minute?
Sure.
Well, the master lock
feature works.
We know that much.
Hmm.
My brother died.
Oh. Oh, I'm...
I'm so sorry.
He drowned.
A few years ago.
Two.
But I'm all... broken up
about it still, you know?
I mean, he wasn't even 40 yet.
That is... that's terrible.
- So sad.
- Yeah.
But I just don't get it.
I think about it every day,
and I just don't get it.
I guess it's better just not
to think about it, right?
Just...
force it out of your mind.
Sure.
Yeah, I can understand that.
I'm not married anymore.
Okay.
Do you have a pen I could use?
I guess I need
a little piece of paper, too.
Uh, sure. Just, um...
Thank you.
Brian, come on out of the car.
- I'm Brian.
- Melinda.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- Come on, Brian.
- I want this car.
The Fleetwood?
No, no, yeah, but I want this car.
Okay?
Uh...
I want this car.
This one we're sitting in.
- Oh, the floor model?
- Yes, it's your favorite, right?
- You want...
- It's special. You understand?
- Can I have it?
- Sure.
- Okay.
- Yes.
- Hey.
- Hey.
- What's happening, guys?
- Hi, Gene.
- Hi, I'm Dr. Eugene Landy.
- Hi.
How are you?
I'm Brian's brother
from another mother.
- What's up?
- I want the blue Fleetwood, Gene.
- Really?
- Yeah.
You sure you don't want
a Maserati?
- No offense.
- None taken.
- No, that one.
- Really?
- It's her favorite.
- - Okay.
Well, I'm going to expect
a deal here. You know?
Something worth our while.
Do you know who this man is?
Brian Wilson.
Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.
Ah.
- You didn't mention that.
- Well, 'cause that stuff doesn't matter.
That's ego stuff. You know?
Are you kidding me?
I love your music.
I grew up on it.
So, thank you.
That makes me feel really
good, Melinda Ledbetter.
Okay.
- Melinda Ledbetter.
- Right? It's a nice name.
Uh, why don't you get
started on the paperwork?
- Okay?
- Will do.
Great. And thank you
again for your help.
Let's go, Brian.
Come on, guy.
I think it's a good choice.
- You feel good about it?
- Yeah.
- You sure?
- Yeah.
Okay.
What the hell was that about?
I'm not really sure.
You okay?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Ladies and gentlemen, we're
about to start our descent.
Please return your seats
to an upright position
and fasten your seat belts.
You okay?
I think I'm having
a heart attack.
Brian! Brian!
- Brian! Brian! Brian!
- Get him something!
- Bring us a pillow!
- Breathe!
- Give me the pillow!
- Where's the pillow?!
Give me the pillow!
- Brian! Brian!
- Breathe!
Are you choking?
Are you choking?
- I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die!
- Hey!
- Hey, hey, hey, hey.
- I don't wanna die!
Brian, look at me.
Look at me! Look at me!
Look at me!
Look at me. Look at me.
It's okay.
Hi.
You good?
It was weird.
It was like I was in
a movie or something.
There was music, like always,
but then it got dark and scary.
I couldn't breathe.
Like someone was holding
his hand over my mouth.
Hey, Brian.
You doing okay, baby?
Yeah, I'm good, Mare.
Okay, just checking.
Yeah, then I started
hearing things.
Strange things.
- People talking.
- What, like voices?
Like, uh...
like voices in your head?
No!
Well, kind of. Yeah.
Maybe I'm cuckoo
for Cocoa Puffs!
Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs!
It was kinda scary.
I think it's just Dad. You know?
Messing with your head.
We're too big for him to
take the belt to us anymore,
so he's gotta use his black
magic shit or something.
- Ah, come on.
- It's not Dad.
- Yeah...
- Something's off.
It's being on the road.
You know, being up there.
It's freaky.
I get nervous onstage, too, Bri.
- I mean, we all probably do.
- No, but this is different.
Anyway, you don't need me
standing up there
looking like a jerk.
I'll be better
back here at home.
Making music.
I just wanna be home.
I got all kinds of new ideas,
new sounds,
new harmonies,
new instruments.
You hear the new Beatles?
- Yeah.
- The "Rubber Soul"? Yeah.
I heard it was about
John Lennon having an affair.
It's amazing!
I mean, it works like a whole.
It's like a whole album.
Everything fits together,
no fat.
Like an album of folk songs, but
the sounds are really far out.
- Lots of overdubbing.
- They stole our backing vocal.
And then they change it to,
I thought it said, "Tit,
tit, tit, tits, titties."
- No?
- Denny.
We can't let them
get ahead of us!
J...
I can take us further.
If you let me
stay at home in the studio.
It's what I need to do.
And I promise,
when you come back,
I will have stuff for you
that will blow your minds.
- Bri! - Fine, but you just
keep your head on straight.
- Okay, Bri?
- I will!
- Hey, Brian!
- I will.
Straight as a die.
Hey, straight as a what?
What does that even mean?
You're gonna die
in a straight line?
I have no idea.
I heard Dad use it once.
Oh, never use it again.
It's gonna be strange to be in
Japan without you, brother.
Yeah, who's gonna
fold our clothes now?
Bri!
Carl, Dennis, come on,
guys, come sit with us.
Okay, I'll be right over.
Everybody in!
One of these days, you are gonna
break your skull open if
you're not careful, Bri.
I'm going to make the greatest
album ever made, Mare!
I know you are, baby.
I know you are.
Ben, two more minutes,
I'm almost ready.
You can lock up.
This is Melinda.
...Friday night.
- 6:00?
- Hello?
What? Wrong ear. Put
it on the other ear.
- Hello? Uh, hi.
- Jesus.
Is this Mel... Melinda?
Yes, this is Melinda.
Melinda Ledbetter?
Yes.
Hi.
It's Brian Wilson
from the Beach Boys.
Hi, Brian Wilson
from the Beach Boys.
Melinda!
Melinda Ledbetter!
Melinda Ledbetter!
Melinda!
Are you there?!
Hi.
Hi.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- How are you?
- I'm great!
- You look really great.
- Thank you.
- You wanna go?
- Oh, did you... yeah.
I...
- I forgot your apartment number.
- Ah. Well...
It's a good thing
the loudspeaker worked.
Yeah.
Why does it feel like
the prom all of a sudden?
I'm not sure.
Thank you.
- Hey, Melinda.
- Hi.
