When Billy Broke His Head... and Other Tales of Wonder (1995)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Directors:

Billy Golfus
David E. Simpson

Writer:

Billy Golfus (writer)

Genre:

Documentary | Biography

Plot:

A video first-person road movie about disability, civil rights, and the search for intelligent life after brain damage. |

Plot Keywords:

Brain Damage | Disability | Character Name In Title

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Billy Golfus	...	Himself
Joy Mincey Powell
Ed Roberts	...	Himself

Also Known As:

When Billy Broke His Head (USA) (short title)

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Independent Television Service (ITVS)

Movie Connections:

References Casper (1995)

a great movie, period. a great documentary.

I saw WBBHH sometime in high school around the same time I first saw Roger and Me, and I saw them both within a year on PBS, so I sort of associate them together. Micheal Moore has gone on to obvious national and international fame while Billy Golfus and Dave Simpson it seems have stayed pretty underground. True, Mr. Moore had a 7 year head start. Anyway, this movie is the true story of radio DJ Billy Golfus who has a motorcycle accident, "Good thing I had my helmet in the trunk in case I needed it," and awakes from a coma to find himself partially paralyzed and with brain damage.

From here the documentary takes us on the road visiting various celebrities in the world of the mentally and physically challenge. A woman who is confined to a wheelchair and goes to dance practice and is a professional dancer, a man who lives in an iron lung but gets up each morning to use the internet and work on ways to make the world more accessible to the crippled. A woman who is mentally retard but drives a car and has only had one ticket in 7 years. And (my personal favorite) ... a group of people with disabilities who are fighting for their rights and we see them at a protest at the Illinois State Building in downtown Chicago, blocking the escalators so the businessmen can't get to their offices... While certain businessmen are yelling at them saying that they need to move because he can't get to work... and they are just laying there smiling .... case in point ... that that's exactly the point... people with disabilities aren't able to get to work... because of stairs, buildings without elevators... etc...

The movie has a protest / activist slant to it which I enjoy, and the people and movie as a whole makes some very powerful points about the way we live, what

can happen in a person's life, or our own lives and how we all deal with it....

This movie is perfect for almost anyone... most people probably wont want to deal with the issues the movie presents, but they are presented with humor, intelligence, and courage. ALso this movie would be of interest to people interested in civil liberties, activism, Special Education. people with disabilities, and their friends and allies, law makers, etc....

It is probably not the easiest movie to find but if you do you are in for a treat...