Not Quite as Good as the First
Added 9/26/2007
Bill: On His Own is a sequel to the movie Bill about real-life inspiration Bill Sackter. Sackter was a mentally retarded man who was kept in an insane assylum for over forty years before he was released to cope with society. Friend and film maker Anthony Page documented his life in two made for tv films. In the first movie, Bill (Mickey Rooney) found a friend in film maker Barry Morrow (Dennis Quaid). However, in this second movie, Barry moves to California to start a new career, leaving Bill behind to be a "good man" on his own. Bill finds that independence isn't easy, even when he lives with a loving group of people. He finds a potential new friend in student of social work Jenny (Helen Hunt) who pushes Bill to learn to read and count. Her insistance frustrates him and makes him feel like a "low grade man," but her intentions are good.
Rooney is remarkable in his role. One forgets that he is acting, even though he's a familiar face. Hunt is less likable than Quaid's character is, but she represents a common factor when dealing with the mentally disabled. Teresa Wright also appears as Mae, Bill's guardian. Her face will be familiar to classic movie fans for her appearances in films like The Pride of the Yankees and The Best Years of Our Lives.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
MICKEY ROONEY IS SUPER! THIS MOVIE IS THE BEST!
Added 3/10/2005
The Sequel to the Emmy Award Winning movie Bill is so great words cannot even describe. Thankfully I found a very nice gentleman who made me copies of both of these films. What can I say, Mickey Rooney is the best. He is my all time favorite actor. These two movies showcase his almighy talent. He played Bill to perfection. I'm totally amazed how he could take a mentally handicapped man and play him to perfection. The man's talents were so great and yet they were wasted in so many ways after he hit around 30. WHY!!???? Why hollywood? I will despise this about you forever!! Mickey Rooney should have NEVER EVER NEVER been out of work. They man could do anything. Anyway, enough on that....the Bill movies are the best movies I've ever seen. They have changed my life. The character Bill is a sweetheart. He will bless your heart and touch your life. If you love Mickey Rooney or just a great heartwarming, clean, fun family film you will fall in love with Bill. I'm 24 years old and I watched this with one of my 18 year old friends and she just balled her eyes out in several parts of this movie and so did I. You will need a box of tissues. I promise, keep them on hand. On the other hand you may need something to help you stop laughing because some of the movie is hilarious. The movie is worth the price. Thanks Mickey, thanks for playing Bill to perfection, thanks for giving us your great talent to enjoy. I love you!
3 out of 4 people found this helpful.
|
HELLO NANCY! TRYING TO CONTACT YOU!
Added 12/8/2004
Nancy, If you read this review please email me at mickeyrooneyfan@yahoo.com I need to ask some questions about the Bill movies! Is there anyone who could copies these for me? I simply cannot afford to buy them! Please contact me!!!!
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
|
A GEM OF A SEQUEL TO BILL
Added 10/12/2004
Mickey Rooney has done it again, with the same convincing performance he gave in Bill. It helps that the same same actors who portrayed Barry and his wife (I admit I forget her name, but Bill always called her Sweetie) are in the sequel, too, along with a young Helen Hunt (the same actress in the movie Twister, and the television series Mad About You). In this movie, Bill is living in a group home with three others, including one played by Edie McClurg whom I adore. The woman who runs the home has problems throughout the movie, including a charge from the zoning board that she has too many boarders. Hunt plays a college student who needs to do a research project, and decides Bill would make a test case for her. She meets him in his coffee shop and, when he asks her to handle the cash register since he is not able to, she decides to set out to teach him things like using a phone and handling money. Okay, maybe it's predictable that he ends up teaching her, but it's done with the same style I enjoyed in the original that I didn't mind. While Barry and his family aren't in the whole movie, they and Bill are reunited, where it's Bill who teaches Barry, after being fired, that he must learn to be on his own just as Bill did. The movie is charming, non-violent, uplifting, optimistic, and well-acted. What more could a movie viewer ask for?
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Outstanding
Added 6/7/2004
Have looked for this and Bill for years. My kids and I watched it on TV years ago when it originally came out. I would love for my grandchildren to have the opportunity to see it, also.
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
|