- You look great.
- Uh, hi!
I love it.
Such a beautiful song.
- What's that?
- Excuse me?
I couldn't hear what you said.
What'd you say to Brian?
Uh, I... I just said
that this song is...
is so great. I love it.
- Why? Why?
- No, it's a great song.
It's fantastic. You're right.
Timeless.
Well...
I guess this is good night.
Good night.
- Okay.
- Would you like me to call you again?
Would you like to call me again?
Or... are you just asking
'cause you were told to?
Both things.
- Both.
- I really appreciate your honesty.
I really do. I don't meet a
lot of honest people anymore.
I'll tell you what, I'm gonna
be home most of the day Sunday.
Give me a call
if you feel like it.
If you don't, that's fine, too.
There's no pressure.
I'm gonna call you.
- Cool.
- Cool.
Good night.
Good night.
And the last verse
repeats one more time
and the chorus will harmonize
over and over at the end.
It's still rough, I know,
but it's getting there.
It's right for Carl's voice.
You like it, Dad?
I mean, it'll get better.
The vocals will...
counterpoint the backing track.
Real soulful.
Oh, you don't want
my advice or my meddling.
Well, just tell me
what you think.
Not much use for me, is there?
With your mom living on her own.
Come on, we're still a family.
Families don't fire
their own father.
I don't want to start
that argument again.
- I'm not arguing.
- If I say something now, you'll argue.
Then don't say anything.
Forget it!
Forget what? Forget what?!
- You don't like the song.
- I never said that.
I can tell.
Just say something!
I would change the title.
The Capris had a tune out
called "God Only Knows"
- in '55, '54.
- Never mind that.
Did you close your eyes
like I asked you to?
Tony and I think...
if you close your eyes,
you can see a place
where something's happening.
It's like being blind, but because
you're blind, you can see more.
Don't you think it's a
spiritual kind of thing?
I don't know what the hell
you're talking about.
I closed my eyes,
didn't see a thing.
I don't know,
maybe it could be something
with the right arrangement.
Well, yeah,
I have French horns on it
and flutes, tambourines,
sleigh bells, piano, bass,
real complex key shifts.
Frankly, if you
really want to know,
I don't care for it.
It's too wishy-washy.
If you leave me, why leave me?
Life will go on,
why go on living?
It's not like a Beach Boys song.
Your brothers are gonna hate it.
- It's a love song.
- It's a suicide note.
Didn't you just say it could be
something with the right arrangement?!
Well, I gave it
another thought, okay?
And if you can't keep
your voice down in my house,
get out!
Hey, Carol.
- How's it going?
- Good. Good to see you.
Groovy shades.
Lyle, how's it going?
- Hal, hey. Good to see you.
- Hey. You, too.
I want you to meet Tony Asher.
Tony Asher, this is Hal Blaine.
The greatest drummer
working today.
And you never heard
of him, have you?
- I'm sorry.
- It's okay.
That's the secret. All these
guys, Hal, Tommy, Carol, Earl,
the whole band.
I mean, they're probably
the best in the business,
but they're studio musicians,
so nobody's ever heard of them.
It's crazy!
- Huh?
- Yeah, oh, yeah.
Yeah. Here you go.
Kettle drums? Thought we
were doing rock 'n' roll.
Ah, a whole new bag.
So what do we got
going here, Brian?
Uh, I don't know, Hal.
Just some ideas.
Try something.
Oh, excuse me.
- Bum, bum, bum.
- Yup.
Yeah, let's try it.
Mmm.
That's exactly how I want it.
You know what I'm gonna do?
Let's add a little
tie right here.
I think this'll sound better,
- a little smoother right there.
- You wanna tie the first one?
Okay, this is "I'm Waiting
For the Day," take six.
Here we go.
One, two, one, two, three.
Oh, hey! That was outta sight.
I mean, it really was, Al.
How did you play that?
- I don't know.
- What?!
How did you play that?
- It was a mistake.
- Well, if you repeat a mistake
every four bars,
it's not a mistake anymore.
- See what I mean?
- I love it.
- That was great.
- Okay, let's do it again.
Remember, it's the uh... uh... higher
octave on the upbeats and the bridge.
Hey, Brian?
- Yeah, I love that.
- Brian?
- Yeah?
- I think you might've screwed up here.
Really? Let me see.
Well, you've got
Lyle playing in D
- and the rest of us are in A major.
- Yeah, that's right.
How does that work? Two baselines
in two different keys?
Well, it works in my head.
It's all playing in my head.
The orchestration
and the five vocal parts.
I think it's gonna work.
Let's try it.
Oh, Hal? Hal?
Here's how I want you
to do it. It goes, uh...
the first beat on the
last bar of the intro.
Boom! Two, three, four.
Bah doom!
There's the North Star
right there.
- That's the North Star?
- Yeah, yeah. You knew that.
- I really didn't.
- Come on.
- I mean, it's a bright star.
- Have you ever...
have you ever seen this before?
- Never like this.
- Yeah.
I used to love
coming here as a kid, you know?
I love the feel of this place.
I really wanted
to take you here.
- You did?
- Yeah.
Demonstration booths.
Do you remember those?
- In the department store?
- Yeah, and that's when I first heard.
The Four Freshmen
and immediately my mind just...
- I mean, it's...
- Like magic.
Something happened and...
so I listened to those
harmonies and study them
after school, and I would
teach them to my brothers.
And we'd all sing.
And then I would
teach them to my parents
and we'd all be
sitting around singing.
My brothers and my parents
and everybody.
- Everybody.
- Wow.
That sounds like
such a wonderful childhood.
Yeah, it was really nice,
except for when my dad
was beating on us
- all the time, you know?
- Like...
He was a really hard, hard guy.
You know, like, um...
There's a spanking.
You know that sound?
You know a certain
kind of spanking,
and it sounds like a...
you know, like...
But the way we had it, you know?
When it came out of him, it's...
You know?
Really hard.
Come on, let's give
these guys some privacy.
- You know, we laugh about it.
- Babe, I can't just...
- Doug, come on.
- You know, back in those days?
We laugh about all that, but...
it was pretty tough business.
Pretty tough business.
Hey.
- I'm so sorry.
- No, what? About what?
They're okay,
they come here all the time.
It's their favorite spot.
No, Brian, about your dad.
Oh, yeah.
You know, spare...
spare the rod,
spoil the child.
