Waiting for Hockney

I loved this film. At times it was hard to imagine that this feature length film is really a documentary. The characters are vivid, wild and eccentric. The film centers around Billy Pappas, a young man from a working class family who sets out to create the next new movement in the art world, spending nearly ten years of his young life making one pencil drawn portrait. With a support group that includes an eccentric mentor, a priest and the world's most loving mother, among others, Billy decides that there is only one person who can truly appreciate and validate his creation and that person is the famous artist/painter/photographer/art historian, David Hockney.

So many contemporary and important issues are addressed in this film such as "what is art?", "who can judge the value of art?" and "who can determine if an endeavor is worthwhile?".

The film tells this story beautifully using much more than the usual "talking heads" of many documentaries. The music, archival film and footage of Billy's daily life provides an engaging pace and plenty to keep the viewer actively involved as the story unfolds. I do not want to give away any of the suspense of the film, but suffice to say that I had just the right mix of anticipation and fulfillment that I needed to keep me thoroughly attentive throughout the film.

I was lucky enough to attend a screening of this film in May 2008 at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Why do I say lucky? Well the film's "star", Billy Pappas, attended the screening and he along with the film's director, Julie Checkoway and her producer/brother all answered questions at the end of the screening. It was so much fun to see and hear it.

The documentary follows artist Billy Pappas and his entourage of advocates on a journey to meet with prolific artist David Hockney. For whose opinion Billy anxiously awaits, believing Hockney to be in some capacity the catalyst agent for the sale of the drawing and/or the furtherance of his career.

First time writer, director Julie Checkoway delivers a well constructed film. The palatable soundtrack hints at emotions but leaves you to draw your own conclusions about Billy Pappas, about David Hockney, about art and about life.

Whether you adore or resent the artist, admire or pity him, after viewing the film Waiting for Hockney, you will consider him.