Bill: On His Own (1983)

“Jenny, you gotta do your best. That’s a rule.” – Bill

Number of Times Seen – 1 (2 Sep 2018)

Brief Synopsis – Continues the story of a mentally challenged man who must find a way to live on his own after his best friend and caretakers moves away.

My Take on it – This is a film that I was quite interested in seeing after seeing how great a job Mickey Rooney did with the character in the first film Bill (1981) that earned him numerous awards.

He is able to once again show how talented an actor he can be by taking on such a challenging role once again and making it feel authentic the entire time.

The story moves along really well and they are able to expand on the original idea by giving this character some new and adventurous experiences as he tries to learn to fend for himself.

Helen Hunt does a great job in one of her earliest roles as she tries to find ways to help Rooney’s character improve his life and the way that he lives.

IT was also nice to see Dennis Quaid return for a few scenes because it allows for the feeling of continuity between the two films that wants to keep reminding us of the connections that these characters make are not short term ones but ones that can last quite a long time.

Once again, the fact that this story is based on a real person and on the events of his life help make things even more interesting and enjoyable to watch unfold.

Bottom Line – Rooney does a great job reprising his role and shows once again how talented an actor he can be with this challenging role. The story moves into new territory and is able to expand on the idea of how such a mentally challenged man got to be in the situations that he finds himself in and what kind of new changes and adventures are in store for him in the future. Great to see Hunt do a fine job in an early role for her and I liked the way they bring Quaid back for a few scenes which helps with the continuity of the story. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Rooney was nominated for a second time for an Emmy for this role, yet failed to win this time (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (7/10)

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