You know I'm 96% deaf
in my right ear because
my dad whacked me all the time?
He was a really hard man
and he was a not very happy man,
but, uh...
in some ways I love my dad,
you know, because...
he scared me
and he scared me so much,
I think he actually scared me
into making good records.
- Hmm.
- You know? I mean, he had this, like,
competitive spirit
that really blew my mind and...
What about your mom?
She stayed out
of all of it, mostly.
I think she drank a lot.
You know?
That's how she...
she... she dealt with it.
I haven't seen her in...
three years?
- What?
- Yeah, Gene doesn't think it's a good idea
for me to be in touch
with my family right now.
I haven't seen
my daughters in...
two years.
You have two daughters.
Yeah. Yeah.
I wasn't a very good father
to them, you know?
Because I was drinking and drugging
when I should have been...
you know, a parent.
And, uh...
you know, I made a
mess of my life,
lost control of my life.
It's a weird trip,
but...
anyway, they live in
Encino with their mom.
Well, shit.
Yeah.
But it's not so bad now anymore.
You know?
- Good.
- Uh-huh.
Good.
Look, listen to me, I'm
just going on and on.
- It's my boring life...
- It's not boring.
It is,
but what about you, Melinda?
I mean, my God, you're so...
You're such good fun
and you're... you're so...
so tender and so sweet.
I mean...
why don't you have
a... boyfriend?
Oh, well...
There was someone.
He was no good.
He broke my heart.
He shouldn't have done that.
Well, I shouldn't have let him.
Aww, sh...
Fuck. Tony, you holding
those keys down?
- Yeah, yeah.
- Okay.
Can I have another
bobby pin, please, Hal?
Okay, keep the keys down, Tony.
Here we go.
Yeah, so, uh, right here.
No, give it, uh...
like...
There's like a gasp in between.
Cut! I think we got it.
Chuck, mix that in, uh,
with the sound of the
train going by at the end
of "Caroline, No."
- You got it, Brian.
- Hey, Chuck,
you think we could
get a horse in here?
Hey, kid.
Brian.
Brian!
Brian! You got a light?
- I spilled coffee on my matches in there.
- Yeah.
Tough day at the office?
Well...
my family's coming in tomorrow,
the band, they're...
well, sometimes they're
tough, you know?
Let me tell you something.
We're all pros, you know?
We've played with everyone.
Heard it all.
You name 'em, we've
played with 'em.
Sinatra, Dean Martin,
Elvis, Phil Spector,
Sam Cooke, everyone!
And we all studied in goddamn
conservatories, for Christ's sake.
But...
but you...
you gotta know
that you're touched, kid.
You've blown our minds.
- More than Phil Spector?
- Ah, Phil's got nothing on you.
Oh, man.
No, the band's gonna love it.
Every note of it.
You're a talented young man.
Hang in there, man.
I'll see ya.
I'll see ya tomorrow, Hal.
Wow, nice place. Yeah, come on in.
Let me show you around.
- Oh, wow.
- This is my room.
This is my room.
- Oh, nice!
- Yeah, I got to pick it.
What do you mean?
Well, you know,
I got another house
a little bit
up the coast, you know?
- You do?
- But Gene wants me to live, you know,
in a more
controlled environment.
So he's living in that
one and I'm living here.
You know, not so many
distractions and memories.
But I got to pick the room.
- Wow.
- Ch... ch... check this out.
Look at this.
That's absolutely beautiful.
Thanks.
What is it?
Oh, that's just something that I
came up with when I saw you.
What are you gonna do with it?
Nothing, it's gone.
That was just for you.
That's so incredible.
Oh, my God,
that just, like,
came out of you.
Is that how it works?
Or just...
Yeah. Sometimes.
Sometimes your inner voice
wants to express itself
and every once in a while,
every blue moon,
your soul... comes out to play.
- You know?
- Wow.
Can't be rushed.
It's like a kid,
it's just nature,
but... yeah.
Can I ask you
something personal?
- Personal?
- Kind of.
Sure, I'm an open book.
Did you really spend
two years in bed?
No...
more like three.
At least, that's what
I tell people.
I got out at night
sometimes in my bathrobe.
Do you like matzo ball soup?
I don't know. I don't think...
- I've ever had matzo ball soup.
- No?
It's really good.
My ex-wife was Jewish,
did I tell you that?
- No.
- That's when I first had it.
- Oh.
- At Marilyn's parents' house.
They're really nice parents.
She saved my life.
- Marilyn?
- Mmm.
Mare.
I wasn't a very good
husband, I told you,
but...
we were only kids
when we got married.
- She was 16. 16.
- That's crazy.
I think it's an acquired
taste, you know?
- Marriage?
- Matzo ball soup.
We should go one day, you know?
- Go to Canter's and try it.
- Sure.
- Do you wanna try it?
- Yeah, I would. Why not?
- I don't wanna force you to.
- You wouldn't be.
I mean, it's not gonna
kill you or anything.
I would hope not.
You know, I mean,
just have a little bit.
- It's good to try new things in life.
- Okay. I will.
I will try to keep an open mind.
- It's important to try things.
- Good.
- New things.
- New things.
I agree.
Brian,
time for your pills.
Come on.
- One minute.
- Oh.
Melinda,
you ever hear of the, um...
"Underground Dictionary"?
Thank you, sweetheart.
- Uh, no.
- Well, I published it.
- 1971.
- Huh.
It's an amazing book.
It's a, uh...
lexicon for subcultural speak.
It's a reference book
for professionals
of all kinds to learn
how to talk to...
the subcultures of the time.
- Bikers, hookers, surfers...
- Hey.
- Are you okay?
- ...junkies, blacks...
- Yeah.
- What does he have you on?
I get allergies. I get
allergies, so, um...
I get a little drowsy.
And believe me, they're
the toughest ones to talk to.
Right, Brian?
I'm... I'm... I'm hungry, Gene.
- It was a real bitchin' concept book.
- Gene, I'm hungry.
Kind of ahead of its time
and it got a lot of attention.
- Frankly.
- Gene, I'm hungry.
It's coming.
Uh, far out, right on,
out of sight,
uh, smokey tits, bonnaroo.
Uh, super wicked, wiggy.
How about that? All right.
We got one ready here.
Mmm. Guest of honor first.
- Oh.
- There you go, ma'am.
- Nope.
- You know, I'm...
- You... you should have it.
