Description: Based on a 1967 hit song. A seventeen-year-old boy is seduced into a homosexual act. His guilt over the incident drives him to commit suicide by jumping off the Tallahatchie Bridge, leaving his girlfriend behind.
The truth about Ode To Billy Joe I had the good fortune of being an extra in this movie, and I went to school with Bobbie Gentry's two sisters, knew her grandparents and have met Bobbie on more than one occasion. The song was fiction, as was the movie. It was not a true story as many people have said. It's a haunting movie, with good performances, especially Robby. I enjoyed working with him on this movie for over a week and watching him as a professional. I have always felt he was an underrated actor, and he has gone on to be quite successful as a director. When we made the movie, we never thought it would have such a long life, but it has. It lives on, and I think that is a testament to the good performances and Bobbie's wonderful song.
Just the Facts, Ma'am Bobbie Gentry has stated that the song was inspired by an actual suicide that happened in 1953 but that she did not know why the real Billy Joe had killed himself. We may never know the "true" story
1) An ex-husband stated he once asked her about the song and she wouldn't discuss the details of it with him.
2) It's quite possible that Miss Gentry herself didn't concern herself with motivation when she wrote the song and has never put together a backstory about it..after all, after foty years, she is probably sick of being asked about the song.
Good movie but... why do so many reviewers find it necessary to reveal the big secret? I hate you all.
Take a tip from professional movie critics who can pass judgment on the quality of the film without blowing the ending for those who haven't seen it yet.
Simply Heartbreaking I saw this movie one night on CMT but I only caught about the last 45 minutes of it. Even with just watching that small part of the movie, I instantly fell in love with it. I am a girl, but unlike most girls, there are few movoes that make me cry or leave me with an amazing feeling. This movie is among the few that pulled some emotion out of me. I saw the book on this site and I knew I had to get it! I want to get the movie now, however, I think the price is a little steep for this movie being 30 years old.
This movie is a love story that is not normal. Most movies end up with the couple living happily ever after but this one doesn't. I don't belive that Billy Joe was a homosexual. I simply think he was drunk and made a mistake. He knows that since he was with a man, he cannot be with Bobbie Lee, even though he truely loves her. This movie was absolutely amazing and I enjoyed watching every single second of it. The actors did an amazing job because I felt like I could actually feel the love that these actors were portraying. I highly recommend this.
Where's The Complete Version? When I saw this movie for the first time, I seem to remember that during the jamboree scene there is a shot of Billy Joe and his boss gazing into each others eyes, embracing, and dropping out of range of the camera. The VHS doesn't include this scene and neither does the cut I saw on CMT tonight. This was an important shot because it allowed the viewer to know exactly why Billy Joe was so tormented instead of making us wait and find out at the same time Bobbie Lee did. Without this scene, the viewer is left with the incorrect assumption that the Yazoo City hooker we see tempting Billy Joe in the mill is actually a man! In this edited version, we don't know the truth until the end when Billy Joe's boss confesses to Bobbie Lee on the bridge.
I think this is a great movie, the language reminds me of the way my relatives in the south talk, and everbody is sweating all the time so you can almost feel the oppressive heat. The cast is excellent. I would give this movie five stars, but not until an unedited version is released. And I'm not sure that's gonna happen anytime soon.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
