Bill (1981) (TV)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Anthony Page

Writers:

Barry Morrow (story)
Corey Blechman (teleplay)

Release Date:

22 December 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

A heartwarming true story.

Plot:

Bill a retarded man ventures out into the world for the first time. Having spent most of his life in a dreary inner city Institution...

Plot Keywords:

Iowa | Mental Retardation | Based On True Story | Character Name In Title

Awards:

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Mickey Rooney	...	Bill Sackter
Dennis Quaid	...	Barry Morrow
Largo Woodruff	...	Bev Morrow
Anna Maria Horsford	...	Ms. Marge Keating, County welfare worker
Harry Goz	...	Dr. Tom Walz
Kathleen Maguire	...	Mrs. Florence Archer, Preschool teacher
William J. Daprato	...	Ray, Granville Patient
Raymond Serra	...	Harry, Bill's boss at country club (as Ray Serra)
Jenny Rebecca Dweir	...	Amy Hill, Little girl befriended by Bill at Preschool (as Jenny Dweir)
Breon Gorman	...	Children's Teacher
George Hamlin	...	Mr. Robert Morrow
Katharine Balfour	...	Mrs. Morrow (as Katherine Balfour)
Cordis Heard	...	Arlene
Harriet Rogers	...	Mae, Bill's Landlady
Lotte Palfi Andor	...	Ida Miller (as Lotta Palfi-Andor)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

College of Mount Saint Vincent, Riverdale, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Alan Landsburg Productions

Movie Connections:

Followed by Bill: On His Own (1983) (TV)

Quite funny.

i remember this movie well. first off, it really is a good story, and a true story at that. i think a documentary would have served the real Bill Sackter a little better. apparently this may happen yet. as far as Mickey Rooney goes, you really believe he is retarded. a good performance, and to his credit he did this before it was all the rage for actors to play retarded people. it seems this is the true test of an actor these days, from an "i really want an award" stand point anyway. it seems to be that last ditch effort for the self consumed actor (ie Sean Penn.) as a juvinile i watched this movie and really enjoyed it for the heartwarming/goody feely qualities it evokes, but i also thought that Rooney as Bill was hilarious. the bad hair piece, the harmonica, and the strained old man voice saying "i'm a regular good man buddy" was hilarious. me and my friends were saying that stuff for weeks cracking each other up. the sequal "Bill: On His Own" is even better as we have a host of actors playing retarded people, most notably Edie McClurg as one of Bill's house mates. so if you like a movie that warms the heart and makes you feel good, that gives you hope and makes you think "wow, if Bill can make it so can I!", or if you think actors playing mentals is ridiculous and funny, this is the movie for you. tell me Rain Man wasn't funny as hell (written by barry marlow, the real life friend and caretaker of Bill Sackter.)

also see: My Left Foot, Forrest Gump, I Am Sam, Charlie, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Other Sister