- No, no, you know what? He's not as hungry
- as he thinks he is.
- I'm... I'm hungry.
Ah-ah-ah. No, you're not.
You know what?
You need to drink more water
and you would be full.
- I think he's hungry.
- Go ahead. No, patience is a virtue.
- Seriously, he can wait.
- I think he should...
- I can share.
- Taste it.
- Good? Far out.
- Mmm.
Far out.
- Hey, Gene.
- Yeah?
Exactly what allergies
does he suffer from anyway?
Don't you worry about that.
Brian's medications are very
carefully administered,
if you must know.
You know what? No, God damn it!
Jesus Christ!
Seriously?! Seriously?!
You have got to learn
to wait your goddamn turn!
Jesus Christ!
Now this is what happens, okay?
I'm hungry. No!
You are not goddamn hungry!
You think you're hungry!
Do you you understand
the goddamn difference?!
Wait your turn!
You have got to be kidding me!
You have no idea the
consequences from this.
- Okay?
- No.
No idea, man! Come on!
Jesus Christ! Rob?
First of all, I want to apologize
about the other night.
I can get worked up sometimes
when it comes to Brian.
Now, I should have
met with you earlier,
but with all of that said,
I really don't want
you to be alarmed
by what, uh, I'm gonna
talk to you about now.
But you should know
that you are dealing with
a very, very... sick man.
There's no other way
to say it. Sorry.
Well, how sick is he?
Brian is a...
paranoid schizophrenic.
But you really
do not need to be alarmed
because I have it under control.
I am the control...
so to speak.
When I started
working with Brian,
he weighed, what... 300 pounds?
He spent all day in bed
eating bloody steaks
and a lot of junk food.
- Self-medicating.
- Oh.
Drinking, among other things.
Uh, just not dealing,
not able to look me in the eye.
Not able to look anybody
in the eye.
Frankly, suicidal.
- So...
- Really?
I pulled him out of the grave,
and I stood him up,
and I taught him
how to start living again.
He was very open,
I mean, he... I...
- Hmm.
- ...thought, you know, he told me
he was taking
medication for anxiety...
- and a little depression.
- First thing, don't...
believe everything
that Brian tells you.
He's, uh... he's a little
boy in a man's body.
I mean, there's a lot
of playacting going on
in Brian World.
Are you in love with him?
Oh...
Please understand something.
I hope you do.
It's my job... it's my duty
to approve anyone that
Brian is spending time with.
And I mean everyone.
Yeah? So...
If you want to
continue to see him,
well, then there's
gonna have to be some rules.
Um, for example,
if Brian calls you,
asks you out for a date,
well, that's fantastic,
but I need you to call me
directly... immediately.
And afterwards,
I think it would be
therapeutically useful
if you report to me
everything that happened.
Your thoughts, your feelings.
Uh, his thoughts, his feelings.
And so far as you can report
on those things objectively
from your perspective.
You follow me?
I'm giving you
unprecedented access here.
But... I need you...
to work with me.
All right,
you want a cup of tea?
But, you know, your suspicion
is just like Brian's
initial paranoia.
His desire not to get better.
But, you know, that came from
no sense of self-worth,
no belief in himself,
no ability to trust.
You have the ability
to trust, Melinda?
Come on.
I'm helping a great man
learn how to be alive again.
Why not trust me?
I'm gonna try, Gene.
I just don't know you.
Mm-hmm, but I know you.
As I told you, it is my job.
Okay?
You think of yourself as an
independent woman, right?
Hagerty girl, right?
Successful modeling career,
some long-term relationships,
disappointments. Hmm?
Your last boyfriend took
you for a bit of a ride.
Had a girl in every port.
And now you...
sell cars.
Well, we all do what we can.
We do.
- And life can be painful.
- Hmm.
I know. That's all I'm saying.
You know, I don't believe
in coincidences.
There's a reason we met.
All of us. Let's work together.
Help me out and let me help you
and help me help Brian. Okay?
Thanks, Gene. Thank you.
Take good care of yourself.
Konnichiwa.
- Where's my favorite big brother?
- Denny!
- How you doing? Oh, hey.
- Ooh!
Hey, man, forget about
California girls,
- Tokyo is where it's at!
- Tokyo girls? Denny.
- I missed you, Bri.
- Oh, it's good to see you.
Hey, look, I got you a souvenir.
Hey, it matches
your shirt. It's cool.
- Hey, Al, good to see you!
- Good to see you.
- Bruce, thanks for being there for me.
- It's an honor, Brian.
No way to fill your shoes,
but I did my best.
- Cousin.
- Mike!
- Good to see you.
- Good to see you!
- What happened? Look at that beard!
- I know, I know,
but what happened to you? You're
getting a little tubby here.
What happened? You should
go on a fast with me.
Well, I'm already
eating as fast as I can.
Well, fatty, we are ready
to rock to your roll, man.
- Let's... let's listen to some tracks.
- Good to see you.
- All right!
- What you got cooking?
You know, Carl, a samurai
sword would have been...
Well, yeah, but I just...
- it was in the airport.
- Does it look cool?
Hey, Brian? This chorus.
The lyrics.
Don't you think
it's a little, uh...
What?
"Hang on to your ego,"
what are you trying to say?
Uh...
well...
- "hang on to your ego."
- Yeah, ego.
Are you saying...
Is this a druggie song?
Is this a drug song?
- A drug song?
- Yes, "hang on to your ego."
Uh, "hang on, but I know that
you're gonna lose the fight."
I don't know. I... I don't
think it's a drug song,
- whatever that is.
- "They come on like they're peaceful",
but inside they're so uptight.
"They trip through the day and waste
all their thoughts at night."
Sounds like a druggie
to me, Brian.
- Druggie?!
- Don't pretend like you don't know
- what I'm talking about here!
- Okay, it's about ego. That's all.
It's about ego?
That's all? Okay.
I'm not trying... I'm not trying
to be a tough guy here, okay?
I'm just asking a question. I just
wanna know if it's a drug song.
If it's not a drug song,
I wanna know what it's about.
Does it sound like a
drug song to anybody else?
Okay, it's not a drug song,
but is it about...
I don't know, it sounds fine.
Okay, okay, so hang on...
we'll hang on to our ego.
Let's all just hang on to our
egos and record the song.
You have that attached
to the flash?
Brian, your voice
is on the track.
Stop, please.
