The latest Disney+ documentary, “The Beach Boys,” offers a fresh perspective on the iconic band, diverging from the usual focus on Brian Wilson’s troubled genius. This documentary gives equal attention to all band members, including Dennis and Carl Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, and various guest players. The film provides a rich context of what The Beach Boys meant to their era and the musicians who followed, thanks to a wealth of carefully selected archival footage and contemporary interviews with artists like Janelle Monae and Ryan Tedder of One Republic.
The documentary flows smoothly, much like a classic Beach Boys song, with numerous tracks expertly placed throughout. Editors Jake Hostetter and Robert A. Martinez faced the monumental task of sifting through decades of archival material and hours of new interviews to tell the band’s story clearly and concisely. Their goal was to broaden the perspective of The Beach Boys’ influence on popular culture, not just within the band.
Hostetter and Martinez began their work from an outline by writer Mark Monroe, which set the general trajectory directors Frank Marshall and Thom Zimny intended to follow. However, the film evolved as new interviews were conducted, creating new avenues for exploration. Hostetter initially used archival interviews as placeholders to establish the documentary’s structure, which helped guide the directors in asking more pointed questions during new interviews.
Introducing the various band members was a complex task, given the numerous musicians who came and went. The early scenes of the film are tailored to distinguish between the band members, using an abundance of footage to create visual variety. A simple yet effective method was employed to keep track of who was in and out of the band at any given moment: a photo of the band was repeatedly shown, with the edge torn off to remove departing members and replaced with pictures of new additions.
The documentary reveals that The Beach Boys essentially functioned as two bands: the touring band and the studio band. This dual narrative structure allowed the editors to take breaks from focusing solely on Brian Wilson, ensuring the documentary remained about the entire band. The biggest challenge was the scope of the project, as not everything could be included. The editors had to decide on the story they wanted to tell.
One of the guiding principles was to convey the energy and infectiousness of The Beach Boys to a new generation. The editors had access to raw takes and stems from various Beach Boys recordings, which they used to create a world that brought the music to life. For Hostetter, playing with the raw takes in the edit was the greatest pleasure of the project.
“The Beach Boys” is now streaming on Disney+, offering a comprehensive look at the band that goes beyond the usual focus on Brian Wilson. The documentary is a testament to the meticulous work of its editors and the wealth of archival footage and interviews that bring the band’s story to life.
