Door to Door (TV 2002)

A man with cerebral palsy is determined to become a salesman.

Director:

Steven Schachter

Writers:

William H. Macy, Steven Schachter

Stars:

William H. Macy, Kyra Sedgwick, Kathy Baker

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 13 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William H. Macy	...	Bill Porter
Kyra Sedgwick	...	Shelly Soomky Brady
Kathy Baker	...	Gladys Sullivan
Joel Brooks	...	Alan
Woody Jeffreys	...	Brad
Nancy Lenehan
Romy Rosemont
Eric Keenleyside	...	Neighbor Bob
Daryl Shuttleworth
Helen Mirren	...	Mrs. Porter
Bill Dow	...	Chuck
Michael Shanks	...	John
Michael P. Northey	...	Go Away Guy
Laurie Murdoch	...	Older Joey / Reporter
G. Patrick Currie	...	1st Bellman

Storyline

Bill Porter is a cripple, handicapped since birth. His rather wealthy ma drives him around to indulge his ambition to become a door to door salesman. After endless refusals at sight, he is granted a test period on Watkins's worst round, and somehow survives, probably due to his good-mannered helpfulness as much as tireless persistence, becoming a trusted household adviser for lonely people. During his ma's senility ending in death, a Mormon couple helps Bill out, but his pride gets in the way of accepting, leading to a battle of charity.

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Plot Keywords:

salesman | cerebral palsy | gift | ritual | embarrassment | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Turner Network Television

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 July 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

De puerta en puerta

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

TNT Originals, Rosemont Productions International, Angel/Brown Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Shelly is stepping into the shower you can see her brown bathing suit bottoms.

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Quotes

Joey Wallace: I guess this is where I'm supposed to plant my foot, try to keep you from closing the door on me.
Bill Porter: No, don't do that, that never works. I have to go.
[Bill shuts the door on Joey]

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Crazy Credits

Inspired by the true life story of Bill Porter

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Connections

Version of Door to Door (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Holding Back The Years"
Written by Mick Hucknall & Neil Moss
Performed by Simply Red
Courtesy of Warner Music U.K. Ltd.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

William H. Macy is absolutely delightful in this sugar-coated but well-meaning tele-movie.

William H. Macy portrays the adult life of Bill Porter, an inspirational story about a man afflicted with Cerebral Palsy who manages to become a successful door-to-door salesman throughout four decades spanning the sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties.

"DOOR TO DOOR" is a factual-based story about the adventures experienced by Bill Porter as a door-to-door salesman, a man filled with so much admiration, persistence and charm, William H. Macy nails down the role with absolute brilliance.

Unfortunately, "DOOR TO DOOR" is very heavily coated with saccharine sweetness that it almost brushes off as a project that may have been intended for Lifetime, Television for Women. The story-lines involving Porter's customers and how their lives were changed by him are certainly inspiring, but one must also wonder if they actually did happen. I was most certainly intrigued by the story-line involving the separated couple and the butchered tree that marked the perimeter of their property, and the awkward story-line involving the gay couple and an obvious insinuation that one of their friends might have been inflicted with the AIDS virus, something that was never resolved and seemed a little misplaced.

Unlike "FORREST GUMP" which was entirely fictional, I never for a second during that movie wondered if and/or how the situations he got himself into actually happened. Throughout "DOOR TO DOOR", I did wonder a few times if 'this' or 'that' really happened, but regardless, I still enjoyed the movie without being buried under the obvious flaws and cliches.

Kathy Baker portrays a devoted customer who purchases his products even when she has no use for them, while Helen Mirren portrays his endearing mother who is stricken with Alzheimer's Disease and becomes one of the many hurdles Porter must struggle with throughout his difficult life. Kyra Sedgwick was charming as his trusty assistant, the energetic flame of his life that he never got to claim as his own, but probably became the best friend that he ever had.

William H. Macy definitely deserves an Emmy Award for his outstanding performance in this movie. He is just as brilliant on the small screen as he is on the big screen, while most people don't remember that he was once a featured cast member of the hit television series "E.R.".

"DOOR TO DOOR" is a truly inspirational story and highly recommended for those who are sick of all those movies about things getting blown up or people getting peppered with bullets. A welcome change indeed!

My Rating - 8 out of 10