Yeah!
No.
- Yes.
- What do you mean, "yeah"?
Hmm?
I mean, yeah, I left them in.
I like it.
- We're listening here.
- You left them in?
The voices? The talking
and in your head?
That's part of the song?
It's just like all the
other instruments we use.
It's all part of it.
- Play the studio?
- I like it, Bri.
They're not gonna
hear it anyways,
it's buried under there.
I... I think it's really cool.
- Can we stop it, please?
- Jesus, come on, Mike.
- No, no, no, it's amateurish.
- It's amateurish.
It's hip, man! It's fun!
It's now! That's where
things are happening.
- Brian, it's not.
- Now!
No, this is not fun.
- Not the music...
- I think it's fun.
Not the lyrics. Now, it's not
all bad, don't get me wrong,
but it's not Beach Boys fun.
- We've done Beach Boys fun.
- And we had hits, we had lots of hits!
- Why are we arguing right now, Mike?
- There's not one hit
on this album, guys! I don't care how
many car horns and bicycle bells
and jingle-jangle or
whatever you put in there.
They're not gonna buy something
depressing like that!
- Depressing?
- Even the happy songs are sad.
We need to write some of the
old stuff again, fellas.
- That's all I'm saying.
- The old stuff is old!
- So we'll make it new again!
- I can't go back in time!
We're not surfers,
we never have been,
and real surfers
don't dig our music anyway.
- They don't.
- Okay, I can't write about the summer
and fun and summer
and summer and fun and cars!
I got different stuff inside me,
I gotta get it out.
Oh, jeez, would you
listen to yourself?
You've "gotta get it out"?
- Who are you? Mozart?!
- Everyone shut up!
Carl, play it again.
It's a new creative bag,
we've gotta keep growing!
Oh, jeez.
None of these guys have played one
single note on the entire album.
It's like you're making your own
record with our voices, Brian.
Dennis played.
- A little bit. Carl, too.
- "A little bit,"
for crying out loud, would
you listen to yourself?
First you wanted
to stop touring with us,
and we accepted that, that's fine.
Bruce is doing great.
But now it's like
we're barely a part
of the Brian Wilson Band!
You can't just do whatever
the hell you want, Brian!
The other guys
might not say this,
but you are letting us down.
If you stop thinking about
yourself for two seconds,
you might realize that.
Sorry, sorry, Brian,
but apparently your dad
just drove up.
I thought you'd want to know.
- Shit!
- Hide the pot!
Fuck!
- Uncle Murray!
- Boys?
- Hey, hey, hey.
- Mike, Al.
Good to see you, boys.
Dad, good to see you, sir.
Where's Brian?
There you are. How you doing?
Good, good.
- Listen to this.
- Chuck, if you would be so kind.
My new band.
This is where you guys
need to get back to.
This is a hit.
Check out the harmonies.
I'm telling you,
I am taking these guys
all the way to the top!
That's great, Dad.
You're doing your own thing.
- For the next take.
- Sure, Brian.
Brian, come back here. Listen to
what a gold record sounds like.
Doesn't this guy sound
just like Brian?
I don't give a shit, Brian!
I don't give a shit!
I just wanna say, man.
Listen man, you're the artist.
Right? You want God.
You should have God.
Don't you wanna be out
there rocking the boat?
- Mmm.
- What is this? 1939? Mike says?
Who cares what Mike says?
Sing what's in your soul, man.
Let the world stand on its head.
Don't listen to the
record company suits.
Don't listen to anybody.
Listen to you.
You're the genius.
We're the band as far as anybody
in the know is concerned.
- Right?!
- Sorry, man. It's true.
Listen, Brian, I got
something for you, man.
Something for you, man.
It'll take all that crap
outta your head, man.
Where were you?
I did LSD.
Really?
Really?
What was it like?
Well...
at first it was nothing,
then everything.
And then I did it again.
Again?
Oh, I heard the most...
a whole other kind of music.
I saw things...
that you can't see.
Like what?
What things that you can't see?
Like...
weird things?
Things like God.
- What?
- I saw God and...
he showed me everything.
Oh, he showed me
the future, Mare.
Oh, I'm so sorry.
Brian?
- I'm so sorry.
- Brian, what are you talking about?
Bri?
What is the matter? Hey...
Hey, hey, hey, hey,
hey, hey, hey, hey.
No, hey, hey...
It's okay. It's okay, Bri.
Here, come here. Come here.
Hey, Evan!
What? It's a tribute
to you, Brian!
We're stoked to have you, man.
Okay. Could you
turn it off anyway,
because it sort of
destroys my brain.
It does.
I can only imagine.
- Are you having fun?
- I'm having so much fun.
I love being with you.
And not with Gene and the
whole gang watching us.
Oh, uh, Gene told me to tell you
that he was sorry about the
other day with the barbecue.
That Doug gave me the
wrong dosage and, um...
so that's why he lost his temper
and that... he's really sorry,
but he wanted us
to have a good time.
Ah.
And that's why it was
good that Evan was here.
- So, you know?
- Yeah, how do you know Evan?
- Evan's Gene's son.
- Ah.
Ah, so we're
still being watched.
Yeah.
But we can do whatever we want.
I think we should do
whatever we want, too.
What do you wanna do?
Evan, will you take that...
- Can you swim?
- Yes.
Evan, will you take the boat
in really close to shore?
I wanna show Melinda my house.
Go in past the kelp.
Sure thing! Whatever
makes you happy, Brian.
All right, on the count of
three, I want you to get up,
I want you to jump in the water and I
want you to come over to my house.
- Right now. You ready? Come on.
- What?! Are you serious?
Yeah, let's do it. Let's ditch this
scene and make out like teenagers.
In or out? Come on.
- In.
- One, two, three!
That is not cool, Brian! My
dad's gonna go nuts on me!
Whoo!
Cold? You cold?
I'm exhausted. That was crazy!
Come on, come on, come on.
- You wanna hear something funny?
- Of course.
Gene's got me on this thing,
I have to say to myself
five times a day,
"I love you."
It's called self-nourishment.
Can you believe that?
- Does it work?
- I don't know.
Sometimes I wish I had
somebody else to say it to.
Coming!
Coming!
- Honey...
- Doorbell. Somebody's here.
I didn't hear anything.
You gotta hide
under the stairs, you know?
- What?
- Hide under the stairs.
Hide under the stairs.
Brian.
