By Jan Wahl–
He was a fine jazz pianist and singer. He developed a reputable touring and recording career along with his group The Billy Tipton Trio. He retired early to raise three adopted sons and had what his wife still calls a very happy marriage. After Billy’s death in the late 1980s, it was revealed that Billy Tipton was assigned female at birth. His family, friends, and colleagues never knew. The media and tabloids went wild.
A brilliant new film has been released: No Ordinary Man. In it we celebrate Tipton living his authentic self. It also blew me away with truth and clearly articulated stories from various trans artists. It begins with a diverse group auditioning for a film about Billy. It gets deeper and richer from there.
Marquise Vilson, Scott Turner Schofield, Susan Stryker, Thomas Page McBee, C. Riley Snorton, and others provide insight, humor, and touching moments of clarity. Co-Directors Aisling Chin-Yee and Chase Joynt have given us a movie of humanity about the trans experience.
I asked co- director Chase Joynt about why this film felt so new, different, and important.
“As a trans person interested in trans history, I have always been interested in who controls the trans stories told in the media,” Chase said. “In the case of Billy Tipton, the story has long been authored by the talk and tabloid circuit of non-trans people. The thing that is exciting about our film is that it uses Billy as a springboard as to how we tell our stories.”
(I have to stop to say that, at this point, I was thinking this person is as clear and fascinating as the movie itself!)
Chase continued, “We invite a cohort of transmasculine actors who are auditioning for the role of Billy in a film. We did a casting call in Los Angeles and New York for a who’s who of transexual artists, performers, and academics. There were many memorable moments, but the most for me were those of trans recognition, relating to and understanding Billy.”
Aside from falling in love with Marquise Vilson, I was completely taken in by Billy’s oldest son, William, a man who reminds us that forgiveness is the key to living well. Chase said, “Billy Jr. recognized that his father was a hero to multiple generations of trans people. I think Billy Jr. is a product of the same media landscape as we are, one that has produced images of trans people as liars or deceivers. Our film is proof that it is about who asks the questions, how that matters … and the politics of representation.”
No Ordinary Man had its world premiere at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival. It runs a fast 80 minutes. Catch it at the Shattuck in Berkeley or the Landmark Theatres in San Francisco. Or however you can find it. It is a remarkable film.
Naturally, whenever I see a film that excites me with quality and insight, I think of other movies that have taken me to new horizons. The Imitation Game showed me scientist Alan Turing saving hundreds of thousands by breaking the Enigma Code during World War II, and being put to death for being gay. The King’s Speech opened up a world I personally related to, finding a speech therapist to learn to communicate with self and others. Roadrunner lifted the adventurous, sexy life of Anthony Bourdain and showed us the complicated man under it. Then there is The Oxbow Incident with its danger of mob rule, and my favorite, The Celluloid Closet, with its reminding us that media and cinematic images can define and destroy.
Movies are important and educational at their best, providing entertainment but also stimulating and taking us on a journey of discovery. No Ordinary Man is the latest.
Jan Wahl is a Hollywood historian, film critic on various broadcast outlets, and has her own YouTube channel series, “Jan Wahl Showbiz.” She has two Emmys and many awards for her longtime work on behalf of film buffs and the LGBTQ community. Contact her at www.janwahl.com
Published on August 12, 2021
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