Brian Wilson's vision for the Beach Boys went far beyond the band's tried and true formula of sun, sand and surf. When Wilson pushed for a new sound during the Pet Sounds sessions — the band's 11th record that's regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time — fellow band member Mike Love pushed back. "Everybody thinks of Mike as a villain, but I never saw him that way," says Canton native Jake Abel, who portrays the flamboyant vocalist in Love & Mercy, in theaters June 5. "Mike was only fighting for the longevity of the band."
Love & Mercy is director Bill Pohlad's critically acclaimed take on Wilson's life, including the tumultuous relationship with his cousin, Love. "Mike was a businessman, and he knew the [Beach Boys] brand," says Abel, who has appeared on Cold Case, ER and Grey's Anatomy as well as the 2013 film The Host. "During Pet Sounds, Mike didn't understand how the music was going to be different. I thought he had some very valid arguments. But Brian wasn't wrong either."
The movie toggles between two distinct eras in Wilson's life — the '60s when he begins to lose touch with reality and the '80s when his deteriorated mental state requires the around-the-clock watch of a therapist. Abel plays a younger version of Love in the '60s alongside Paul Dano as a youthful Wilson, while the '80s version of Wilson is played by John Cusack with Paul Giamatti as his doctor and Elizabeth Banks as his second wife.
"It's definitely the coolest movie I've ever made," Abel says. "Paul really nailed the young Brian. The studio scenes where the band got worked up were wonderfully chaotic. We were given the freedom to improvise."
Abel did not interact with Love prior to the film but studied hours of videos of Love, who won a 1994 lawsuit to have his songwriting credits restored on several of the band's early hits. "Any time you play a real person, you feel like you owe something to them," he says. "Mike has a very specific physicality and way of speaking, and I really wanted to get it right."
But the actor and musician did meet one Beach Boy. Abel, who plays guitar in the band the Mumblers, sang onstage with Wilson at the film's wrap party.
"Doing this movie gave me a deeper appreciation for the Beach Boys," Abel says. "There was a lot more going on underneath their image."
