Directed By: Cullen Douglas
Starring: Billy Flanigan
Plot Summary: The inspiring journey of Walt Disney World legend Billy Flanigan from his daunted childhood to a life free of fear, shame, and secrets all while brightening lives – one Flanigram at a time.
There is no doubt that the COVID-pandemic changed the world forever. People started working from home and schools were shut down. This, of course, included closing the happiest place on Earth, Disney World. In the history of the theme park, it only shut down one other time for an earthquake. During the height of the very bleak and uncertain times of the pandemic, a ray of sunshine beamed bright. It came by way of Billy Flanigan, riding his bike and delivering his friends and fellow performers singing telegrams. The aforementioned musical message was later affectionately dubbed Flanigrams. Director Cullen Douglas takes a step into the magical world of Billy Flanigan who, through radical acts of kindness, has inspired countless people.
Among his peers, Billy Flanigan is considered a living legend. Thanks to Cullen Douglas’s eye-opening film, the world can finally hear Billy Flanigan’s incredible story. What makes this film so compelling is of course its subject. He is a larger-than-life person akin to the colorful cartoon characters he has portrayed in his shows. As Billy talks about his passions, he almost literally beams with joy on screen. This makes it easy to be completely pulled in and engaged with his journey.
Not only is Flanigan super engaging and charismatic, but you never get the sense that he is being fake. Flanigan is able to allow himself to be raw and candid for the camera without inhibition. His struggles include being bullied, coming out of the closet and how this affected his marriage and relationship with his kids. Outside of home videos and photos, wonderfully rendered artwork helps bring this story vividly to life. It is vital that Queer people, especially younger ones, hear stories like Billy’s. It helps bring home the fact that you can still thrive and find happiness being your authentic self. The most touching moment comes when the performer says that he used the pain he was inflicted, and instead of letting it beat him down, he transformed it into something beautiful.
Upon reaching out to Cullen Douglas for a statement on his film, he replied, “The entire film was made during lockdown, meaning I have yet to share physical space with any of my crew; everything was done over the internet, from editing to scoring the film. Like Billy, I too was bullied growing up. When choosing teams for kickball, they would pick kids who were absent before they would pick me. I’m kidding, but the truth is, Billy and I both found comfort in making them laugh, in entertaining our bullies.” In closing he added, “Good films spur conversation, which in turn can lead to understanding, acceptance, and maybe even change. If this film can start a conversation, then I would like to think I’m not only doing my job as a filmmaker but as a human.”
Billy Flanigan: The Happiest Man on Earth may not be the most groundbreaking story, but its subject is spellbinding. It is wonderful how in recent years we’ve been finally hearing from Queer voices in the entertainment industry. This documentary tells the dual story of how hardworking Flanigan became the longest contracted performer in the park’s history and how he did his part to bring smiles to his coworkers’ faces at a very scary time in history.
Billy Flanigan: The Happiest Man on Earth is currently available On Demand and will be available on DVD on November 15, 2022.
Billy Flanigan: The Happiest Man on Earth may not be the most groundbreaking story, but its subject is spellbinding.
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GVN Rating 8
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User Ratings (6 Votes)
3.8
Big film nerd and TCM Obsessed. Author of The Ultimate Guide to Strange Cinema from Schiffer Publishing. Resume includes: AMC’s The Bite, Scream Magazine etc. Love all kinds of movies and television and have interviewed a wide range of actors, writers, producers and directors. I currently am a regular co-host on the podcast The Humanoids from the Deep Dive and have a second book in the works from Bear Manor.