- You gotta go. You gotta go.
- What?
You gotta go now.
What's happening?
I way overslept, they're coming back.
They're gonna come back
- any minute. We gotta... you gotta go.
- Okay, shh.
You gotta go. You gotta go now.
- You have to go.
- Did I do something wrong?
No, no, no, but they're coming back.
Do you understand?
And when they come back, it's
not gonna be a good scene.
- Okay, listen to me. Shh.
- It's not gonna be a good scene.
- Hey.
- What?
You're a grown man
and if you want me to stay,
you can just tell him.
- No, I can't. I can't do that.
- Yes. This is your house.
- No, no, no.
- Do you want me to stay?
He's my legal guardian.
Do you understand?
He can do things to me.
All right?
I don't have any choice.
I don't have a choice.
You know what? Stop.
- Please, Melinda, go.
- You can stand up to him.
You... listen, you have...
you have friends and family
and daughters
that you're not allowed to see
and it's not normal
and you deserve normal.
- Stop.
- He could... he could send me away
and throw away the key.
He's manipulating you.
He's manipulating you.
- No, he isn't. No, no, no, no.
- Yes.
He's protecting me.
He's protecting me.
No, you're protecting him.
Listen, he is taking
advantage of you.
He's over medicating you.
I'm really... I think...
I think that you know it, too.
Please leave.
Please, I'm begging you.
Leave, leave.
Just leave, please.
- Okay.
- Don't leave me. Don't leave me,
- just go now.
- Do you want me to go or not?
I want you to leave right now,
I don't want you to leave me.
- Okay, okay. I'm not gonna leave you.
- Okay? Please, please, please.
- Please, please.
- But I'm going. Calm down.
- Please.
- Calm down. I'm going.
Last thing I want
to say right now is...
I told you so,
so I'm not gonna say it.
That's a whole lotta words for
something you're not saying.
"Pet Sounds" didn't sell.
There, I said it. It flopped.
But critics loved it. The
critics don't buy albums.
Well, Mike...
the British
buy albums, you know?
- And they went crazy for it.
- It's not even gonna go gold.
When's the last time
that happened to us?
Look, you know what I say?
Good. Good.
We got it behind us now.
We can get back to our music.
The proof is in the formula.
Like Coca-Cola?
And geometry?
Penicillin and chicks.
Earth to Brian.
- Cocaine is...
- Brian.
birthday cakes.
You know, Paul McCartney
said that "God Only Knows"
is the greatest song
ever written, like...
That's because it was a formula.
Cuz...
Listen, about...
I have this song playing
over and over in my head.
I just don't have
the words or the melody.
Do you have anything?
That's good.
Well, piss on you, Banana.
I like it.
You know, Mom told me once
when we were kids that
dogs can pick up on vibes
from people like...
like they know when we're happy
or sad or scared.
Yeah, well...
it's too bad we're not dogs.
Right?
Play that for me again.
There's something there.
Really.
Good! Good, we got that part.
Cut it. I wanna move to
Goldstar for the next part.
Oh, not again.
Okay, let's cut, please. Okay.
So try to, um...
more staccato, okay?
You guys are the rhythm now.
Um, so, it's like an engine
underneath the song...
Dennis, can you be quiet, please,
while we find the sound? Thanks.
Okay, let's try it again.
More broken up.
One, two, three, four.
Okay, Scott, that sounds great.
Let's see if we can, uh...
take it even further now.
So, like you're not
even playing the cello.
Just, uh, like a propeller.
One, two, three, four.
Yes! Beautiful! I love it!
Okay, stop. One more time. Okay,
and when we modulate there,
it's like shifting gears,
so take... give me...
Just remember to keep laying
into that change.
Okay? One, two, three, four.
Okay, Chuck, let's cut
for a second, please.
Okay, let's go again, please.
Let's think of this feel
a little harder. Okay?
A little stronger. Let's
really hit it now, okay?
Here we go!
Okay, one more time, please.
They know the...
They're doing it! Brian, they've been
doing it for the past three hours!
- Okay, Mike...
- Oh, my God!
You can leave if you
don't want to be here.
Thank you. I'm working
with the cello players.
Okay, let's try it again, please.
One more time.
Take 32, here we go.
Um, I would like
to make a toast,
um, to "Good Vibrations,".
Brian's pocket symphony to God.
And the best-selling single
the Beach Boys ever had...
ever.
Brian, the suits
at Capitol must be happy.
Yeah, I guess you can tell the record
company to go screw themselves.
I mean, you can do
whatever you want, Brian.
Right?
Now what are you gonna
do with all that freedom?
- Did my dad call?
- No.
He hasn't. Do you
want me to get him?
Hey, Van, what do you
and Brian have cooking?
You know, just your basic...
American songbook,
neoclassical ditties.
Basic Copland,
Gershwin, Hank Williams,
a little bit of
Irving Berlin and Kurt Weill.
Just a sprinkle of Beethoven
and the Beach Boys.
So nothing too ambitious.
Brian wants to call it...
"Smile."
Stop! Stop!
Stop! Stop!
Stop.
Um...
Hi, I should have called. I
brought matzo ball soup. What?
What's the goddamn song
called?! "Heaven Is A Car"!
Helpful, healing music!
Wait. You just have to
just produce something!
Shh. Shh. Shh.
Come on. Put your hands
on the keyboard...
- Don't say nothing. The doctor's in there.
- ...and make some noise
- of some kind! I don't care what it is...
- What's happening?!
...at this point!
Shh, shh. Come here.
Here, you sit down, you sit.
It's too many. It's too many.
I take away because
it makes him more crazy.
Dr. Eugene give him too much.
He's more loco than Mr. Brian.
It's too many pills...
- and it makes him crazy.
- Write the song!
Okay, okay.
Gloria?!
Go, go, go!
Gloria!
Oh. Hey, Melinda.
- Hi, Gene.
- Wow, uh, what are you doing here?
You know, I brought
Brian some soup.
Matzo ball.
Jesus Christ.
Um...
this is like a sodium bomb.
Brian cannot eat that. Sorry.
Is... is he okay?
He's great. He's never
been better, actually.
Gloria, can you make me a...
make me an Arnold Palmer?
Thanks.
So...
uh... listen, actually, I'm
very glad that you're here.
Um... we are finally
recording the new album
and, um,
Brian is working
on his autobiography.
