Porta a porta

The hardest part for me was getting through each sucessive turmoil in the main characters life. If this doesn't make you see how much you take for granted then nothing will. Bill Porter is a story that's worth telling and done so in a manner that was entirely compelling. Not only was the flick a tear jerker but a real valuable lesson on why people need to be given respect no matter how hard they may have it in life. Respect is most definitely the most important part of a person's life. Persistence in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds make's the challenge all the more rewarding.

You know there's a bunch of talk nowadays about how decadent a culture we have become and how the liberalism of the 60's was a failure. I find the fact that some people really came to like and trust such a decent man as Bill Porter a reflection on the good that does come when people care just as much about their community as they do themselves. No matter who they are or how wrong they may seem in the eyes of society they respected Bill. We live in a world where the only concern has become preservation of wealth, while in many respects preservation of community and peace has slipped by the wayside. This movie in many ways is a wake up call to care for one another, to love thy neighbor and give people the chance to succeed.

This movie reminds us of the things that truly matter in life, such as empathy,respect, patience and humor. Sometimes we all need to think like Bill Porter and put our best foot forward even in the face of ignorance and suffering. It's not so much a question of doing good only for reward but of doing something/anything rather then quitting when odds are that you will lose the fight. Not giving in to that feeling is what makes "Door to Door" such an incredible success for anybody that cares to listen to the messege of the film. In forcing yourself to see the world through Bill's eyes you grow to respect him as a individual person that in his mind is not disabled in anyway not just because he thinks so but because he does so by lifting everyone he encounters in his life up to his altitude. Attitude is 95% of the battle and Bill proves himself a winner in life by winning that battle despite a course that is fraught with obstacles that you or me may never encounter. Thank you Bill Porter.

I've always been suspicious of TV-only productions and TV-driven directors. "Door to Door", however, was a refreshing change in the sea of boredom and mediocrity latest TV productions have used us to.

It was a true delight to watch William H. Macy playing the salesman Bill Porter. We revisit generations from the 60s to the 90s -btw, great music selection - led by this guy who sells door to door. Helen Mirren who was recently in Gosford Park is great. Kathy Baker, the nurse in "The Cider House Rules" is fantastic. Both are short but great parts!

This movie is a must!

William H. Macy portrays the adult life of Bill Porter, an inspirational story about a man afflicted with Cerebral Palsy who manages to become a successful door-to-door salesman throughout four decades spanning the sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties.

"DOOR TO DOOR" is a factual-based story about the adventures experienced by Bill Porter as a door-to-door salesman, a man filled with so much admiration, persistence and charm, William H. Macy nails down the role with absolute brilliance.

Unfortunately, "DOOR TO DOOR" is very heavily coated with saccharine sweetness that it almost brushes off as a project that may have been intended for Lifetime, Television for Women. The story-lines involving Porter's customers and how their lives were changed by him are certainly inspiring, but one must also wonder if they actually did happen. I was most certainly intrigued by the story-line involving the separated couple and the butchered tree that marked the perimeter of their property, and the awkward story-line involving the gay couple and an obvious insinuation that one of their friends might have been inflicted with the AIDS virus, something that was never resolved and seemed a little misplaced.

Unlike "FORREST GUMP" which was entirely fictional, I never for a second during that movie wondered if and/or how the situations he got himself into actually happened. Throughout "DOOR TO DOOR", I did wonder a few times if 'this' or 'that' really happened, but regardless, I still enjoyed the movie without being buried under the obvious flaws and cliches.

Kathy Baker portrays a devoted customer who purchases his products even when she has no use for them, while Helen Mirren portrays his endearing mother who is stricken with Alzheimer's Disease and becomes one of the many hurdles Porter must struggle with throughout his difficult life. Kyra Sedgwick was charming as his trusty assistant, the energetic flame of his life that he never got to claim as his own, but probably became the best friend that he ever had.

William H. Macy definitely deserves an Emmy Award for his outstanding performance in this movie. He is just as brilliant on the small screen as he is on the big screen, while most people don't remember that he was once a featured cast member of the hit television series "E.R.".

"DOOR TO DOOR" is a truly inspirational story and highly recommended for those who are sick of all those movies about things getting blown up or people getting peppered with bullets. A welcome change indeed!

My Rating - 8 out of 10

The problem with attempting to review this type of story is that we are not given much room for an opinion. How do we critique the representation of a character who started out with a debilitating disorder, and did everything he could to overcome his limitations? In a film such as "I Am Sam" we can draw attention to the flaws in its premise, but the premise of this story is entirely believable. So all one can do is give it praise or question whether there is a message that follows logically from that basis. We are presented with the life of Bill Porter, whose accident of birth left him with cerebral palsy at a time in history when such persons were typically institutionalized. But Bill had a mother who believed in him until he believed in himself. As a result, and against all odds, he became a door-to-door salesman for products now more conventionally available at the grocery store.

In these days of 800 numbers, the Internet and megaplex shopping centers, it is hard to imagine a day when the door to door salesman met the needs of the neighborhood personally. To a certain extent, this story is as much about that phenomenon as the life of Bill Porter. We see him finding a place in the lives of his customers, fulfilling a role not unlike that of a minister or psychologist, a person who quietly and tactfully linked people together, listened to their concerns, and helped to heal their wounds. At the same time, we see Bill as an all too real human being, himself, disabled not only physically, but emotionally. The deep sense of pride that drives him on also blocks him from experiencing a relationship of his own. It is a very moving and personal story, respectful and ennobling. It needs no other message.

Based on the true story of Bill Porter, this movie showcases a rarity: An admirable man. Movies today are so full of meanness, of violence, of generally nasty people, that this small movie about a man who insisted on earning his own way in life just shines like a beacon. William H. Macy's performance is award caliber. Actually everyone in the film is believable, and most are likeable and all are interesting. Even though I saw this great movie on a Ted Turner cable channel, I loved it, and recommend it to everyone. In fact, as a thank you, I rushed out the next day to buy the sponsor's product, elastic bandages. Johnson & Johnson really deserve our gratitude for presenting this marvelous story of a man who refused to accept anyone else's lack of belief in him. Bill Porter is a hero for modern America; this movie is inspiring.