2007, USA
Documentary, Drama, Family, Romance
Casting director Jennifer Venditti had been itching to get behind the camera, looking for the Great American Film where she could leave her mark. When this bolt of lightning failed to hit, she decided to do a quickie film with her cinematographer friend, Donald Cumming, just to scratch the itch. They returned to a small town in Maine where she had done some casting, and there she was reunited with Billy Price. The documentary Billy the Kid was born.
Billy's a 15-year-old with Asperger syndrome, which is an autism disorder. It becomes obvious that something is a little off kilter, from his tics to his flighty conversations. But his condition is not addressed in the film; the term is never mentioned. Instead, Venditti focuses on a week in the life of Billy the teenager, an extremely eager boy who sees no reason why he should not be in discussion with everyone around him. His condition may prevent him from fully understanding when he is being ignored or disrespected, but that in turn opens a door that he desperately tries to enter. Ultimately, he finds the key that grants him a conversation and a new friend.
Billy is impressive; he has more chutzpah than many adults. In the film, he woos and wins (and loses) his first girlfriend in record time, but always acts the gentleman, saying just the right thing with all of the right intentions. Venditti was correct to avoid any educational aspect of the film, as this is a human film. Billy is perfectly endearing and his emotional experiences identifiable.
Billy's mother, Penny, is a remarkable woman who has certainly made an impression on her vulnerable son. It is evident in his words, which though molded from his own experiences are obviously the result of a careful education from both mother and books. The two are a fantastic illustration for not judging a book by its cover. One could jump to conclusions based on his subtle oddities and her heavy metal t-shirts and double-wide home. But as she gently encourages him to slow things down with his sudden girlfriend in between discussions of impressionist painters, it is obvious that he has been given a gift through her guidance. All this from a woman who was initially told to lock him away in an institution.
Billy the Kid is simply told with a tight focus in a narrow time frame, and yet the film is an inspiration to better learn about the strangers who surround us. When Venditti first met Billy he was sitting alone in the cafeteria, and after speaking with him she thought, "Why isn't everyone sitting at your table?" This film provides motivation to take that leap.