Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks And Brian Wilson Celebrate The Music And DVD Release Of LOVE & MERCY

LOVE & MERCY is one of the best films of 2015. The wonderful film, available on Blu-ray and DVD, features fantastic performances and an impressive score from composer Atticus Ross.

To celebrate the music and DVD release of the film, Brian Wilson performed on Monday night at Vibrato Jazz Grill in Beverly Hills for an intimate crowd where he and his wife, Melinda Wilson, were joined by actors Paul Dano and Elizabeth Banks, who portrayed them in director Bill Pohlad’s musical biopic.

They were joined by about 150 guests consisting of members of the Academy, industry insiders, friends, family members and press.

Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt (THE WALK) and producer Bonnie Arnold were there for the celebration.

Wilson performed an eleven-song set, including his original song from LOVE & MERCY as well as Beach Boys favorites “California Girls” and “Good Vibrations”, and was joined on stage by Paul Dano with the actor singing “You Still Believe in Me.” Wilson ended the night by singing the song “Love & Mercy” to his wife Melinda, as she stood in front of the stage arm-in-arm with Elizabeth Banks.

The critically acclaimed musical biopic about the fascinating life of the Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson, LOVE & MERCY is available on Digital HD and on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD), DVD (plus Digital) and On Demand (September 15) from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.

Golden Globe nominee John Cusack (Best Actor, High Fidelity, 2001) stars in “one of the best performances of his career” (The Hollywood Reporter) alongside Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine, Looper) as troubled musical genius Brian Wilson at two pivotal stages of his life – the 1960s, at the peak of The Beach Boys’ fame and the 1980s, as Brian reclaims his life after a mental breakdown. They are joined by Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games franchise) as Wilson’s present-day wife Melinda, and two-time Golden Globe winner Paul Giamatti (Best Actor, Barney’s Version, 2011; Best Actor, John Adams, 2009).

Love & Mercy is an unconventional portrait of Brian Wilson (portrayed by both John Cusack and Paul Dano), singer and songwriter for The Beach Boys. The film intimately examines the unique journey and ultimate salvation of this musical icon, whose success came at an extraordinary personal cost.

The “emotionally exhilarating” (Hitflix) film is listed on a number of critics “must see” lists, and has been nominated for several awards in 2015, including at the SXSW Film Festival, the Dallas International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival.

Directed by Academy Award-nominated producer Bill Pohlad (Best Picture, The Tree of Life, 2011), LOVE & MERCY bonus material includes two behind-the-scenes featurettes (looking at the production and costume design and also how the personal history of The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson inspired the film), deleted scenes and audio commentary with director/producer Bill Pohlad and executive producer/co-writer Oren Moverman.

Read our interview with composer Atticus Ross here.

Photo Credit: Megan Mack