So he's very busy
and he will not be able
to see you anymore.
You can't do that, Gene.
Yes, I can.
Melinda, honest to God,
who are you
really thinking about here?
Brian or yourself?
Thank you.
Well, I'd really like
to say goodbye to him.
Well, he's resting right now.
Well, I can wait.
My rules, Melinda, and
it's for his own good.
And yours, too, frankly.
Can you make me
an Arnold Palmer, please?
What the hell is wrong
with you today?
Just make me
a goddamn Arnold Palmer.
Sure.
No.
You have my sympathy.
Is this Audree Wilson?
You don't know me,
but I am a friend
of your son, Brian.
Well, I, um...
I'm sorry, this is awkward
calling you out of the blue,
but, um, well,
I'm just concerned
that he is not
getting the best care.
Oh, well, I met him
a few months ago.
He came... I'm...
I sell Cadillacs.
Carl, hi.
My name is Melinda Ledbetter,
and Dr. Landy is...
I... I understand that there
are some legal complications,
so I... well...
you know I just...
I wanted you to... to...
What do you say, Brian?
It's been over two hours.
I'm not sure.
It's just hostile
in here right now.
The vibrations aren't right.
Okay, let's cancel the session.
Are you sure? It's gonna cost
like $5,000, everybody's here.
Let's cancel it.
I can't work.
I don't know, the vibrations
are just all wrong tonight.
Two, three, go.
- That was it. That was the one.
- Cut it, print it.
That's about as good a job
as it's gonna get, right there.
Don't have to be that way.
It's not my fault.
All right, it's late.
I know, let's go then.
We're waiting around,
waiting on you.
Brian, we've been waiting
on you, man.
Brian!
Brian, come on.
Brian, I thought we were
gonna have a serious meeting.
A band meeting.
Hey, you guys
shouldn't talk over there.
Let's everybody
come to the deep end.
We can't stand
in the deep end, Brian.
We're too shallow
for the deep end.
Listen, cousin, we're not...
we're not gonna let you
do this to us anymore.
The lyrics on this album
do not make any sense.
"To ride in the rough
and sunny down snuff"?
What is that?
It's a gothic cowboy trip.
Brian, tell them. The lyrics
don't matter, all right?
It's about the music. Throw the lyrics out.
They're just words.
We need to throw you out.
I'm telling you, Brian,
we need to destroy this shit
- before it destroys us.
- Hey...
everybody please whisper, let's...
let's come to the other side.
I have been writing lyrics
professionally since I was 14 years old.
- I don't need to be here.
- Good, then go! Please.
It's safer for everyone
on the deep end!
We have got to finish this album and
we are not gonna do it this way.
Not in these fragments!
Breaking it up
and moving us all around.
The house is bugged.
Okay, Phil Spector
has the house bugged.
He's a violent gangster
and he's angry at me.
Dad is listening
in all the time!
Just whisper, okay?!
- I know what I'm talking about!
- We're not going to whisper, Brian!
Jeez.
Tell him it's over.
You and I are going
to rewrite these songs,
put them together in a normal
album and get on with it.
Just us!
Family first, right?
Okay, right, well...
Now, can we have
a serious meeting now?
I want to do a chanting album.
Okay? No words.
All Hawaiian singing.
And we can turn it into a
children's show for television.
And it'll be
completely unstructured,
and it'll be about animals
and eating right.
Everyone.
I'm worried about you, brother.
I think I might be losing it.
I don't blame you.
There's a lot to lose out there.
It's a lot harder
than I thought it would be.
We just gotta
stick together, brothers.
We just gotta stick together.
It'll all be okay.
Where is everybody?
Did you fire them, too?
They're working
on the new album.
They think they can simplify
what I was doing and release it.
So, uh, to satisfy
the record company.
"Smiley smile."
Your masterpiece.
Cheer up, I got good news.
I sold the publishing rights
to A&M Records.
$750,000.
What?
I sold the rights
to the Beach Boys music.
Got the most I could for it,
not as much as I wanted,
but something.
They're...
our songs. You can't do that.
Anyway, what are you
worried about it?
They're never going to
amount to anything.
You've peaked, Brian.
Look around.
Five years from now no one
is gonna remember you
or the Beach Boys.
What was I supposed to do?!
That's all I got. You fired me!
Your own father.
Now...
maybe we can be a family again.
So, in fact, you're saying
that there should
be a code of ethics
that we abide by. Correct?
Absolutely, and that's what
the entire argument's about.
Dan Rather just wanted
to get to the bottom
of the Iran-Contra situation...
What do you want?
I'm sorry to bother you,
but he wants to see you.
Now.
I have nothing
to say to that man.
I'm not talking
about Dr. Landy.
I'm talking about Brian.
Gene doesn't know I'm here.
Brian sent me.
He needs you, Melinda.
Can I take you to him?
- Hey.
- Hey.
I'm glad you came.
- It's been a while.
- Yeah.
- Hey.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- I'm sorry I couldn't come to see you.
It's been a...
Gene had to give me
a day off, you know?
It's been real, real busy.
He wouldn't let me out.
Well...
It's really hard
making a record.
- You know?
- You don't... you don't look well.
- Are you okay?
- Nuh-uh.
I feel awful.
I fall asleep everywhere I go.
I'm nauseous all the time.
Gene's really a tough
producer, you know?
I mean, I don't really, uh...
know what he wants.
He's really demanding.
And, uh...
I'm, uh... I'm...
I'm signing contracts
all the time and documents.
Making record deals
and I don't know...
I don't know what's ha... I
don't know what's going on.
- You know what I mean?
- Brian, you need...
- you need real care.
- I miss you. I miss my family.
I miss you. I wanna be with you.
You understand?
- I wanna be with you.
- Okay.
- Okay?
- Okay.
But, I, um...
I hear voices.
I hear voices.
- Since when?
- 1963.
- Are you kidding?
- No kidding.
I just didn't tell you 'cause I
didn't want to scare you away.
I'm right here.
- I'm right here.
- I can't live this life anymore.
- Okay.
- It's a hellhole.
- Please.
- Then let's go.
I don't... how?
You and me,
we're gonna walk outta
here right now.
And everything
will change. Okay?
Yeah, that's what I want.
That's what I want.
Great.
If you're ready, I'm ready.
- Yes, I wanna be with you.
- I'm ready.
- Okay.
- Let's... let's go.
All right.
Hey, guys.
