This film is about having dreams, developing your own passions, and learning to be yourself. Billy faces many obstacles to living his dream, but he is supported by his mother’s advice to “always be yourself.” It is also a film about a parent’s love for his child and his willingness to sacrifice himself for his child’s future.
To prepare for your viewing of the film, you are to answer one of the questions below. Your answers should be focused, detailed (let us know as much as you can!) and organized. Each piece should be about 300-500 words. Bring the hard copy to class.
1. Think about a time in your own life when you devoted yourself to learning something. Write about what motivated you, how you showed your devotion, and what you felt (or still feel) about the time you spent so devoted to one activity.
2. Write about a time when your desire for something came into conflict with your parents. What was the basis of the conflict? How did the conflict develop? Was the conflict resolved? How? What happened to your relationship with your parents because of the conflict?
3. Every family has qualities or ideas which it thinks are important. Sometimes these values are explicit in a family; sometimes these values are implied or unspoken. Whatever the value is, a family expresses or shows that value by what it does or says and by what it does not do or does not say. As a young person grows up, s/he may come into conflict with the values of her/his parents. Write about one value which is important to your family and explain how and why your family expresses it. Then explain whether you accept or reject that value, why you accept or reject it, and how you express your feeling.