Director: Paul Donovan
Writer: Brian Vallee (book), John Frizzell & Judith Thompson
Release Date: 1994
Genre: Drama
Country: Canada
Language: English
Locations: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Life With Billy (1994)
A story about a wife who starts the story by blasting her drunk, passed-out, husband to Hell with a shotgun. I guess that qualifies as the till death do us part thing. The acting is adequate, but a little uneven, except Stephen McHattie who is convincing as the awful Billy Stafford. This is a true story about a horribly abused wife who kills her tormentor. It is emotionally disturbing, and has inconsistent production quality, but it is also undeniably compelling.
Billy Stafford is killed at the beginning of the movie and the true story of this family is told by flashing back to life in his house for his wife, and children. This is split with telling us about to the life, investigation, and trial, of his wife. There are very disturbing scenes of spousal, and child, abuse, but, thankfully, the horrific tales of sexual abuse are given at the trial and not shown. This guy got what he deserved (Hell, he got better than he deserved!), but will his wife get what she deserves? The mystery here is not who killed Billy, but what will happen to his killer.