Bill, an intellectually disabled man, ventures out into the world for the first time, having spent most of his life in a dreary inner city institution. He is taken in by a kind family and learns what it means to love and be loved for the first time in his life.
Acting
Mickey Rooney's raw, vanity-free transformation.
Writing
Barry Morrow's script from real friendship.
Director
Anthony Page
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Mickey Rooney took the role for scale after decades of B-movies; it won him a Golden Globe and an Emmy for the sequel.
This film helped shift 1980s portrayals of intellectual disability—Bill is never pitied, only fully human.
US
