251 – Love and Mercy (with Taylor Cole!)

What this episode covers

Are you loving our new original intro music, listeners? We’re joined this week by its composer and our friend Taylor Cole to muse on the genre musical biopic with 2015’s Love and Mercy. The film follows different chapters of Brian Wilson’s life and mental wellness journey, with Paul Dano taking on Wilson’s life as he experimented with The Beach Boys’ sound and John Cusack as the later Wilson. After a debut at the 2014 TIFF, the film launched in the summer to positive reviews and a slew of precursor nominations for Dano. But much like the Academy voted with The Fablemans this past year, Dano was left out at the last moment. This episode, we discuss how the film’s structure appropriately tells Wilson’s story while creatively twisting the standard biopic framework. We also discuss Elizabeth Banks’ performance headlining the later portions of the film, divisive feelings about Dano’s earlier performances, and 2015 Best Supporting Actor. Topics also include Cusack strike tweeting, presenting Chicago to Social Studies class, and our relationships with the music of The Beach Boys. Don’t forget to subscribe to our Patreon, This Had Oscar Buzz: Turbulent Brilliance, over at patreon.com/thishadoscarbuzz!! Follow Us on Twitter!@Had_Oscar_BuzzJoe: @joereidChris: @chrisvfeilTaylor: @TaylorSCole