Billy Galvin (1986) Reviews

• Heartwarming father-son drama with excellent cast.

  Brewski1999-01-23

  BILLY GALVIN is a small, independent production and a gem of a movie. Excellent performances by Lenny Von Dohlen, Toni Kalem and, especially, Karl Malden entertains and illuminates. One of the better father-son dramas due to a tightly written screenplay by writer/directer John Gray and an outstanding supporting cast. Authentic Boston locations add to the authenticity of the project.

• Galvin family values

  bkoganbing2015-03-06

  Independent film maker John Gray came out of the box a winner with this heart warming true to life tale of a working class feuding father and son in Boston. Lenny Von Dohlen plays the title role and Karl Malden is the father who does not want his son in the construction trade. Billy Galvin and his dad live in Boston and Malden's been working for over 30 years at the building trade and his son loves and respects him and wants to do the same thing. But Malden is having none of it and in fact Von Dohlen gives some indication of may be not having the right stuff for the job. Malden's dream is to be the one who designs the big buildings that crowd the Boston landscape and he never made it. Now the dream transfers to Von Dohlen. Billy Galvin the film is mild on plot, but long on character development for its two protagonists. Malden if not Irish does come from a working class background and has a proper feel for the part. Von Dohlen who comes the South and not South Boston developed quite a good ear for the speech patterns of the locale. They do make you feel as Joyce Van Patten that you are in the living room of the Galvin home watching a family quarrel. As it turns out I know someone who knows John Gray and he's not from Boston, but from the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn where he met a whole lot of people that you see featured here. Von Dohlen's best friend played by Keith Szarabajka is based in fact on someone Gray knew who did in fact lace his breakfast cereal with spirits instead of milk. WC Fields would have been proud. That particular character is something of an urban legend in Brooklyn. The film could also have been shot in the most Irish area of South Buffalo and maybe someone will see that possibility and bring a production here. Until then you can't go wrong with Billy Galvin.