At number 76 on the BFI's Top 100, this Criterion DVD is a gem with commentary by three then-living members of the original project: John Schlesinger, Tom Courtenay, and Julie Christie. Set in an industrial North-of-London location, it easily fits among the Kitchen Sink Realism films. In the DVD commentary, Courtenay says that, when released, the film was loved by the Italians and generally ignored by Americans as being an English black-and-white version of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. The similarity of the daydreaming-hero-of-his-own-imagination is an understandable connection between the two stories. However, this is a far superior as a film—and it is even better than James Thurber's short story--especially if you are able to understand the inside-jokes of the British humor, which we Americans surely didn't.
If, like me, you have only seen Tom Courtenay as the stoically determined and grime juvenile delinquent of Tony Richardson's The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, you will be pleasantly surprised by his wacky humorous side here. Also, even though Julie Christie only makes a brief appearance in this film, it may have represented a breakthrough role for the very successful career that she was to have, including three more joint ventures with John Schlesinger.
The title character, Billy Fisher (Tom Courtenay), lives with his parents (Wilfred Pickles and Mona Washbourne) and grandmother (Ethel Griffies) in a boring North England town. He works as a low-level clerk at a funeral home and dreams of being a scriptwriter for a London radio comedian. Thinking that a polite form letter meant that he is hired as the scriptwriter, he is ready to quit his job and strike out on his own in London.
However, before leaving, he has a few things to take care of. He has to break up with BOTH of his fiancées—the no nonsense blond, Rita (Gwendolyn Watts), and the sweet and trusting brunet, Barbara (Helen Fraser). Also, he has to explain to his boss why he 'forgot' to send out the funeral parlor's annual calendars as well as what he did with the postage money that he was given to send them out.
Billy has a wild imagination and constantly daydreams about being the great leader, hero, inventor, business magnate or whatever of his imagined country of Ambrosia, a country where heroes are always losing their right limbs for some reason (?). BUT, in his real life, his job is a bore, his family is a drag, his friends know he is a liar and as he says to Barbara, 'You know I TEND to ex-a-ggerate a bit ..at times' (as he describes their future idyllic life together---with little Billy and little Barbara).
One of the many black humor moments of the film is the scene in which he takes Barbara on a quiet date to the cemetery where the two walk around and read the tombstones. He seems to be stuck, dreaming away his boring life, until a Liz (Julie Christie) comes bouncing into town and into his life. Her answers to his dilemmas seem surprisingly simple: 'Billy, if you want to go to London, GO to London.' When Billy asks her if she would like to be his fiancée, she says, 'No, I want to be your wife.' But, before Billy can go anywhere or do anything, he has to overcome his lifelong habits and inertia and make some sort of REAL move?
This film wonderfully weaves back and forth between Billy's vivid comical daydreams and his equally comical real life. Both are full of fun, imaginative creation, and roaring entertainment.
If, like me, you have only seen Tom Courtenay as the stoically determined and grime juvenile delinquent of Tony Richardson's The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, you will be pleasantly surprised by his wacky humorous side here. Also, even though Julie Christie only makes a brief appearance in this film, it may have represented a breakthrough role for the very successful career that she was to have, including three more joint ventures with John Schlesinger.
The title character, Billy Fisher (Tom Courtenay), lives with his parents (Wilfred Pickles and Mona Washbourne) and grandmother (Ethel Griffies) in a boring North England town. He works as a low-level clerk at a funeral home and dreams of being a scriptwriter for a London radio comedian. Thinking that a polite form letter meant that he is hired as the scriptwriter, he is ready to quit his job and strike out on his own in London.
However, before leaving, he has a few things to take care of. He has to break up with BOTH of his fiancées—the no nonsense blond, Rita (Gwendolyn Watts), and the sweet and trusting brunet, Barbara (Helen Fraser). Also, he has to explain to his boss why he 'forgot' to send out the funeral parlor's annual calendars as well as what he did with the postage money that he was given to send them out.
Billy has a wild imagination and constantly daydreams about being the great leader, hero, inventor, business magnate or whatever of his imagined country of Ambrosia, a country where heroes are always losing their right limbs for some reason (?). BUT, in his real life, his job is a bore, his family is a drag, his friends know he is a liar and as he says to Barbara, 'You know I TEND to ex-a-ggerate a bit ..at times' (as he describes their future idyllic life together---with little Billy and little Barbara).
One of the many black humor moments of the film is the scene in which he takes Barbara on a quiet date to the cemetery where the two walk around and read the tombstones. He seems to be stuck, dreaming away his boring life, until a Liz (Julie Christie) comes bouncing into town and into his life. Her answers to his dilemmas seem surprisingly simple: 'Billy, if you want to go to London, GO to London.' When Billy asks her if she would like to be his fiancée, she says, 'No, I want to be your wife.' But, before Billy can go anywhere or do anything, he has to overcome his lifelong habits and inertia and make some sort of REAL move?
This film wonderfully weaves back and forth between Billy's vivid comical daydreams and his equally comical real life. Both are full of fun, imaginative creation, and roaring entertainment.