Billy Liar

Although Billy Liar, a 1963 film by John Schlesinger, is ostensibly comic in tone, underlying is a very deep sense of melancholy, and I related to it in very painful ways. It tells the story of a young man who fantasizes about a better life, but when it comes down to it lacks the nerve to take a chance.

Tom Courtenay is Billy Fisher, in his early twenties and living at home with his parents and a granny. He works in a funeral parlor for a supercilious boss, but isn't exactly the employee of the month. He was supposed to mail out hundreds of calendars, but took the postage money and spent it while hiding the calendars in his room, and now he has to dispose of them.

Billy is also engaged to two women. One is a kind of drab but respectable girl, the other a tough-talking waitress. But Billy is really in love with Liz (Julie Christie, in one of her first film roles).

The plot is driven by a letter he receives from a famous comedian. Billy had sent him some of his scripts, and received a response telling him to stop by his office in London. What was basically a polite brush off is interpreted as a job offer, and Billy tells everyone he's going to London, even quitting his job, though the boss won't let him quit until the matter of the calendars is reconciled. He tries to keep his girlfriends apart, as one girl has the engagement ring and he tells the other one it's at the jewelers being repaired. His father becomes increasingly fed up with him, and Billy escapes to an imaginary country where he is both conquering general and ruler.

Some of this is very funny and will be recognizable to anyone who wanted to kick the dust of their one-horse town off their shoes and make it in the big city. But deep down, Billy is afraid, and when Christie gives him his chance at freedom, well, I won't spoil it but it's kind of heartbreaking. His scenes with her have the painful ring of truth. She says just get on a train and go to London, but he makes excuses, such as things have to be arranged, etc. Some people make so many excuses that they miss out on their big chance.

As usual, the film is shot in dismal gray, representing Billy's state of mind. A higher budget might have shot his fantasies in color. The script was adapted from a novel by Keith Waterhouse, which became a play. It has also been a stage musical and a TV series.