Directed by Bill Pohlad in 2014, this American biopic delves into the life of Brian Willson---the Beach Boys' co-founder and leader who struggles with mental illness during the 1960s and 1980s.
You can see the scenes that closely recreated Wilson's studio recording methods during the making of Pet Sounds (1966).
If you're a Beach Boys' fan, this is a must-see.

Rated 5/10. I found this to be an interesting story, as opposed to an "amazing" one, which was the way it was described on the DVD cover.

The acting was nothing special, other than the role Elizabeth Banks played. She was great!

Another good "music movie" that satisfies my desire to simultaneously enjoy a good movie and be exposed on a deeper level to music or a musician that was perhaps before my time or I didn't know much about. I found the scenes with the "young Brian" were compelling, fascinating, and interesting (esp as a music-lover) and the arc with the "old Brian" were good as well as we face issues of corruption and post-career hopes and dreams.

I appreciated and enjoyed the sympathy, love, and compassion shown by the female lead to the aging Brian.

From the books, magazines, newspaper articles, and discussions in other movies and documentaries I know on the history of The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson, this is accurate, though I agree with others, sort of underwhelming, even if it touches on all the main points.
The Bonus Features are pretty good.
John Cusack and Paul Dano portrayed Brian Wilson (as old and young) excellently.
Paul Giamatti did a great job as the manipulative psychiatrist that held power over Brian for years.

It was alright but nothing special! I never knew Brian Wilson had such trouble!!

Paul Dano (Brian Wilson) didn’t give me a convincing performance. He seemed lost and simple. His cousin was a gothic drag. I appreciate the musical genius that they tried to convey. Interesting to see how his music came about and his background. I think I wanted more of a biopic than a Hollywood reenactment. Still not sure what Brian Wilson’s diagnosis is: Schizophrenia? Autism? Paranoid? Scared of his creepy dad? Too many anti-psychotic drugs? I am confused why we let our musical genius’s, i.e. Elvis, Brian Wilson, Prince, Michael Jackson, etc., be treated by quack doctors. Don’t get that.

The movie is a gem. Life and times of Brian Wilson. Paul Dano could've played Brian Wilson from young to old without any problems but John Cusak did a pretty nice job too. Paul Giamatti as Eugene Landy and Elizabeth Banks as Melinda gave very strong performances.

This is a good film about the chief songwriter for the Beach Boys- Brian Wilson. It follows him at the apex of his abilities as a songwriter, to the period later in his life when he struggled with mental problems. Both Paul Dano and John Cusack give good performances as Wilson.

I've always loved the music of the Beach Boys, but wasn't aware of their personal lives, especially that of Brian Wilson. So heartbreaking, yet successful in spite of it all. You'll never listen to their music the same way again.

This well-meaning, but so-so biopic of head Beach Boy Brian Wilson (Or beach man as he once insisted to his overbearing father.) tries to tell two distinct stories, one about his brilliant work in the 60s, in which he's played by Paul Dano, and one about the woman (Elizabeth Banks) who saves him from his manipulative, malicious shrink (Paul Giamatti). In the this story he's played by John Cusack, who looks nothing like Wilson. There are good moments (especially when Wilson is working) and the acting is good, but it's uneven and tries to cover too much material. I actually would have preferred a straight documentary. For more about Wilson's mental health issues and musical genius, there's Peter Ames Carlin's book "Catch a Wave." God only knows if this movie could've been better.