Wow, it really sounds like I
missed something here. Huh?
Hey, Brian?
- Brian.
- Listen to me, man.
- No.
- I'm really sorry that you feel like
you live in a hellhole.
I had no idea.
You know, I've really tried to
make you feel comfortable, man.
Why can't I be with her, Gene?!
For the same reason, man, that
you cannot be with anybody.
You're sick.
Look at you, man. You're sick,
but you're gonna get better.
Come into the
control room, please.
- Let's walk out of here.
- Hey, what's it gonna take, Melinda?!
A court order? You really
want to push it that far?
I told you to stay away.
- Come on, let's go.
- If you stray from the program, you lose.
Everything will change.
We'll walk out of here.
- I can't be here.
- You can see your friends and your family
and you can get your life back.
- Brian, please.
- Do you understand?
You asked me here. You
asked me to come here.
If I let you go,
- you're gonna spiral down.
- Well, I'm here!
I came! You'll come with me.
I love you. I love you.
And you're gonna die here.
I'm gonna have to put
you in an institution.
Brian, look at me.
Look at me, stay with me.
Listen...
you need to get back
to your life.
You need to get back
to yourself.
Who you are inside.
Please, baby,
please come with me.
There's no way out.
No way out.
You know I love Brian.
I love him very much,
but with everything
that he's gone through...
it feels a little selfish wanting
to be with him right now.
I do not want to be
one more person in his life
who wants something from him.
So I'm gonna walk away.
But I cannot leave him
in that house with Gene.
I can't.
I can't even think of him there.
Gene is killing Brian.
Gloria, I know you know.
You know better than anyone.
You're seeing it every day.
I need your help.
Dr. Eugene said he's
gonna call immigration
because he knows
I have no papers,
- but I don't care.
- What he is doing to you,
to Brian, he is a monster.
We cannot let this go on.
I just need something. Something
to bring to Brian's family.
Something we can use
against Gene.
Help me.
Brian! Come in here!
I think she just smiled!
Oh, man. Come... come see.
It's her first smile!
She's got your smile.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah, this is it.
They find it in the printer.
It's very lucky.
Very, very lucky.
- S.
- Oh.
Oh, this is it.
Carl Wilson, please.
Carl, hi.
It's Melinda Ledbetter.
I'm fine. Thanks. Listen, I
have some important information
that I need to share with you.
It's about your brother
and Dr. Landy.
Yes. Yes.
It's that way.
Oh, really? Oh, wow.
Her own little office, huh?
Private office. Wow.
Our little girl's really
moving up in the world, huh?
Oh, for Christ's sake!
Don't tell me she's not here.
- Dr. Eugene Landy?
- Yes, what?
You've been served.
Oh, wow.
Oh, you bitch.
Um, do you think
that you've won, Melinda?
Hmm? You know what? I'm gonna
beat this and I'm gonna beat you!
Oh, my God.
You know, this kind of behavior
is so transparent.
It is so sick and manipulative!
Do you really think
that you are so different?
Oh, my God. You...
slut!
Slut!
And what is it?
What are you gonna do?
You're gonna make yourself
believe that you love him?
Is that it?
And that's gonna make you feel
better about yourself, isn't it?
And it's gonna assuage
your filthy little conscience
while you are sucking him dry!
You are robbing him blind!
Well, get in line,
you little bitch!
Open the door!
I know you're in there!
You all right?
I'm fine. Yeah, I'm fine.
So, what are you gonna do now?
I'm gonna go sell some cars.
- You disgust me.
- ...they call you a genius.
- Well, I'm a genius, too.
- Family first.
- You are nothing.
- You stole everything from me.
- You're amazing.
- I want you to see yourself dead.
- You're nothing.
- Listen to me.
I'm the way out.
- You need to get back to your family.
- I'm going to kill you.
- A winner never quits...
- You need to get back to yourself.
- Dad? Dad?
- ...and a quitter never wins.
- You need to get back to you.
- ...such a disappoint... Brian.
- Who you are.
- You disgust me.
- What's wrong with you?
- You need to get back to you.
Brian.
Your dad...
How many times do I have
to tell you this, Brian?
You don't do it all
by yourself, Brian.
You need us as much as
we need you.
Brian, I love you! Get up!
I won't desert you, Brian.
Don't worry.
Brian, I spoke to Carl,
he's gonna get you out of here.
They say I can't
see you anymore, Brian.
You need to find a way
to get back to yourself.
Come find me, Brian.
Hi.
- Hi!
- How are you?
Well, gee, you just
scared me half to death.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
I'm sorry about that.
What are you doing here?
Looking for you.
Well, you look good.
You look really good, too.
Do you think it's a sign?
- What?
- You almost killing me?
I did not almost kill you. You
jumped in front of my car.
- What are you doing here?
- Oh, no, no.
Do you think we could
go out on a date again?
What?
Can we... me and you...
go out on a date?
Gene's gone. Look, I'm alone.
Really.
I got some state-appointed
someone or another
managing all my things and...
Could you at least
drive me home?
Uh...
- Right now?
- Yeah, yeah.
Brian, I...
You know, I have an appointment.
I'm on my way somewhere. I don't
think I can get all the way
- to Malibu right now.
- No, no, I don't live in Malibu anymore.
I'm off the beach for good.
- Really?
- Just... let me get in. Just five minutes.
I wanna show
you something. Okay?
- Let me show you something.
- Okay, getting in my car.
It'll just take a minute. Okay?
It won't take long.
- Okay, where are we going?
- Uh, take a right.
Turn your indicator on.
Yeah, okay, that way.
So you live here now?
I didn't say I wanted you
to take me to where I live.
I said I wanted you
to take me home.
This is where I grew up.
I wanted to show you.
All right, see that street?
119th Street?
- Yes.
- See that street? Do you see it?
Take a left here.
Uh-oh.
- You didn't know?
- Mmm.
You hungry?
You want something to eat?
You want, maybe,
to go for a drive?
Or, maybe we could find
someplace to drive together?
And then what?
Hmm?
Thank you.
Good night, everybody.
Drive safely.
Okay, it'll be at this tempo.
One, two,
one, two, three, four.
One, two...
How far are we going, Brian?
Where we were originally. Uh...
as soon as, uh... let's see...
Count it, please. One,
two, one, two, three.
All right, hold it
for a second, please.
Just rest for one second.
I'll be right out.